Upgrades To Venice Boulevard Aim To Improve Safety

VENICE-MAR VISTA, CA — The Los Angeles Department of Transportation and Metro planned upgrades to Venice Boulevard to improve safety along the corridor.

The proposed upgrades include a protected bike lane, dedicated public transport lanes and additional safety features along the boulevard. The street connects neighborhoods from Mar Vista to Culver City and nearly 47,000 people live within five minutes of the project, according to LADOT.

"Upgrading Venice Blvd will provide safer access to neighborhood destinations by walking and biking while improving connections to the region's growing transit network," an LADOT statement read.

Venice Boulevard is a part of the City of Los Angeles's High Injury Network due to a disproportionate number of traffic collisions, according to a statement from LADOT. From 2012 to 2022 there have been 1,203 collisions and 25% of them have involved pedestrians or bicyclists, which is higher than average for Los Angeles. In that same time frame, there have been 58 people who were killed or severely injured in collisions on Venice Boulevard, according to the statement.

"We are redesigning our streets to prioritize human life," the LADOT statement read.

The goals of the project are to improve traffic safety to reduce injuries and fatalities due to car crashes, support sustainable transportation, prioritize buses and improve access to public transportation and Venice Beach.

The improvements will be made from Lincoln Boulevard to National Boulevard. The project is currently in its early stage of community engagement with an online survey and virtual open house planned for Aug. 31.

Project implementation is projected to start in November 2022 and will go through February 2023.