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CC - ACTION ITEM: (1) Discussion of Annual Earth Day and International Walk to School Day Celebrations; (2) Approval of a Street Closure Along Elenda Street Between Culver Boulevard and Along Farragut Drive Between Elenda Street and Coombs Avenue on Wednesday, April 22, 2026; and (3) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
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Meeting Date: February 23, 2026
Contact/Dept: Andrew Maximous/Public Works
Phone Number: (310) 253-5628
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [ ] General Fund: Yes [X] No [ ]
Attachments: Yes [ ] No [X]
Public Notification: E-Mail: Meetings and Agendas - City Council (02/19/2026); Culver City Unified School District (01/31/2026), Residents along Elenda Avenue between Culver Boulevard and Farragut Drive and between Huron and Coombs Avenues (02/04/2026).
Department Approval: Yanni Demitri, Public Works Director/City Engineer (02/02/2026)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) discuss annual Earth Day and International Walk to School Day celebrations; (2) approve a street closure along Elenda Street between Culver Boulevard and along Farragut Drive between Elenda Street and Coombs Avenue on Wednesday, April 22, 2026; and (3) provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
DISCUSSION
The Safe Routes to School Education Program is a longstanding partnership between the City of Culver City and the Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) that promotes safe, active, and sustainable travel to school for elementary and middle school students. For more than 13 years, the City has contracted with Walk n’ Rollers to deliver education and encouragement programs that support walking, bicycling, carpooling, and transit use. Program elements include classroom instruction, parent workshops, bicycle safety workshops, and community rides.
On Tuesday, April 22, 2025, the City implemented a pilot Earth Day open-street event along Elenda Street adjacent to the Tri-School Campus. The temporary street closure supported walking and bicycling to school from designated drop-off locations and aligned with the City’s adopted mobility, sustainability, and climate action goals. The event was implemented through coordination among City departments, Walk n’ Rollers, the Culver City Police Department, CCUSD school administrators, and student volunteers.
Feedback from participating schools and families indicated strong attendance and engagement, with minimal complaints received. Students and parents reported a positive experience, particularly with the opportunity for safer, car-free access to campus and hands-on transportation and sustainability programming. Post-event evaluations identified opportunities for improvement, including enhanced signage, expanded outreach, increased student participation, and refined traffic control and operations planning. Overall, the event was considered successful and consistent with best practices used by peer cities to support active transportation and school-area safety.
Based on the success of the 2025 pilot and at the direction of City Council on April 25, 2025, and the Culver City/CCUSD Liaison Committee on June 16, 2025, staff proposes holding a second Earth Day Open Street Event in 2026.
The proposed event would take place along Elenda Street between Culver Boulevard and Farragut Drive, and along Farragut Drive between Elenda Street and Coombs Avenue. The route would serve Farragut Elementary School, Culver City Middle School, and Culver City High School. The event would occur from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and would include family-friendly activities focused on Earth Day education, active transportation encouragement, and bicycle safety and skills, with participation from school clubs and community organizations. Parking along the routes would be prohibited between 10:00 p.m. on April 24, 2026 to 10:00 a.m. on April 25, 2026.
Future Earth Day open-street events may be rotated to other school locations citywide to equitably distribute programming benefits and respond to school-specific mobility and safety needs.
In addition to the Earth Day event, the Public Works Department proposes to host an annual International Walk to School Day celebration each October, consistent with national and international mobility and public health initiatives. The 2026 event is anticipated to occur on October 7. The location and scope of this event have not yet been finalized and will be determined based on school interest, operational feasibility, and safety considerations. Any event requiring a temporary street closure will be brought forward for City Council approval prior to implementation.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
If the Council would like to proceed with the Earth Day event, funding would come from the Public Works Department Account No. 10160170.516600 (Mobility & Traffic Engineering Division - Special Events and Meetings) which can be found on page 499 of the budget book. Staff would transfer funds from other object accounts within the division to make sure there is sufficient funding in the Special Events account. The estimated costs for the Earth Day event are $14,000 as shown below.
Department Costs
Police (17 officers and parking enforcement) $ 8,000
Public Works closure and equipment $ 5,000
Permitting, EPO, and other fees $ 1,000
Total $14,000
If Council desired to make Earth Day an annual event, future fiscal year budgets would need to include an additional $14,000.
Funding for an International Walk to School Day in October 2026 would be contingent on approval of enhancements to the Mobility and Traffic Engineering Division budget in Fiscal Year 2026-2027t. The cost for that event would be approximately $15,000.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
recommended action
MOTION
That the City Council:
1. Discuss annual Earth Day and International Walk to School Day celebrations; and
2. Approve a street closure along Elenda Street between Culver Boulevard and along Farragut Drive between Elenda Street and Coombs Avenue on Wednesday, April 22, 2026; and
3. Provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.