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CC - CONSENT ITEM: (1) Approval of Guiding Principles for Sepulveda Connects Project; (2) Authorization to Accept Grant funds from the Metro Measure M Subregional Equity Program in the Amount of $960,654; and (3) FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE REQUIREMENT: Approval of a Related Budget Amendment to Appropriate the Grant Funds to CIP PS017.
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Meeting Date: October 27, 2025
Contact Person/Dept.: Ryan Hund/Transportation Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-6506
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (10/22/2025)
Department Approval: Diana Chang, Chief Transportation Officer (10/08/2025) _____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) approve the guiding principles for the Sepulveda Connects Project; (2) authorize acceptance of grant funds from the Metro Measure M Subregional Equity Program in the amount of $960,654; and (3) approve a related budget amendment to appropriate the grant funds to CIP PS017 (Tactical Mobility Lane) (four-fifths vote required).
BACKGROUND
The City’s adopted 2045 General Plan envisions a city where everyone can move better - safely, comfortably, reliably, and with more joy. By making it easier and more reliable to ride transit, to bike, to walk, and to drive in these arterial corridors, the General Plan aims to make the City more accessible. This goal aligns with the City’s Short Range Mobility Plan, City Council’s Strategic Plan, and the Transit-Oriented Development Visioning Report in developing an integrated multi-modal transportation system to provide transportation options and access to all residents and visitors and leveraging mass transit and other alternative modes to accommodate the growth of and maintain the long-term vitality of the Culver City community.
On April 24, 2023, the City Council directed the Transportation Department to proceed with the design and implementation of a transit priority project on Sepulveda Boulevard. On December 11, 2023, the City Council approved a consultant contract with NN Engineering, Inc. for planning, design, engineering, and data collection for three different corridors, including Sepulveda Blvd. At that time, the Council also directed staff to hold off work on the Sepulveda Blvd. corridor project until the resolution of a lawsuit brought against the City by a group called “Friends and Families for MOVE Culver City.” On August 13, 2024, the trial court issued a Statement of Decision finding in favor of the City on all causes of action, which was upheld on appeal on August 13, 2025. Throughout the past year, staff have been collecting and analyzing data on the existing conditions around the Sepulveda Blvd. corridor, reviewing applicable plans and policy documents, and meeting with key stakeholders.
The northern portion of Sepulveda Blvd. (from Franklin Ave. to Venice Blvd.) is on the City’s annual resurfacing plan. The street resurfacing work will be coordinated with the Sepulveda Connects project to reduce construction costs.
DISCUSSION
Sepulveda Blvd. is a major north-south thoroughfare that facilitates local and regional travel across several modes. It is Culver City’s busiest transit corridor, with buses running every 8 minutes that carry more than 6,700 riders every weekday between LAX and UCLA. It is also a key corridor for vehicle traffic to and through Culver City. Street-facing businesses generate significant pedestrian traffic and demand for parking and loading. The demands of these different uses lead to challenges; buses see poor on-time performance, with over 20% of trips running late, and 525 crashes have been reported on Sepulveda Blvd. in the last six years.
The City’s guiding documents outline a vision for Sepulveda Blvd. that seeks to build on its strengths, addresses existing challenges, and advances the mobility and sustainability goals of the 2045 General Plan. The General Plan designates Sepulveda Blvd. as a Transit Priority Corridor, while the Bike and Pedestrian Action Plan envisions the addition of bike lanes along much of the corridor.
The corridor also has regional significance. The Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG) included Sepulveda Blvd. as a priority corridor for transit improvements in its 2020 mobility study, and in August 2025, the WSCCOG board approved a contract to design a network of transit lanes throughout the Westside region on Sepulveda Blvd., Jefferson Blvd., La Cienega Blvd., and Santa Monica Blvd. The goal of this project is to implement bus lanes on each corridor before the 2028 Olympics. The WSCCOG board also voted to separately fund the City’s existing effort to design bus lanes on Sepulveda Blvd.
Accommodating the many uses on Sepulveda Blvd., both present and future, requires careful consideration in design and intensive public engagement. To facilitate better decision-making during the design process, staff have developed a set of guiding principles for the Sepulveda Connects project for consideration by the City Council. Guiding principles will help staff and the public navigate the tradeoffs that will necessarily emerge given the realities of limited street space and a fixed budget.
The guiding principles are included as Attachment 1.
Pending Council direction on the guiding principles, staff will continue conducting public outreach and proceed with the design process. The approximate timeline is:
• Public Outreach and Concept Design: Fall 2025 - Winter 2026
• Final Design and Construction Procurement: Spring - Summer 2026
• Construction: Fall 2026
FISCAL ANALYSIS
On April 10, 2025, the Westside Cities Council of Governments Board of Directors approved appropriating Metro Measure M Subregional Equity Program funds to support Culver City’s ongoing design of transit priority infrastructure on Sepulveda Blvd. On May 22, 2025, the Metro Board of Directors approved the appropriation of funds.
Staff is requesting the City Council authorize the acceptance of the grant funds and approve a related budget amendment to appropriate the $960,654 in grant funds and allocate the funds to CIP PS017 (Tactical Mobility Lane) (requires a four-fifths vote).
ATTACHMENTS
1. Sepulveda Connects Project Guiding Principles.
MOTION(S)
That the City Council:
1. Approve the guiding principles for the Sepulveda Connects Project and provide direction to staff;
2. Authorize acceptance of grant funds from the Metro Measure M Subregional Equity Program in the amount of $960,654; and
3. Approve a related budget amendment to appropriate the grant funds to CIP PS017 (Tactical Mobility Lane) (four-fifths vote required).