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CC - CONSENT ITEM: (1) Authorization to Accept Grant Funds in the Amount of $5.4 Million from Cycle 2 of the Measure M Los Angeles Metro Active Transport, Transit, and First/Last Mile Program for the Better Overland Project Phase 2; and (2) FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE REQUIREMENT: Approval of a Related Budget Amendment to Allocate and Appropriate the Grant Funds to CIP Project PS029 (Overland-Playa Pedestrian/Bicycle Improvements).
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Meeting Date: October 13, 2025
Contact Person/Dept.: Thomas Check/Public Works Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-5627
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [ ] General Fund: Yes [ ] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [ ] No [X]
Public Notification: E-Mail: Meetings and Agendas - City Council (10/08/2025)
Department Approval: Yanni Demitri, Public Works Director/City Engineer, (08/27/2025)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) authorize acceptance of grant funds in the amount of $5.4 million from Cycle 2 of the Measure M Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Active Transport, Transit, and First/Last Mile Program for the Better Overland Project Phase 2; and (2) approve a related budget amendment to allocate and appropriate the grant funds to CIP Project PS029 (Overland-Playa Pedestrian/Bicycle Improvements) (four-fifths vote required).
BACKGROUND
The Better Overland Project is an active transportation project extending from Venice Boulevard southward to the Fox Hills Neighborhood, including the Culver City Transit Center. The project features over 2.5 miles of protected bike lanes, new and enhanced sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, sidewalk-facing streetlighting, new traffic signals at Overland Avenue & Kelmore Avenue/Ranch Road and Sawtelle Boulevard, and more. Together, the improvements will transform Overland Avenue into an active transportation corridor, linking neighborhoods, making this primary connector safer for all users, and promoting walking and biking as practical, enjoyable ways to move throughout the City.
On June 17, 2024, staff submitted an Active Transportation Program (ATP) Cycle 7 grant application for the combined Better Overland and Safer Fox Hills Project. The application was not selected for funding. As a result, staff separated the two projects and divided them into phases to allow delivery of at least a portion of improvements in the shorter term. This staff report focuses exclusively on the Better Overland Project.
Phase 1 of the Better Overland Project will add traffic calming measures, protected bike lanes, and pedestrian safety improvements on Overland Avenue between Venice Boulevard and Culver Boulevard. This closes a gap between the existing protected bike lanes on Venice Boulevard and the conventional bike lanes currently installed between Culver Boulevard and the Ballona Creek Bike Path. Phase 1 also includes a signalized pedestrian crosswalk at the Julian Dixon Public Library.
City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget on June 9, 2025, which includes approximately $1.4 million towards final design & construction of Better Overland Phase 1. Final construction costs will be determined once engineering design is completed and construction bids are received. Funding sources include:
• General Fund allocations carried over from prior fiscal years (no new General Fund allocation);
• The City’s Mobility Improvement Fund (Fund 437), dedicated to mobility infrastructure and programs; and
• Grant funds awarded from Metro under MAT Cycle 1.
The scope and extent of Phase 1 improvements were driven by available funding and identifying the most logical portion of the corridor to construct first, which also involved examining existing and proposed bicycle facilities on adjacent/intersecting streets. Due to limited funding, Phase 1 relies on lower cost “quick build” materials such as flexible posts, colored pavement markings, striping, and signage. More robust design treatments, such as concrete protected bike lanes, and signalized intersection upgrades (including protected intersections) are not included within the scope of work due to cost. Additional pedestrian enhancements, such as sidewalk facing street lighting, directional curb ramps, and sidewalk repairs, were also omitted.
On February 6, 2025, Metro released the Program Solicitation for Cycle 2 of the Measure M Metro Active Transport, Transit, and First/Last Mile (MAT) Program. After reviewing the eligibility requirements and scoring rubric, staff developed the scope of improvements for Phase 2 of the Better Overland Project, covering Overland Avenue between the Ballona Creek and the entrance to West Los Angeles College at Freshman Drive.
Phase 2 improvements include concrete-protected bike lanes and signalized intersection upgrades at Overland Avenue & Virginia Avenue, Jefferson Boulevard, and Freshman Drive intended to maximize protection for cyclists approaching and entering the intersection and shorten pedestrian crossing distances, wherever geometrically feasible. At Overland Avenue & Jefferson Boulevard, removal of the existing right-turn slip lanes is also proposed, if feasible. Extensive pedestrian upgrades are also included, such as ADA-compliant pedestrian pushbuttons with audio/tactile feedback, approximately 24 new directional curb ramps, and sidewalk-facing street lighting.
The section of Overland Avenue between Culver Boulevard and the Ballona Creek was not included in Phase 2 because Council has not yet selected a design alternative for that segment. As part of a separate action item, staff will be requesting that Council select a design alternative for this portion of the corridor.
DISCUSSION
Metro began accepting applications for MAT Cycle 2 on February 6, 2025. City staff prepared an application for Better Overland: Phase 2 and submitted it on April 7, 2025. The total amount of funding requested was $5.4 million-nearly four times the amount secured for Phase 1. No local matching funds are required.
In August 2025, Metro staff announced that Better Overland: Phase 2 was recommended for full funding at the requested amount. The Metro Board of Directors subsequently approved the project selection recommendations for MAT Cycle 2 at their Planning and Programming Committee on September 17, 2025, and Regular Board Meeting on September 25, 2025.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Staff requests that the City Council accept the grant funds and approve a related budget amendment to allocate and appropriate the grant funds to CIP Project No. PS029 (Overland-Playa Pedestrian/Bicycle Improvements) (four-fifths vote required). No local match is required.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Authorize acceptance of grant funds in the amount of $5.4 million from Cycle 2 of the Measure M Los Angeles Metro Active Transport, Transit, and First/Last Mile Program to Finalize Design and Construct Phase 2 of the Better Overland Project; and
2. Approve a budget amendment to allocate and appropriate the grant funds to CIP Project PS029 (Overland-Playa Pedestrian/Bicycle Improvements) (four-fifths vote required).