Feedback workshops continue for Sepulveda Connects

Culver City recently presented three potential plans for its Sepulveda Connects project, and residents will have another opportunity to engage with the project team at a Design Workshop this Thursday, April 16, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Culver City Senior Center Dining Room.

Sepulveda Connects will install bus and bike lane infrastructure along 2.8 miles of Sepulveda Boulevard from Venice Boulevard to Centinela Avenue. This is part of a larger effort to create an interconnected network for transit and micromobility users to travel anywhere in Culver City by bus, bike, or other non-motorized means.

As part of the process of creating these proposals, several considerations, including parking and traffic impacts, were taken into account. Parking counts were conducted over four days in March 2025, which are considered “typical” days that are not holidays or Spring Break at Culver City Unified School District.

The Sepulveda Connects project is broken into segments, and parking needs were analyzed segment by segment. These needs and the potential for side streets to address them were weighed against the potential parking impacts of improvements along each block of the project.

Traffic impacts were also considered, and the impact of each alternative was modeled using software. Many of the improvements create only marginal impacts in simulations, with southbound travel times between the Westfield Mall and Centinela Avenue in the mornings being the only ones expected to increase by more than a minute, and this increase is only seen in the most intensive plan: Alternative 3.

On the other hand, each plan is projected to contribute to more reliable bus service. Bus travel times along the corridor are affected by a minute or more in several instances, and plans in one proposal could potentially reduce afternoon southbound travel time by more than 5 minutes.

Read more about the changes proposed in each alternative below. For more information, visit the Sepulveda Connects website here.

Alternative 1: Southbound Transit Priority

Summary

This plan would create a bus lane running Southbound on Sepulveda Boulevard from Venice Boulevard to Culver Boulevard and Machado Road to the 90 Freeway. North and Southbound Bike Lanes would also be implemented on Sepulveda Boulevard from Culver Boulevard to the Ballona Creek.

Parking Spaces

199 spots would be lost, leaving 180 spaces, with most parking eliminations isolated to the north side of Sepulveda Boulevard. Single parking spaces have been removed on the southbound side of Sepulveda Boulevard to accommodate new infrastructure, while others are removed when they directly conflict with bus lanes. Parking spaces in bike lane zones are mostly maintained, but some spaces were reconfigured to accommodate the new bike lane.

No section of the project corridor was determined to have impacts that could not be absorbed by the surrounding area.

Projected Traffic Impacts

According to traffic modeling and projection software, this plan would have the following traffic impacts:

• AM Southbound Travel Time for Motor Vehicles +0.1 minutes (6 seconds)
• AM Northbound Travel Time for Motor Vehicles +/- 0 minutes
• PM Southbound Travel Time for Motor Vehicles +0.2 minutes (12 seconds)
• PM Northbound Travel Time for Motor Vehicles +/- 0 minutes
• AM Southbound Travel Time for Buses -1.5 minutes (90 seconds)
• AM Northbound Travel Time for Buses -0.3 minutes (18 seconds)
• PM Southbound Travel Time for Buses -5.4 minutes (324 seconds)
• PM Northbound Travel Time for Buses -0.1 minutes (6 seconds)

Changes by Segment

Venice Boulevard to Washington Place

• Maintains traffic lanes
• Removes Northbound parking lane
• Removes parking Southbound between Venice Boulevard and 405 Access Ramp

Washington Place to Culver Boulevard

• Maintains traffic lanes
• Removes Northbound parking lane
• Bus Stop improvement in the Southbound lane at Washington Place
• Bus Stop improvement in the Southbound lane at Washington Boulevard
• Right-in-only and Pedestrian infrastructure at Culver Boulevard arterial

Culver Boulevard to Ballona Creek

• Maintains traffic lanes
• Removes Northbound parking lane
• Removes Several parking spots Southbound where Protected Bike Lane Infrastructure is placed throughout the segment
• Physical Median installed between Barman Avenue and Lindblade Street
• Pedestrian Curb Extension at Lindblade Street
• Bus Stop Improvement in both lanes at Braddock Drive
• Bus Stop Improvement in the Southbound lane at Lucerne Avenue

Ballona Creek to Machado Road

• Mostly maintains traffic lanes
• One Southbound traffic lane removed just north of Machado Road

Machado Road to Sawtelle Boulevard

• Maintains Northbound traffic lanes
• Removes one Southbound traffic lane

Sawtelle Boulevard to Jefferson Boulevard/Playa Street

• Maintains Northbound traffic lanes but removes Northbound Parking, removes one Southbound PM Peak travel lane (Sawtelle to Berryman)
• Maintains all Northbound traffic lanes but removes northbound side parking, and removes one Southbound travel lane (Berryman to Jefferson)

Jefferson Boulevard/Playa Street to 90 Freeway (Marina Freeway)

• Maintains Northbound traffic lanes, removes one Southbound traffic lane (Jefferson to Slauson)
• Maintains all travel lanes in both directions (Slauson to 90 Fwy)

90 Freeway (Marina Freeway) to Centinela Boulevard

• Maintains all travel lanes in both directions

Alternative 2: Balanced Transit Priority

Summary

This plan would create a bus lane running Southbound on Sepulveda Boulevard from Washington Place to Culver Boulevard, and from Machado Road to Slauson Avenue, and a bus lane running Northbound on Sepulveda Boulevard from Slauson Avenue to Sawtelle Boulevard, and from Culver Boulevard to Venice Boulevard.

A bike lane would be installed on both the Northbound and Southbound sides of Sepulveda Boulevard from Culver Boulevard to the Ballona Creek.

A share bike-bus lane would also be installed on the Northbound side from the Ballona Creek to just north of Machado Road, with a bus lane running between the end of that lane and Machado Road.

Parking Spaces

267 spots would be lost, leaving 112 spaces remaining, with most parking eliminations isolated to the North side of Sepulveda Boulevard. Single parking spaces have been removed on the southbound side of Sepulveda Boulevard to accommodate new infrastructure, while others are removed when they directly conflict with bus lanes. Parking spaces in bike lane zones are mostly maintained, but some spaces were reconfigured to accommodate the new bike lane.

A minor parking impact may be required near Washington Boulevard, but no other areas are projected to have impacts that cannot be absorbed by the surrounding area.

Projected Traffic Impacts

According to traffic modeling and projection software, this plan would have the following traffic impacts:

• AM Southbound Travel Time for Motor Vehicles +0.2 minutes (12 seconds)
• AM Northbound Travel Time for Motor Vehicles +/- 0 minutes
• PM Southbound Travel Time for Motor Vehicles +0.2 minutes (12 seconds)
• PM Northbound Travel Time for Motor Vehicles +/- 0 minutes
• AM Southbound Travel Time for Buses -1 minutes (60 seconds)
• AM Northbound Travel Time for Buses -1.5 minutes (90 seconds)
• PM Southbound Travel Time for Buses -1.8 minutes (108 seconds)
• PM Northbound Travel Time for Buses -4.3 minutes (258 seconds)

Changes by Segment

Venice Boulevard to Washington Place

• Maintains traffic lanes
• Removes Northbound parking lane
• Bus Stop Improvements on the Southbound side at Venice Boulevard
• Removes a section of parking on the Southbound side north of the 405 Freeway Access Ramp

Washington Place to Culver Boulevard

• Maintains traffic lanes
• Removes both parking lanes
• Bus Stop improvement on the Southbound side at Washington Place
• Curb Extension at Washington Boulevard
• Parking removed on the Southbound side south of Culver Boulevard
• Right-in-only at Culver Boulevard arterial

Culver Boulevard to Ballona Creek

• Maintains traffic lanes
• Removes Northbound parking lane
• Parking removed on both sides to accommodate protected bike lane infrastructure
• Physical Median installed between Barman Avenue and Lindblade Street
• Pedestrian Curb Extension at Lindblade Street
• Bus Stop Improvement in both lanes at Braddock Drive
• Bus Stop Improvement in the Southbound lane at Lucerne Avenue

Ballona Creek to Machado Road

• Mostly maintains traffic lanes
• One Southbound traffic lane removed just north of Machado Road
• Curb extension and median installed on Machado Road

Machado Road to Sawtelle Boulevard

• Maintains Northbound traffic Lanes, removes one Southbound traffic Lane
• Shared Bike/Bus Lane on both sides north of Machado Road and Southbound south of Machado Road

Sawtelle Boulevard to Jefferson Boulevard/Playa Street

• Maintains Northbound traffic lanes, removes one Southbound PM Peak travel lane (Sawtelle to Berryman)
• Maintains all Northbound traffic lanes, removes one Southbound travel lane (Berryman to Jefferson)

Jefferson Boulevard/Playa Street to 90 Freeway (Marina Freeway)

• Maintains Northbound Traffic lanes, removes one Southbound traffic lane (Jefferson to Slauson)
• Maintains all travel lanes in both directions (Slauson to 90 Fwy)

90 Freeway (Marina Freeway) to Centinela Boulevard

• Maintains all travel lanes in both directions

Alternative 3: High Transit Priority

Summary

This plan would create a Southbound Bus Lane on Sepulveda Boulevard from Venice Boulevard to Centinela Avenue, and a Northbound Bus Lane from Centinela Avenue to the Ballona Creek, and from Washington Place to Culver Boulevard

Parking Spaces

258 spots would be lost, leaving 121 spaces remaining. Both sides of the corridor receive significant changes to the number and orientation of parking spots.

Several segments of the corridor have been identified as being unable to. They are:

• Northbound from Washington Place to Venice Boulevard
• Southbound from Washington Place to Washington Boulevard
• Northbound and Southbound from Ballona Creek to Machado Road

Projected Traffic Impacts

According to traffic modeling and projection software, this plan would have the following traffic impacts:

• AM Southbound Travel Time for Motor Vehicles +0.2 minutes (12 seconds)
• AM Northbound Travel Time for Motor Vehicles +5.6 minutes (336 seconds)
• PM Southbound Travel Time for Motor Vehicles +3 minutes (180 seconds)
• PM Northbound Travel Time for Motor Vehicles +0.6 minutes (36 seconds)
• AM Southbound Travel Time for Buses -0.2 minutes (12 seconds)
• AM Northbound Travel Time for Buses -1.3 minutes (78 seconds)
• PM Southbound Travel Time for Buses -5.7 minutes (324 seconds)
• PM Northbound Travel Time for Buses -1.3 minutes (78 seconds)

Changes by Segment

Venice Boulevard to Washington Place

• Maintains traffic lanes
• Removes Northbound parking lane
• Removes Parking on the Southbound side north of the 405 Ramp to accommodate the Bus Lane and right-hand turn lane separation

Washington Place to Culver Boulevard

• Maintains traffic lanes
• Removes both parking lanes
• Bus stop improvement at Washington Boulevard
• Right-In-Only on Culver Boulevard arterial

Culver Boulevard to Ballona Creek

• Maintains traffic lanes
• Removes Northbound parking lane
• Physical Median installed between Barman Avenue and Lindblade Street
• Pedestrian Curb Extension at Lindblade Street
• Bus Stop Improvement in Southbound at Braddock Drive
• Bus Stop Improvement in the Southbound lane at Lucerne Avenue

Ballona Creek to Machado Road

• Maintains all travel lanes in both directions and the Northbound parking lane; removes the Southbound parking lane (Ballona Creek to North of Machado Road)
• Maintains both parking lanes; removes one travel lane in each direction (north of Machado Road to Machado Road)
• Curb extension and median installed on Machado Road, extends further Northbound on Sepulveda than Alternative 2

Machado Road to Sawtelle Boulevard

• Removes one travel lane in each direction
• Bus Stop improvement on the Northbound side at Vera Way
• Median and curb extension at Berryman Avenue

Sawtelle Boulevard to Jefferson Boulevard/Playa Street

• Remove one travel lane in each direction
• Maintains the Northbound parking lane

Jefferson Boulevard/Playa Street to 90 Freeway (Marina Freeway)

• Removes one travel lane in each direction

90 Freeway (Marina Freeway) to Centinela Boulevard

• Removes one travel lane in each direction