Exploring Santa Monica's Bike Infrastructure: A Personal Journey

Protected bike lane in Santa Monica next to the E Line Station

A few years ago, I wrote about a car-free trip in Santa Monica. You can read about it here. Since then, I've moved to Portland, but I was eager to return to Santa Monica. I wanted to soak up the sunshine, visit my favorite deli, and explore the area by bike. I only had a few hours, so my review focuses on my experience north of the I-10 freeway and south of Montana Ave.

Santa Monica's Bike Infrastructure: Progress and Challenges

Santa Monica has been making strides in improving its bike infrastructure. I was curious to see what changes had been made since I left in 2023. Here’s my review of the Santa Monica bike lanes as we wrap up 2025.

On the positive side, the 17th St protected bike lane and the Dutch-style intersections (I think I spotted two?) are complete. However, outside of the boardwalk on the beach, Ocean Ave, and a few blocks on Colorado, biking still requires a bit of courage if you're not used to it. There are still many gaps that disconnect the protected bike lanes along the beach from inland destinations.

The 17th St Protected Bike Lane: A Closer Look

Let’s talk about the 17th St bike lane. After riding around, I found it to be quite narrow. Half of the bike lane is part of the gutter, which isn’t ideal. The Dutch-style intersection is also cramped. I understand there are space constraints and concerns about inconveniencing drivers. But if Santa Monica is serious about encouraging biking to reduce traffic and curb pollution, these lanes need to be more accommodating.

The current 17th St protected bike lane seems designed for single-file riding. It doesn’t allow faster and slower riders to safely pass each other due to its width. As a result, weekend cyclists often take the lane instead.

Looking northbound on the 17th St Protected bike lane

Navigating to the Beach: A Missing Link

I started my journey from the Expo station at 17th and Colorado. Currently, there isn’t a safe way to get from 17th St to the beach. I checked the city website and found a planned project estimated for completion in 2024. This project aims to build a protected bike lane from 17th St on Colorado to 5th. However, when I visited, I didn’t see it completed. If it is finished, I couldn’t find any wayfinding signage to guide me to 5th St.

There is a protected bike lane on Colorado that extends a couple of blocks down to Colorado and Ocean, which leads to the Santa Monica Pier.

A Dutch-style intersection going northbound on 17th St approaching Arizona

Riding Through Familiar Streets

I rode up 17th St to California and headed toward the beach. Much of the painted bike lane on California looks faded. At times, it was hard to tell if there was even a bike lane there. I rode on familiar streets to see if there had been any changes. I also explored a few streets on Santa Monica's Bikeway Network Vision to see if any planned projects had come to fruition. Most of the bike network north of the 10 freeway still consists of just paint, but several areas at least have green paint.

A Delicious Break at Bay Cities Italian Deli

After riding around, I had to check out my favorite deli in Santa Monica: Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery. This was a great opportunity to see how I could bike there. From the beach, I took the painted bike lane on Broadway to Lincoln Blvd. Once on Lincoln, I rode on the sidewalk for about 100 feet. Honestly, Lincoln Blvd is not a street you want to bike on.

The counter to order your sandwich at Bay Cities

Caprese sandwich I ordered at Bay Cities

Exploring Colorado's Bidirectional Bike Lane

After lunch, I rode along Colorado between 4th and Ocean, which features the city's first bidirectional protected bike lane. I headed north on Ocean and then tackled the California incline.

Riding up the California Incline on a cargo bike

A Slow Progress in Infrastructure Development

All in all, not much seems to have changed since I left a few years ago. I guess it doesn’t surprise me. We can rebuild a freeway after a fire in 8 days, but when it comes to anything other than car infrastructure, the timeline always seems to shift...further out.

I plan to return to Santa Monica in a couple of years to check on the progress. Santa Monica appears to be the most progressive city regarding biking in Southern California. While cities like Santa Clarita and Irvine are also great, their biking infrastructure is more suited for recreational riding.

Conclusion: A Call for Improvement

As I conclude my journey, I can’t help but wonder: How can we inspire more people to travel sustainably by bike and train? It’s essential to share practical tips and personal stories to demonstrate how accessible and rewarding this kind of adventure can be, both close to home and far away.

Let’s hope that in the coming years, Santa Monica will continue to improve its bike infrastructure, making it safer and more enjoyable for everyone.