BEVERLY HILLS—The Beverly Hills City Council approved the installation of bike lanes on N. (Big) Santa Monica Boulevard at a meeting on Tuesday, June 20, according to a press release from Therese Kosterman, Public Information Manager for the city of Beverly Hills. Councilmembers voted unanimously to create a lane for cyclists upon completion of the current reconstruction project, joining neighboring cities in promoting bicycle safety.

“This was a great night for Beverly Hills!” said Mayor Lili Bosse. “We are saying YES to a Healthy City, where everyone who lives, works or visits Beverly Hills is encouraged to leave their car at home, get outside and move!”

In 2015, City Council approved the budget and design for the N. Santa Monica Boulevard Reconstruction project. They planned to expand part of the roadway to the south along the Santa Monica 5 parking structures to accommodate bicycles. On June 3, traffic detours came into effect, limiting N. Santa Monica Boulevard to two westbound lanes and redirecting eastbound traffic to S. (Little) Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards. In late June, the work will focus on the northern portion of the roadway, between Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive. Two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane will be open on N. Santa Monica Boulevard, with additional lane closures.

The project is about one-third complete and is scheduled to be finished in mid-2018. Additional information on the reconstruction project can be found at www.beverlyhills.org/smblvd.

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, dozens of speakers discussed the importance of reducing greenhouse gases and the necessity of a bike friendly environment and better connectivity to neighboring cities. Adding bicycle lanes on N. Santa Monica Boulevard would promote safety and make drivers more aware of bicyclists.

Staff will meet with the City Council again this calendar year with a striping plan, which will include travel and bike lane width, along with options for high-visibility bike lanes.

Additional information is available at www.beverlyhills.org/bicycles.