Santa Monica Crosswalk Enhancement Program

For years Santa Monica removed crosswalks at intersections. As the City became pedestrian-oriented with increased tourism, jobs, and denser housing, pedestrian volumes increased. The community expressed frustration that walkability was frustrated by automobility.

JKA, working with Katz Okitsu & Associates, was hired by the City to observe pedestrian-vehicular conflicts, facilitate public workshops, and with community input design right-of-way improvements for one street, Pico Blvd. The design team looked overseas and imported innovative methods to enhance pedestrian safety. Along Pico Boulevard, working with the community, they were early American adopters of European “zebra” crosswalks and “smart” crosswalk technology and signs.

With the success of the first efforts on Pico to enhance walkability, additional design tools were developed including roundabouts, “road diets”, and median improvements to “calm” traffic. Over the course of seven years, what started as a demonstration project for one street turned into a City-wide program. Throughout, JKA facilitated neighborhood-by-neighborhood workshops, and the design of block-by-block improvements that enhanced the safety and walkability of the entire 11 square-mile city.