Culver City residents divided over Overland Avenue bike lane plan

A Culver City proposal to install concrete barrier bike lanes along more than 2.5 miles of Overland Avenue has divided the community, with supporters citing long-overdue safety improvements and opponents warning that eliminating street parking will harm seniors, disabled residents and small businesses.

The dispute reflects a broader tension playing out across Southern California cities as local governments push active transportation mandates while balancing the parking and access needs of aging, disabled and lower-income residents — a trade-off that OC communities navigating similar infrastructure debates will recognize.

The "Better Overland Project" would reshape the corridor from Venice Boulevard toward the Fox Hills neighborhood, separating bike lanes from vehicle traffic with concrete barriers. According to a city statement, officials have incorporated resident feedback and adjusted the plan in certain areas while continuing to pursue its active transportation goals.

Opponents said a city-conducted traffic count undermined the case for such a major redesign. "So they did a study and it's like 55 bikes for 15,000 cars per day," said Monica Richardson, a Culver City resident. "So it's not necessary for here, but they just want to push it through anyway." Richardson added: "We need all the parking."

Residents of senior and affordable housing along the corridor raised concerns about access for in-home caregivers. Melinda Calderon said care workers who visit disabled and elderly residents depend on nearby street parking. "We have people to come in here and have to work with them in inhome service. They all need parking," Calderon said, warning that a loss of curbside spots would push service providers into surrounding blocks. She also cited emergency vehicle access as a concern, noting that firetrucks serve the area frequently.

Local business owners said they could not absorb the change. Cam Vong, owner of Artistic Nail Salon, said customer visits would drop without available parking. "If people can't park here what would happen? It make the business bad because the customer cannot come in. So we make no money, we cannot survive," Vong said. She urged the city to redirect the spending elsewhere: "put the money in the sidewalks."

Mayor Freddy Puza, speaking at a community meeting at Rotary Plaza senior housing, defended the project as an equity measure aimed at broadening who feels safe cycling. "The people who ride their bike now are usually 18 to 35 white males, able bodied males, why don't other people don't ride? Because they don't feel safe," Puza said. A city statement said officials have made adjustments based on community input while keeping the project on track.

Some residents called for the decision to go directly to voters. "My pitch to the city council is to put this on a city wide ballot and let the voters of Culver City decide whether this is a valid project or not. It's all I want," said Ed Conway, a Culver City resident. According to a city statement, the first phase of construction is expected to begin later in 2026.

The city said in a statement that ongoing engagement with affected residents will continue as it advances the project toward construction.