Culver City faces a lawsuit due to its recent changes in the MOVE Culver City pilot project. Critics believe that the city may have overstepped their bounds in approving alterations and issuing waivers from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The group, 'Friends and Families for MOVE Culver City', who've expressed their concern through legal action earlier this week, on October 17, point to the City's insufficient compliance with CEQA regulations, as Westside Today reports.
MOVE Culver City, an ambitious city-led initiative, was launched with the Downtown Corridor pilot in November 2021. It aspires to redesign the streets for people's movement, with an emphasis on efficiency and safety. The project also focuses on improving infrastructure and services for alternative mobility options, aiming to make these accessible for all individuals.
However, after a year-long pilot evaluation that included data analysis and public feedback, city Council instructed staff to make design changes to a project. With the introduction of a shared bus and bike lane in both directions, a second traffic lane has also been reestablished where necessary in order to reduce traffic congestion. Among other features are bike boxes at seven locations, "bike buddy" traffic lights, and continental crosswalks, as mentioned in the official statement.
The MOVE Culver City project, to correspond to the city's annual street resurfacing program, was split into two segments with separate timelines for completion. The western segment that is scheduled to get underway in the coming several months covers Culver and Washington Boulevards between Duquesne and Canfield Avenues, and La Cienega Boulevard. The eastern segment includes Washington and Adams Boulevards, focuses from La Cienega Boulevard to Fairfax Avenue, and is slated for a 2024 start, with a planned completion by August, as per Westside Today.
Critics of MOVE Culver City's amendments have mounted a legal challenge, questioning the city's right to enforce the changes and declaring that the CEQA exemptions granted are not valid. The City of Culver City is currently evaluating to this lawsuit and its potential consequences, according to their statement.
Despite the ongoing legal process over the MOVE Culver City project changes, the project itself remains focused on providing more efficient, safe, and accessible streets for all residents.
