Opinion: Save Culver City’s Bus and Bike Lanes

In an opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times, Yotala Oszkay Febres-Cordero calls on the small city of Culver City, on Los Angeles’ west side, to continue the Move Culver City pilot project, which installed 1.3 miles of protected bike and bus lanes in the city’s downtown.

For Oszkay Febres-Cordero, removing the protected lanes, a move favored by some conservative city council members, would be “a devastating setback, not just for those of us who use the lanes but also for how Angelenos see the future of transportation in our region.”

The op-ed addresses common concerns, such as traffic. “Drivers complain that the bus and bike lanes slow down traffic on the street. But the lanes don’t do so by much: According to the report, during peak afternoon traffic, travel time in a car has increased by a maximum of two minutes compared with a 2019 baseline.”

Protected bus lanes can also address transportation equity. “Many people riding the bus in L.A. County are not doing so on principle or because it’s fun, but because it’s the most viable option for them. A bus lane makes their lives better too.”

Oszkay Febres-Cordero holds city council members responsible for improving transportation for all residents. “Council members are the decision makers. If bus service is not up to par to maximize the protected lane, then it is on them to make it better. If the project lacks support, then they need to invest in the service frequency, reliability and connectivity to strengthen the ridership and thus the buy-in.”