By Lookout Staff

Juy 16, 2025 -- The Santa Monica Police Department will hold a
Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Operation Friday, its first since the City Council approved a $793.3 million annual budget that enhances street safety spending.

The operation will take place from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. and focuses on "the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at risk," police officials said.

The violations include speeding, making illegal turns, failing to yield or provide right of way to bicyclists or pedestrians, or failing to stop for signs and signals.

"These operations target areas where we’ve seen a history of collisions or received verified community complaints, and they complement our daily enforcement and education work," said Lt. Lewis Gilmour, the Police Department spokesperson.

During five operations in March, for example, officers stopped 70 vehicles and issued 62 citations and 8 warnings, according to police data. The citations spanned a range of violations involving motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.

"Our goal is not just enforcement, but education and visibility -- especially in areas where safety concerns have been raised by the public," Gilmour said.

The number of Fatal and Severe Injury (FSI) crashes in Santa Monica soared in 2024, marking the fourth straight year the numbers have risen ("Crashes Resulting in Severe Injuries, Deaths Soar," February 14, 2025).

Of the 60 FSI crashes last year, 21 involved pedestrians, 9 involved bicyclists and 4 involved scooters, according to the data. The other 26 involved only cars.

In addition to funding Police and Fire Department programs and staffing in the Fiscal Year budget that began on July 1, the Council boosted funding to make streets safer to navigate.

The budget approved on June 23 earmarks $750,000 for streetlight maintenance and repairs, including money to add one full-time employee, and another $460,000 to hire a "Traffic Painter/Signs and Markings Technician" and a "customer service" employee.

In addition, the Council approved $200,000 "to create an automated bike lane enforcement program using cameras mounted on parking enforcement vehicles," after a pilot program with only two vehicles found 1,679 violations in 6 weeks, according to staff.

During a May 27 budget study session, however, the Council directed staff to remove funding for additional sworn police officer positions that included traffic enforcement officers.