Via the Santa Monica DOT’s “Take the Friendly Road” newsletter comes news that all bike lane enthusiasts have been waiting for. Santa Monica’s “Wonderful Bike Lane Paving Machine,” (WBLPM) more boringly (and accurately) known as a “3D Concrete Extruder” will be returning to Santa Monica for work around Bergamot Station. Last seen in 2023 rapidly creating the Ocean Avenue bike lanes, the WBLPM captivated activists from around the world (and Councilmember Jesse Zwick) as the new best practice for quickly and effectively making bike lanes.
This time, the WBLPM will go to work on Stewart Street as part of Phase III of the Bergamot Area First Mile/Last Mile Improvement Project. Streetsblog’s Joe Linton reviewed the first two phases of the project in March and vowed to return to check out the progress on the current phase soon. The full text of the Friendly Road announcement can be found below.
Take the Friendly Road, August 22, 2025:
3D Concrete Extruder is Back – Bergamot Area First/Last Mile Improvements
Now in its third and final phase, the Bergamot Area First/Last Mile Improvement project will install a protected bike lane on Stewart St using a 3D concrete extruder. This specialized machine follows the project’s design plans to create a custom mold. Fresh concrete is fed in, and as the machine moves forward, it lays a smooth, continuous, low-profile curb barrier in a single pass, delivering a strong, smooth edge while accelerating construction and reducing traffic disruption compared with traditional form-and-pour methods. The result is a cleaner and more efficient build that supports safer, more inviting streets. A video of the Ocean Ave installation using the 3D concrete extruder in 2023 can be viewed in this LA Streets Blog write-up.
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