The Santa Monica Rent Control Board’s 2025 Annual Report (pdf) highlights a year of notable policy updates and programmatic changes aimed at strengthening tenant protections and improving oversight. Among the key accomplishments, the Board adopted new rules to limit large,…
Santa Monica has not been shy about sharing its feelings about the Trump Administration. In addition to the No Kings rallies held in Palisades Park as part of the national movement, there are weekly demonstrations, at least a pair of…
Eagle-eyed reader (and superhero) Caro Vilain sends news and proof that the protected bikeway for Colorado Avenue is underway. This picture was snapped over the weekend of crews putting the finishing touches on the portion of the lane between 5th…
A national day of protest will come to Santa Monica this weekend, as local organizers plan a “No Kings” rally along the city’s iconic coastline. The event, organized through Indivisible, is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, from 11 a.m. to…
The Santa Monica City Council is touting measurable progress on public safety, city services, and fiscal stability as it shifts its focus toward long-term economic recovery, according to a recent staff report and council discussion outlining the results of the…
From the Big Blue Bus: Beginning Sunday, April 5, new service improvements will take effect. These enhancements are part of our ongoing Brighter Blue service improvement plan, which focuses on making public transit a more appealing alternative to driving and supports Santa…
The Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District (RPOSD) announced its 2026 Measure A grant awards this week, including $499,149 for the City of Santa Monica to support planning and design for the first 20 acres of the…
New research and story maps from UCLA’s Institute of Transportation Studies pose an interesting—and potentially useful—hypothetical question: how does California define the area of a transit stop? According to the research, every municipality and regional planning organization maps a transit…
A coalition of Westside cities is moving forward with a plan to speed up bus service across some of the region’s most congested corridors, with an eye toward delivering improvements before the 2028 Summer Olympics. The Westside Cities Council of…
The Santa Monica City Council has confirmed Jay Baldwin as the city’s second poet laureate, approving a two-year appointment during its most recent meeting. Baldwin, who was born and raised in Santa Monica, currently works as a school librarian at…
Eagle-eyed reader Eli Gill sends another picture of modern transportation improvements. This time it’s a red bus-only lane on Broadway. Santa Monica has opened new bus-only lanes on Broadway as part of the city’s ongoing Broadway Safety Project, a corridor…
The Santa Monica City Council voted at their 2/298 meeting night to appoint Heidi von Tongeln as the city’s permanent city attorney, elevating her from the interim role she has held since last year. Contract details were just worked out…
Image: St. John’s Cancer Institute With the candidate filing deadline now closed, three candidates will compete for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ Third District seat in 2026: incumbent Lindsey Horvath and challengers Roxanne Hoge and Tonia Arey. Horvath,…
Earlier this week, Next reported that the city made a mistake when repainting curbs after completing storm drain repairs. Instead of red painted curbs near intersections as required by the state’s daylighting laws, the city accidentally repainted them white, as…
The following is a submission from the Santa Monica Dem Club. The Santa Monica Democratic Club will host its fundraising gala, the Sammy Awards, now in its third year, on March 15, 2026, bringing together elected officials, grassroots leaders, labor…
