Public Works

Pacific Avenue Transformation Project

   

Aerial view of Pacific Avenue

Rendering of the 9th Street project area

Rendering of the 10th Street project area

Rendering of the 3rd Street project area

  

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Additional project updates and information will be published on an on-going basis.

Help Shape the Conversation

Background

The Pacific Avenue Transformation Project will reimagine approximately 1.6 miles of Pacific Avenue from Ocean Boulevard to Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) into a safer, more accessible and better-connected corridor serving residents, students, commuters and visitors. The project will convert an auto-oriented five-lane roadway into a Complete Streets corridor that incorporates walking, bicycling and transit elements, while maintaining commute times. The design will improve overall safety by reducing speeds and minimizing conflicts between roadway users.

Pacific Avenue is included in the City’s High-Injury Network and is ranked as the fourth most dangerous corridor for pedestrians and bicyclists. The City found that only 14% of drivers travel at or below the posted 25 mph speed limit, and four people have died in collisions along the corridor since 2020, three of whom were pedestrians.

Planned improvements include converting the existing shared and striped bikeway into consistent, separated bike lanes, protected intersections, reconstructed curb ramps and sidewalk upgrades; new bus boarding areas and shaded shelters; traffic-calming features including a complete roadway reconfiguration; and signal enhancements. By physically separating vulnerable roadway users from vehicle traffic, the project advances the Safe Streets Long Beach Action Plan, which is Long Beach’s local implementation of the Vision Zero philosophy of eliminating traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries.

The proposed roadway reconfiguration (reference renderings above) will slow traffic speeds and discourage dangerous weaving, which is expected to reduce the frequency and severity of collisions.

The project will also bring this segment of the corridor into compliance with Assembly 413, otherwise known as "Daylighting", which prohibits parking within 20 feet of the approach side of any crosswalk and within 15 feet of any crosswalk with a curb extension. This will in turn improve pedestrian and bicycle safety as they approach crosswalks, driveways, and intersections.

In addition to significant safety improvements, the project will close a critical gap in the City’s north–south bicycle network in the greater Downtown area, directly connecting to east–west bikeways on 3rd Street, Broadway and 14th Street and linking to regional transit services, including the Metro A Line, and multiple Long Beach Transit Torrance Transit routes. It will also enhance access to important community destinations such as Washington Middle School, 14th Street Park and the Billie Jean King Main Library.

The corridor serves communities with higher rates of car-free households and households living below the poverty threshold compared to the citywide average. By improving first- and last-mile access to transit, schools, parks and employment centers, the project will support equitable mobility and reduce transportation cost burdens for residents.

The project design has been shaped by extensive community engagement, including meetings and events, focus groups, neighborhood presentations, pop-ups and an online forum. Residents identified street design as the top priority for eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries, with half of participants prioritizing infrastructure improvements over education or enforcement strategies.

Consistent with the City’s Bicycle Master Plan, Climate Action Plan and Complete Streets policies, the Pacific Avenue Transformation Project represents a significant step toward building a safer and more connected multimodal transportation network in Long Beach.

This project is part of the Elevate ’28 Infrastructure Investment Plan, a historic initiative dedicated to enhancing Long Beach parks, community facilities, mobility access, and streets. Learn more at lbelevate28.com.

Improvements are also planned for the northern segment of Pacific Avenue, from Pacific Coast Highway to Wardlow Road. These improvements will be delivered as a separate project that is tentatively scheduled to start toward the end of this year.

Timeline

All timelines are approximate and subject to change due to weather or unforeseen conditions.

Objectives

• Enhance safety for roadway users by reducing speeds and conflicts between vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians, as per the City’s Safe Streets Long Beach Initiative and High-Injury Network principles
• Improve accessibility and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance
• Reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions and support multimodal travel options as per the City’s Climate Action Plan (LB CAP) and Bicycle Master Plan (BMP)
• Improve road surface quality, as per the City’s Pavement Management Plan (PMP) and Capital Improvement Program (CIP)

Project Features

Infrastructure and Accessibility Improvements

• Pavement Improvements
  • Roadway rehabilitation.
  • New traffic striping and lane markings for improved visibility.
• Accessibility Improvements
  • Reconstruction of sidewalks and 30 ramps to meet Americans with Disabilities (ADA) standards.
  • Addition of ADA-compliant parking spaces.

Multimodal Safety Enhancements

• Safer Roadway Design
  • The five-lane corridor will be redesigned with one traffic lane in each direction, reducing unsafe vehicle speeds, with minimal impact to commute times (reference renderings above).
  • Compliance with Assembly 413, otherwise known as ‘Daylighting, which prohibits parking within 20 feet of the approach side of any crosswalk and within 15 feet of any crosswalk with a curb extension.
• Protected Bike Lanes
  • Physically separated (Class IV) bike lanes along entire project span from Ocean Boulevard to PCH.
    • From Ocean Boulevard to 9th Street, the bike lanes will be protected by painted buffer islands or raised concrete medians and the existing curb and sidewalk.
    • From 9th Street to Pacific Coast Highway, the bike lanes will be protected by a raised buffer and a concrete median.
• Pedestrian Safety Upgrades
  • Protected intersections with striped islands, rumble strips, and high-visibility crosswalks, resulting in slower traffic speeds and enhanced safety throughout the corridor. Intersections planned for safety improvements include E. Broadway, 3rd and 9th Streets.
• Transit Upgrades
  • Bus shelter improvements.
  • Bus stops located at 9th St. and 14th St. (East side of Pacific Avenue) will be removed to allow for more efficient traffic flow.

• Traffic Signal Upgrades
  • Modern signal controllers and cabinets, battery backup systems, new vehicle detection and CCTV cameras, new signal heads at select locations, and enhanced pedestrian features such as accessible push buttons. Two intersections—Pacific Avenue at 10th Street and 15th Street—will receive full signal reconstruction with new poles, foundations, and equipment built to current standards.

Project Funding

The project is funded through a combination of federal, state, and local sources, including Surface Transportation Block Grant and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program grants, Caltrans Active Transportation Program funds, and other local, state, and federal resources supporting multimodal corridor improvements.

More Information

• April 2, 2026 Community Meeting Presentation

Project Update Sign-Up Form

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Latest Updates

April 2026

The Department of Public Works hosted an informational community meeting on Thursday, April 2, 2026, at the BJK Main Library. During the meeting, City staff provided an overview of the project, which is scheduled to being construction later this fall. The presentation highlighted proposed design features, key safety benefits, and the anticipated timeline.

Community members also had the opportunity to speak directly with project team members, explore visual displays, and ask questions.