When the Los Angeles Marathon returns to Santa Monica on Sunday, March 19 it will bring 24,000 runners along San Vicente Blvd and onto Ocean Ave. City officials are warning residents to prepare for several hours of road closures along the route and budget extra time in their day for travel to accommodate the changes.
The first batch of runners are expected to cross the finish line at about 9:30 a.m. Local road closures will begin between 5 and 6 a.m. on Sunday. Northbound Ocean Ave. between Colorado Ave. and Santa Monica Blvd. will reopen around 4 p.m. with other roads expected to start reopening at about 5 p.m. Roads could fully open at about 9 p.m. All road closures and reopening are under the control of the Santa Monica Police Department.
According to the city, the westbound lanes of San Vicente Blvd. will be open. The eastbound lanes of San Vicente Blvd. will be closed.
Ocean Ave. will be closed between San Vicente Blvd. and Colorado Ave. Northbound and southbound traffic will be allowed on Ocean Ave. from Pico Blvd. to Moomat Ahiko Way to enter Pacific Coast Highway.
Southbound 2nd St. will be closed between Wilshire Blvd. and Colorado Ave. Northbound traffic will not be permitted to turn right at each intersection beginning at 6 a.m. As traffic increases, motorists will be pushed east towards Lincoln Blvd. to access the Santa Monica Freeway.
Northbound 5th St. will have left turn restrictions between Colorado Ave. and Arizona Ave. All traffic will be directed to Wilshire Blvd. and 4th St. to access the parking garages.
Main St. will be closed between Pico Blvd. and Colorado Ave. The California Incline will be closed. Colorado Ave. will be closed between 5th St. and 4th St.
4th St. will be closed in both directions between Colorado Ave. and Broadway from approximately 6 a.m. – 12 p.m., and will reopen when traffic conditions require additional capacity for southbound 4th St.
The race will detour Big Blue Bus and Metro buses.
BBB Lines 1, 2, 3, Rapid 3, 5, 7, Rapid 7, 8, 18, and 41/42 will be impacted until about 5 p.m. Route 9 will not be in service. The western boundary of BBB service on race day will be 14th St.
Busses will operate from a single hub on race day at the 17th/SMC Expo stop. All BBB busses will stop at the hub Sunday as will Metro buses 4/704, 20/720, 33/733, and 534. Metro bus riders with a tap card can transfer to the westbound Expo Line at no additional charge.
This is the first year train service will be available for the marathon. Service on the Expo line will be every nine minutes with three-car trains.
Metro busses impacted by one of the race related road closures include: 2, 4, 10, 14, 16, 20, 28, 30, 33, 40, 45, 48, 55, 60, 68, 70, 71, 76, 78/79, 81, 83, 90/91, 92, 94, 96, 105, 180/181, 200, 201, 204, 206, 207, 210, 212, 217, 218, 222, 237/656, 487, 534, 603, 704, 720, 733, 745, 754, Silver Line (910).
For details on bus detours, check Metro’s Service Advisories page on metro.net or call (323) GO-METRO.
City Hall is encouraging the use of bicycles on race day.
There will be four bike valet stations available on race day: Washington Ave. at 2nd St. from 8:30 a.m. — 3:30 p.m., The Bike Center on Colorado Ave. at 2nd St. from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Parking Structure 6 at 1431 2nd St. from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. and the Main St. Farmers’ Market from 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Parking is expected to be severely limited on race day and city owned lots will implement temporary restrictions race day.
From midnight to 6 a.m. the Civic Center will be reserved for race participants. All other public lots will be closed until 6 a.m. and meter parking will operate on normal regulations. From 6 a.m. to 12 p.m., all city owned lots will be open. Rates are subject to change for race day and there will be no free parking for the Main Street Farmers Market that day.
Drivers can visit parking.smgov.net for more information about parking availability or download the ParkMe app.
Residents with marathon specific questions on race day can contact Cynthia Lillavois at info@goconqur.com or (213) 542-3000. The Santa Monica Police Department can be reached at (310) 458-8491for non-life threatening calls.
Visit www.smgov.net/lamarathon for more information about the City’s marathon preparation or on race day for updates on parking. For more information about the race and street closures/updates residents can follow several social media accounts including @SantaMonicaCity, @UnifiedLA and @LAMarathon on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
- Edited by Matthew Hall, Daily Press Editor
