After 50 Years, Zbur Bill Breaks Logjam on Santa Monica Coastal Plan

Governor signs AB 1740, establishing a path to local coastal permitting while streamlining bike, pedestrian, and transit projects statewide

SACRAMENTO, CA - After five decades without a certified Local Coastal Program, Santa Monica now has a clear path to bring most coastal permitting decisions back home while preserving the strong protections that make California's coast so special. Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 1740, landmark legislation authored by Democratic Caucus Chair and Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Santa Monica) that provides a significant resolution for Santa Monica to secure a Local Coastal Program (LCP) while creating a new statewide process to streamline bike, pedestrian, and transit projects that improve public access to California's coast.

Sponsored by the City of Santa Monica and Streets For All, AB 1740 is the product of extensive negotiations led by Assemblymember Zbur that brought together the City, California Coastal Commission, and housing, environmental, and mobility advocates around a path forward that had eluded Santa Monica for decades.

"Getting to this agreement was no small undertaking. It took months of hard work, difficult conversations, and a willingness from stakeholders with very different perspectives to stay at the table and find common ground," said Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur. "What we achieved is a solution that works for Santa Monica, strengthens the partnership between the City and the Coastal Commission, and creates new opportunities for communities across California to improve bike, pedestrian, and transit access to our coast. I'm incredibly proud of what we accomplished together, deeply appreciative of everyone who worked in good faith to get us here, and grateful to Governor Newsom for signing AB 1740 into law."

Under AB 1740, Santa Monica will move forward with completing its LCP, establishing a defined process for the City and Coastal Commission to complete certification. Once certified, the LCP will allow the City to process most Coastal Development Permits locally rather than requiring separate approval by the Coastal Commission. The law establishes timelines, accountability measures, and reporting requirements designed to keep that process moving while preserving the Commission's oversight and California's coastal protections.

The law also creates a statewide expedited process for bicycle, pedestrian, and transit improvements that enhance public access to and within the coastal zone. It authorizes the Coastal Commission to use expedited, de minimis procedures for qualifying right-of-way projects that enhance coastal access and requires greater transparency around approvals, denials, and pending applications.

"Cities up and down the coast make their own permitting decisions under coastal programs the state has certified," said Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis. "Santa Monica is one of the last that doesn't. AB 1740 puts us on the clock to get there; now the work is ours. Thank you to Assemblyman Zbur for seeing it through, and to Governor Newsom for signing this important piece of legislation."

"For far too long, multimodal projects have been too difficult to build in the coastal zone." said Michael Schneider, Founder and CEO of Streets For All. "I'm grateful to Assemblymember Zbur for authoring this critical bill, and to Governor Newsom for signing it, creating a streamlined process, which will allow cities to more easily install bike lanes, bus lanes, and pedestrian safety improvements."

"We are excited to see this important piece of legislation cross the finish line," said Coastal Commission Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge. "AB 1740 advances our current efforts with Santa Monica to draft a long-term plan to protect the city's coastal zone. It also expedites bike lanes and other multimodal projects that will improve public access to the coast without weakening Coastal Act protections."

For more than 50 years, the California Coastal Act and Coastal Commission have played a critical role in protecting California's coast and ensuring it remains accessible to everyone. AB 1740 builds on that legacy by pairing those strong protections with a collaborative path forward for Santa Monica and new tools to improve public access to the coast for communities across California.

Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur serves as the Democratic Caucus Chair for the California State Assembly and represents the 51st Assembly District, which includes Universal City, Hollywood, Hancock Park, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Westwood, West Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and other portions of Los Angeles.

CONTACT: Vienna Montague, (916) 319-2051, [email protected]