Residents urge Torrance to back protected Redondo Beach–to–El Camino College active-transport route

More than a dozen residents urged the Torrance City Council to support the Redondo Beach Metro Active Transport project and to prioritize protected, continuous bike lanes through the city.

Speakers asked the council to ensure the 3.3-mile corridor that runs from Redondo Beach through Torrance to El Camino College includes physically protected Class IV lanes rather than unprotected painted stripes. "The design currently includes unprotected bike bike lanes," said Arohi, a District 4 resident, "which is just a single line of paint that separates riders from drivers who are, let's be honest, increasingly distracted and angry." Liam Walsh of the South Bay Bicycle Coalition delivered campaign materials and said, "Our ask is if you could please partner with Redondo Beach, Lawndale, and the county on this project to ensure that we have a seamless, route of protected bike lanes throughout the entire length of the project."

Speakers described personal safety concerns and close calls. Andrew Blackney, who said he was run over by a car in 2021, said the project "can prevent that happening to other people." Parents and caregivers described wanting a space where they can safely ride with children: "My 6 year old is starting to ride his own bike," said Andrew Akers. "I would really love for him to have a protected safe place to ride his bike with me." Several speakers urged removing underused on-street parking to allow protected lanes and emphasized that a continuous corridor is necessary for the project to function as intended.

The speakers referenced planning documents and a multi-year community engagement process; multiple commenters noted Torrance’s General Plan includes bicycling policy goals. Several presenters delivered petitions or comment packets to the clerk.

Council did not take action on the public comments during the meeting. Mayor George Chen and staff thanked speakers for their testimony. No staff presentation or direction to staff on the project was made during this meeting.

The issue remains a community request for the council to join neighboring jurisdictions and the county in designing a continuous, protected active-transport corridor for the South Bay.