The Californer - City of Long Beach to Celebrate Completion of Artesia Great Boulevard Project

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Examples of enhancements made along Artesia Boulevard as part of the City's Artesia Great Boulevard Project.
Above from left: New drought-tolerant trees, protected bike lanes separated from vehicular traffic by permanent curbs, and rehabilitated sidewalks and roadways; One of 19 newly improved bus stops, featuring enhanced accessibility and upgraded amenities.

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach invites community members to a celebration of the completion of the Artesia Great Boulevard Project, taking place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 31, 2025, on Lime Avenue off Artesia Boulevard. The free event will kick-off with family-friendly activities and community resources leading up to a ceremonial ribbon cutting and community bike ride.

"The Artesia Great Boulevard Project is a transformative initiative that not only modernizes and improves safety and accessibility, but also reflects our commitment to building sustainable, equitable and vibrant public spaces for all," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "We invite the community to join us in celebrating this significant investment in Uptown Long Beach. Thank you to our Public Works team and all those involved for their hard work and dedication in making this vision a reality."

Event activities will include a Bike Rodeo, a mock city course designed for young children, and free bike tune-ups provided by Pedal Movement. At 10 a.m., Mayor Rex Richardson, Ninth District Councilmember Dr. Joni Ricks-Oddie, Eighth District Councilmember Tunua Thrash-Ntuk and other City leaders will deliver special remarks. The celebration will conclude with the Uptown Community Bike Ride, hosted by the Department of Health and Human Services, at 10:30 a.m. As part of the City's Bike Month festivities, the ride will offer residents an opportunity to explore the newly revitalized and safer corridor.

An Elevate '28 investment and in alignment with the Safe Streets Long Beach Action Plan, the project featured major improvements to Artesia Boulevard along a 3.2-mile stretch between Harbor and Downey Avenues. The comprehensive project included protected bike lanes, protected intersections and highly visible crosswalks for enhanced safety, as well as roadway asphalt resurfacing and rehabilitated sidewalks to improve road conditions and travel experience. Other key enhancements include enhanced traffic signals to improve efficiency and slow traffic, upgraded and more accessible bus stops, and modern pedestrian lighting. In addition, biofiltration catch basins were installed to help reduce stormwater runoff and improve water quality. The project also introduced landscaped medians with native plants and added approximately 400 newly planted drought-tolerant trees to the area.

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Also being celebrated at the event is a new community mural at the California State Route 91 freeway underpass off Artesia Boulevard. Made possible through a $180,000 Clean California Local Grant, the mural is inspired by the Uptown neighborhood's popular Uptown Jazz Festival.

"The Artesia Great Boulevard Project marks one of the most transformative infrastructure investments in North Long Beach in a generation," said Ninth District Councilmember Dr. Joni Ricks-Oddie. "This project isn't just about repaving a street—it's about reimagining what's possible for our community. We are building a safer, greener, and more connected corridor that prioritizes people—whether they walk, bike, drive, or do business here. This milestone reflects years of community advocacy, planning and persistence, and I'm incredibly proud to see it become a reality."

"The completion of the Artesia Great Boulevard Project marks an exciting milestone for North Long Beach," said Eighth District Councilmember Tunua Thrash-Ntuk. "This project brings improvements that enhance mobility, support local businesses and create a more welcoming environment for everyone who lives, works, and travels through the area. I'm grateful to our residents for their engagement and to the City team for their dedication to delivering this transformative project."

Managed by the Department of Public Works, construction on the Artesia Great Boulevard Project began in January 2023 and is expected for full completion in May 2025. The more than $40 million corridor improvement project is funded by Measure A, the City's infrastructure fund, and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Grants.

"The completion of the Artesia Great Boulevard Project is a shining example of how thoughtful infrastructure can transform a community," said Eric Lopez, Director of Public Works. "By prioritizing safety, sustainability, and accessibility, we're not just upgrading a major corridor, we're enhancing quality of life, supporting active transportation, and building a greener, more connected Long Beach for generations to come."

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These enhancements reflect the guiding principles of the federally recognized Complete Streets approach to designing corridors that accommodate all modes of travel, not just vehicles, to meet the diverse transportation needs of the community. This project is one of several Complete Streets projects outlined in Elevate '28, a comprehensive five-year infrastructure initiative designed to revitalize parks and community facilities while enhancing accessibility and multimodal transportation throughout Long Beach. For more information about Elevate '28, visit lbelevate28.com.

More information about the Artesia Great Boulevard Project and the event is available at longbeach.gov/artesiablvdproject.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. For more information about the Department of Public Works visit longbeach.gov/pw and follow @lbpublicworks on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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