Caring for our Coastline

April 16, 2021 9:00 AM
by Peter James

The City of Santa Monica has the great fortune of being the stewards of 3.5 miles of beach that offers Santa Monica and Los Angeles County residents respite and much-needed fun. With an active COVID-19 vaccination effort underway and the County reaching the new reopening milestones in our recovery, the City’s Public Works team has been hard at work preparing the beach, beach facilities, and the Santa Monica Pier for safe, socially distanced experiences as the community spends more time outdoors.

As you enjoy a day at the beach, please do so responsibly. This means every family member over the age of two should wear a mask outside of the water, practice physical distancing by finding a cozy space six feet from others, get vaccinated when eligible, avoid crowds and gatherings and use the trash bins to protect one of California’s most precious resources – the great Pacific. 

If you’ve ever wondered what goes into caring for the Santa Monica coastline, here are some fun facts about the work of the City’s dedicated beach and Pier maintenance team.

• Our beach is raked clean every morning, hauling volumes of debris off the sand and maintaining a level and sanitized environment.
• Our beach and Pier bathrooms are cleaned and disinfected up to 8 times per day with extended service hours of the beach bathrooms to 8 p.m.
• Oceanfront Walk is steam cleaned and pressured washed daily to remove debris, grime, and windborne dirt from this coastal 1.2 mile path.
• The Pier has undergone major structural repairs that include repairing piles, joists and deck boards.
• The beach bike path is swept daily to provide a safe and comfortable experience for bikers enjoying the coastline, particularly because bike ridership has increased.
• The beach parking lots are cleaned of trash and debris daily.

Authored By

Peter James
Chief Operations Officer