To: PUBLIC WORKS, SAFETY, AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION
From: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
TITLE
title
DISCUSSION OF COMMERCIAL DRIVEWAY WIDTHS
end
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Artesia and Aviation Corridor Area Plan (AACAP) was adopted by the City in 2020 and includes a set of strategies and development standards intended to help incentivize the revitalization of the Artesia and Aviation corridors to make them more pedestrian friendly. On August 5, 2025, the City Council discussed the AACAP and directed staff to move forward as a priority item, changes to the City’s Municipal Code (RBMC) eliminating required minimum off-street parking for non-residential uses within the AACAP.
On September 18, 2025, staff presented a draft zoning amendment to the Planning Commission, inclusive of the City Council’s direction to eliminate parking requirements for all new non-residential development within the AACAP area. The Planning Commission supported the elimination of parking requirements and recommended a reduction in mandated driveway widths for new developments that may choose to provide on-site parking. The intent of the recommendation was to reduce driveway widths and potential conflicts between pedestrians and drivers.
The Planning Commission recommendation was presented to the City Council on October 14, 2025. The Council was supportive of the concept of reducing the driveway width and directed staff to study it and schedule a discussion with the Public Works and Sustainability Commission (PWSC) to receive input.
BACKGROUND
Off-street parking requirements for new developments have been a mainstay of the built environment since the end of World War II when car ownership proliferated. These minimum requirements have largely stayed static over the years and typically only consider the peak usage period of each independent land use. Parking requirements generally result in implicit subsidies to driving and an oversupply of parking during most hours and days of the year. Requiring space for parking spaces, aisles, and wide driveways reduces square footage for revenue-generating uses, walkability, and space of homes and commerce. In turn, this increases societal costs. In recent years, many cities around the country, including Redondo Beach have tried to improve conditions for non-driving modes of transportation by reducing car dependency and encouraging walkable developments. This has resulted in more flexible or eliminated minimum parking requirements, letting the free market determine what is truly necessary. Similarly, oversizing of mandated driveway widths reduces space for on-street parking and the actual uses being developed. It also reduces available space for sidewalk amenities (trees, bike racks, lighting) and increases the exposure of pedestrians crossing active traffic.
Since the City Council eliminated commercial parking requirements in the AACAP on November 20, 2025 (RBMC §10-2.1707 <https://ecode360.com/42656153>), staff has proceeded with studying companion updates to commercial driveway width standards. RBMC §10-2.1706 <https://ecode360.com/42656153> governs driveway standards for non-residential uses. Current RBMC requires two-way traffic commercial driveways to be at least 30 feet wide. One-way driveways must be at least 14 feet wide.
DISCUSSION
Staff researched minimum driveway widths in other cities around the region that have similarly constrained land use environments or have similar goals of improving walkability and providing smarter and denser land uses as Redondo Beach. Attachment 1 shows commercial driveway width standards from Santa Monica, Torrance, and Culver City. Each city has different overall regulations, but all have driveway width maximums and allow for administrative flexibility on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, Engineering and Planning staff recommends including administrative flexibility (City Engineer approval). For example, narrow lots providing few on-site spaces may warrant a narrow two-way driveway, whereas a proposed use that anticipates large truck loading might require a wider driveway apron for turning maneuverability.
Staff recommends baseline commercial driveway widths to be 12 feet minimum for one-way traffic, and 20 feet minimum for two-way traffic with an overall 24-foot maximum. Staff also recommends administrative flexibility to deviate from these widths based on objective factors to be developed by the City Engineer, such as the number of proposed parking spaces, safety/sight distance, interface with the public ROW, proximity to other uses, vertical/horizontal slopes, and the proposed land use.
Staff is seeking public and Public Works, Safety, and Sustainability Commission (PWSSC) input on these changes. If these changes are recommended by the PWSSC, staff will work on changes to the RBMC with the City Attorney’s office prior to City Council approval.
COORDINATION
Coordination of this report took place within the Public Works and Community Development Departments.
ATTACHMENTS
• Attachment 1 - Commercial Driveway Widths in Selected Cities