By Jackson Beermann
General LA
Bike Carpooling Experimental Program to Be Held Between Downtown and East LA
Civic Bicycle Commuting, or CiBiC, is an experimental program that pays people to ride between downtown and parts of the Eastside of LA. Joining CiBiC begins with downloading the Pave Commute app. Riders are then matched with groups traveling similar routes.The idea is that more people would bike to work if they had others to bike alongside. The hope is to have cycling groups run every 30 minutes from east to west in the mornings from west to east in the late afternoons and early evenings. But east-west is tough, with few bike lanes along the way, and a no-man’s land along Wilshire just past Beverly Hills.
Affordable Housing Project to Receive Funding in Westlake
The Los Angeles City Council voted to adopt a motion introduced by outgoing Councilmember Gil Cedillo which could clear the way for up to $43 million in bond financing to go towards a residential development with 100% of units reserved for low-income households. Plans call for a breezeway that would connect to the existing Miramar Towers building, as well as amenities such as a community room and parking for 32 vehicles. The project will be at 1917 Third Street in Westlake.
Bikeway Updates Completed In Downtown LA, Wilmington
The Los Angeles Transportation Department (LADOT) has completed striping for new bike lanes between Union Station and the Arts District. According to StreetsblogLA, they extend one mile from Vignes Street to Mateo Street. LADOT is also upgrading a 2.2-mile long Anaheim Street section in Wilmington which will include painted curb extensions, upgraded crosswalks, pedestrian signs, leading pedestrian intervals, new bike lanes (protected for about a third of their length), bicycle turn medians, and what is apparently the city’s first protected intersection at Broad Avenue.
LA Ban on Pretextual Stops Sees A Drop In Minor Police Stops
In March 2022, the city of LA approved a policy requiring officers to have a more serious reason before initiating a pretext stop, and they are required to document the reasoning through body cameras before the stop. A Los Angeles Times analysis of LAPD records has found that in the months since the new policy went into effect, officers are stopping far fewer people for the minor violations that can mark the start of pretext stops and are conducting fewer searches during those stops.
Arroyo Verdugo
Metrolink Speed Improvement Project to Break Ground in Burbank
The Burbank Junction Speed Improvement Project, planned on the approach to Downtown Burbank Station, calls for realigning, replacing, and extending the main line track and siding along a roughly half-mile stretch. The stretch is bounded by Burbank Boulevard to the north and Magnolia Boulevard to the south. Additionally, plans call for the installation of new right-of-way safety fencing within the project corridor. The upgrades, which are expected to be completed by Summer 2023, will enable Metrolink to run more frequent service in the future, with wait times of no more than 30 minutes for trains running in both directions
Bike Lanes Coming to La Crescenta Boulevard
On October 18, Glendale City Council voted in favor of a safer La Crescenta Avenue. Between Montrose Avenue and Verdugo Road the street will be redesigned to include bike lanes and a center turn lane. Councilmember Ara Najarian, the current Metro Board Chairman, was the lone “no” vote, saying “I think we are going to see an increase in accidents because we are going to have vehicles that are impatient, drivers that are impatient, and doing unusual passing maneuvers.” The lanes are expected to be implemented in 2023.
Gateway Cities
Eastside Rail Extension Likely To Start First Phase In Montebello
In the campaign for Measure M in 2016, Metro introduced a plan to build a two-pronged extension of the Eastside branch of the L Line. Faced with a multi-billion dollar funding shortfall, Metro staff have recommended that the Eastside extension be built in phases, starting with a 4.6-mile initial operating segment running to Greenwood Avenue in the City of Montebello. The first phase of the project would start running in a subway alignment below Atlantic Boulevard, with stops at Whittier Boulevard and Commerce.
South Bay Cities
Elon Musk's Hyperloop Prototype To Become Parking Lot
The Hyperloop’s inaugural tunnel, a prototype built in Hawthorne, has been torn down and will be replaced with parking spots for SpaceX employees. The Hyperloop’s prototype tunnel was approximately one mile long and 12 feet wide and was situated near the Hawthorne Municipal Airport just outside of Los Angeles. This comes after the company submitted plans in 2021 to bring the hyperloop to Texas and Miami.