Special Spotlight!
New LA City Council Members Hit The Ground Running On Bicycle Infrastructure
Two new Los Angeles City Council Members, Hugo Soto-Martinez of Council District 13 and Eunisses Hernandez of Council District 1, used their first City Council meeting on Tuesday to introduce motions to add much needed bicycle infrastructure, as well as transit improvements and road repairs, to their districts.
Noting that CD13 -- which includes parts of Echo Park, Silver Lake, Hollywood, Historic Filipinotown and more -- is "among the most densely populated and transit-dependent districts in Los Angeles, Soto-Martinez introduced a motion that would instruct the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to report back to the City Council with:
-- a list of bus priority projects that could be implemented in Council District 13 within 18 months;
-- a list of bike infrastructure projects that could be implemented in the district within 18 months; and
-- a list of the top 10 most dangerous locations for pedestrians in Council District 13 and a plan to improve them within 18 months.
Soto-Martinez' motion, if passed by the City Council, would also direct the Bureau of Street Services to draft a list of all bus stops in the district that do not have a shelter and create a plan to install shelters at all of them.
Councilwoman Hernandez' motion seeks to improve roads in Council District 1, which includes parts of Highland Park, Pico-Union, Chinatown, Westlake and more. If passed by the City Council, that motion would instruct the Bureau of Street Services and Bureau of Engineering to identify the number of lane miles that have a "poor" or "fair" rating on the city's Pavement Condition Index, the number of streets scheduled and funded for repair, and what resources and funding are needed to repair all streets rated as "poor."
The motion would also instruct the Bureau of Street Services to coordinate street repair work with LADOT's Bike Lane Acceleration and Safety Team to ensure that bicycle infrastructure upgrades are implemented during the street repairs.
Both motions were seconded by Councilman Bob Blumenfield and will be referred to the Transportation Committee and Public Works Committee, respectively, before a vote by the full City Council.
General LA
Metro Restores Bus Service To Pre-Pandemic Levels
As of Sunday, Metro bus service was fully restored to pre-pandemic levels of about 7 million service hours a year. The restoration means that riders will wait less for their buses to arrive, and some route changes were made to bus lines in San Pedro, Wilmington and Harbor City.
LA To Receive More Than $200 Million For Active Transportation Projects
The California Transportation Commission granted more than $200 million in Active Transportation Program grants to the city of Los Angeles. Projects include the Skid Row Connectivity and Safety Project to construct three miles of complete street elements in Skid Row; the Osborne Street: Path to Park Access Project to create a connected, complete street and improve access to transportation on Osborne between San Fernando Road and Foothill Boulevard; Normandie Beautiful: Creating Neighborhood Connections in South LA to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety; and more.
LA City Council Backs Livable Communities Initiative
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a motion aimed at implementing the Livable Communities Initiative, a concept design to help solve issues around housing, traffic, safety and climate change. The project would enable the development of mixed-use buildings in commercial areas to help increase the number of people who live near job centers and transit lines.
New Bike Lanes Unveiled in Central, East LA Areas
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation added new bike lanes on First Street in downtown LA/Boyle Heights and Avenue 19 in Lincoln Heights and Cypress Park.
San Fernando Valley
North Valley Transit Corridor Project Approved
The Metro Board of Directors approved a $180 million implementation plan for the North San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor project, which the transit agency says will improve speed, reliability and passenger experience. The plan is expected to be implemented by winter 2025.
San Gabriel Valley
Pasadena Commission Adopts Zero Emission Bus Roll Out Plan
The plan was developed to meet the California Air Resources Board requirement for all public transit operators in the state to transition to 100% zero energy bus fleets by 2040. The motion adopted by the Pasadena Transportation Advisory Commission will serve as a roadmap to transition its fleet to zero emission by 2037.
South LA
LA County To Upgrade Intersections Around A Line's Slauson Station
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors initiated the process to improve pedestrian infrastructure at five intersection in the unincorporated area of Florence-Firestone, near the Metro A Line’s Slauson Station.