Streetsblog Los Angeles

A plan for public space (wider sidewalks, pocket parks, and public plazas)

They're replacing the parking meters with those computerized ATM looking machines. They should design something to adapt the old meters into good bike racks.

DMV should teach more about the proper way to share the road with all kinds vehicles. Do they teach sharing at all? DMV should sponsor or promote cyclist safety classes.

rubber or plastic coated bike racks. The bare metal ones scratch bike frames which which probably keeps some cyclists from using them.

1. Remove or reduce minimum parking requirements for new construction and business licenses. Parking is one of the largest "invisible" subsidies given to automobiles. Minimum parking rules increase the cost of housing, decrease density, disincentivize building lower cost housing because fewer units can be built on the same lot, discourage transit oriented development, increase road congestion, etc.

2. Conversely, create minimum standards for bicycle parking & pedestrian access for businesses and residential developments. Currently the city takes on the cost of providing bicycle specific parking.

3. Remove all fares for public transit. Passenger fares cover only a small percentage of operating costs while "fare enforcement" is a large expense. All residents would benefit from encouraging large numbers of people to switch to transit due to reduced congestion, pollution, road maintenance and expansion. Paid for by raising rates and enforcement times on metered parking. (Which should be done regardless to bring parking fees in line with market rates rather than subsidizing on street parking.)

3a. Reverse decision to install fare turnstiles on Metro. Increased fare collection is unlikely to bring in much more in fares than the turnstiles and enforcement system will cost. This just taxes system users to pay consultant and non-local system manufacturer fees.

4. Put arterial roads in Los Angeles that carry less than their stated guidlines on a "road diet" and install bicycle lanes. Roads that are already carry less than their capacity of cars have no valid reason not to be redesigned to carry greater capacity of all vehicle types and thus use the resource more effeciently. (See: http://flyingpigeon-la.com/2009/11/the-fight-to-make-north-figueroa-bike-friendly/)

5. Make the "Bicycle Bill of Rights" official city policy. No new rights or benefits are included. It is just a clear definition of the rights and responsibilities that cyclists already have under the law. By codifying them, various agencies would be less able to ignore or misinterpret the law.

6. Implement a "stop as yield" law for Los Angeles like Idaho has successfully implemented.

7. Prioritize transit, bike, and Ped projects use of federal stimulus and other funds. Regardless of any other benefits from these projects, they have been shown to create and preserve more jobs per $$ spent than road construction projects. This not only increases employment, but improves city finances by boosting various tax collection, reducing social service costs, and keeps more $$ spent local.

8. Force insurers to offer "pay as you go" or "pay per miles driven" pricing so people who own cars but drive less are not subsidizing insurance rates for those who drive high mileage. This helps remove the incentive to drive your car when you have other options because insurance is no longer a sunk cost.

Let us know when you've got this done and I'll think of some more ;)

How about a 1-cent sales tax to end homeless as we know it? would that generate enough money? sure, it's 'regressive', but who cares? we help out other poor people, and make our own lives a lot better in the process -- it has direct effects on the quality of our public spaces and mass transit. maybe put a half-cent towards homelessness and a half-cent towards mental health care/drug addiction services.

A river walk. Transforming the L.A. river into a people-friendly destination to walk, sit on benches, and perhaps even have nature or art learning stations along the route. Removing some of the asphalt and replacing it with a more natural environment.