Streetsblog Los Angeles

Newly elected Mayor Eric Garcetti campaigning at the recent CicLAvia-to-the-Sea

So what does it all mean?

Former City Council President and outgoing CD13 Councilperson Eric Garcetti will be our new mayor for at least the next four years.

Unlike the city council, where carefully carved districts and big money campaign donations mean even the most unloved council person can be almost impossible to turn out, Los Angeles has a history of running unpopular mayors out of office.

Most recently, it was a young Antonio Villaraigosa who handily defeated incumbent James Hahn, after losing to him in their first match-up in 2001. Then again, Villaraigosa was also one of the few candidates to defeat a sitting council member in recent memory, beating Nick Pacheco to represent the 14th District in 2003.

Not that anyone should expect the new mayor to be unpopular.

In fact, Eric Garcetti has proven to be very personable and able to connect with a wide range of people. It helps that he has an exceptionally wide range of experiences, from his multi-ethnic background to his skill on the piano and work as an intelligence officer in the naval reserve.

Though not everyone trusts that smile or the promises that come with it; that hasn’t been my own experience with Garcetti, however. Read more…

I’m going to keep this short and sweet.

Last March, only 377,881 people bothered to cast a ballot in the Los Angeles primary election. That’s less than the 400,000 people LADOT estimated in the new bike plan rides a bike every month.

Think about that.

Only 21% of eligible voters actually voted last time around. Just 25% are expected to vote in today’s election.

If every eligible bike rider were to get up and vote today — and vote their self-interests as cyclists — they would be the single most dominant and powerful voice in L.A. politics.

More than the unions, more than any political party or interest group.

A force strong enough to ensure the election of a bike friendly candidate in every race, from mayor through city council, city attorney and controller.

And that’s just bicyclists.

Add to that a few hundred thousand daily transit users. As well as pedestrians — which includes all of us at one time or another.

Suddenly, you’ve got enough strength to wrest political power from other interests groups, and ensure the governmental support we need to fix the sidewalks and potholes, build out a better, faster bike plan and a world-class transit system.

It’s not going to happen, though. Read more…

The 2013 Mayoral Election ends tomorrow. We’ve been covering the election for almost a year and a half. As Laura Nelson’s piece in the Los Angeles Times today shows, one has to look closely to find the differences between Council Member Eric Garcetti and Controller Wendy Greuel on transportation and Livable Streets issues. Both support completing Bike Plan projects, but neither would commit to a specific one. Both support speeding up Measure R transit projects, but neither offer a new idea beyond 30/10 and Measure J II. Both want more CicLAvias. Neither want to double-deck the 405.

Nevertheless, we present the Streetsblog voter guide.

Best of luck voting tomorrow. I look forward to reading the results Wednesday morning in a Holiday Inn in West Virginia.

First, let’s start with the obvious. If you’re reading this piece, you probably support Eric Garcetti. When we polled readers in the primary, Garcetti earned a clear majority 50.2%, just enough that we’re not polling again this time (he won our primary straight out.) In addition, he’s won smaller polls where we asked you who gave the better anwers to questions in televised debates, even when I though Greuel gave a better  answer. And why not? After all, he does have a decent track record as a Council Member and President and even helps wounded pedestrians in his free time.

Just to round things out, he filled out our candidate survey. Greuel didn’t. Even if his answers were so generic they made my eyes roll to the back of my head, at least he answered them…

Which isn’t to say that one can’t make a compelling case for Greuel. Decorated Streetsblog contributor Dana Gabbard makes the case for Wendy Greuel and the Crenshaw Subway Coalition smells a rat in Garcetti’s support for a grade-separated Crenshaw Line. In the aforementioned L.A. Times piece, Sunyoung Yang of the Bus Riders Union implies that Greuel was more supportive of efforts on Wilshire and farebox recovery ratio as Transportation Committee Chair than Garcetti was as Council President. Read more…

Eric Garcetti at the Empowerment Congress Forum on January 19

Earlier this morning, the Crenshaw Subway Coalition, the umbrella organization for South L.A. groups fighting for grade separated light rail from 48th to 59th Streets for the future Crenshaw Line, released grades for both leading candidates for Mayor of Los Angeles. Both candidates scored an “A-” for their support for adding a Leimert Park Station, but Wendy Greuel scored a “B+” for her support for grade separating the entire line while Eric Garcetti scored only a “C.”

Damien Goodmon, the executive director for the Crenshaw Subway Coalition, explains why the grades on the tunnel are more important than the grades for the station.

“…the MTA board is currently scheduled to decide the fate of the Leimert Park station at theirJune 27 meeting, which is before the next Mayor takes office, so their positions on the station may be moot. The more revealing question regarding the candidate’s willingness to put their political capital on the line for the Crenshaw community is where do they stand on the 11-block Crenshaw tunnel,” said Goodmon. . “Both appear committed to making the Leimert Park station happen if it doesn’t in June, but there are key differences in Greuel and Garcetti’s written positions on the Crenshaw Blvd tunnel.”

In May of 2011, the Metro Board of Directors voted to approve the environmental documents for the Crenshaw Line which included grade separated light rail except for the 11 blocks between 48th and 59th. The Board also watered down an amendment authored by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who represents the Crenshaw community, that would have required a station to be built at Leimert Park. The approved motion cleared the station environmentally, but didn’t require the construction to be part of the bids from companies.

In other words, if a contractor could build the station inside a budget designed not to build the station, it could be built. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa declared a victory. Journalists (myself included) were confused because a written copy of the amendment wasn’t available. The nearly 600 Crenshaw residents were not. They booed. Read more…

(Note: To help Streetsblog readers decide how best to cast their vote in the election, we asked two regular writers not on staff to write their recommendations in the election. Today, current Board Member and 2009 Streetsie Writer of the Year Joel Epstein takes his turn writing about his support for Eric Garcetti. Yesterday, Founding Board Member Emeritus and our 2011 Streetsie Writer of the Year Dana Gabbard wrote about his decision to back Wendy Greuel. )

LA’s governance structure makes it sometimes difficult to know who runs the public side of things around here. Is it the County Board of Supervisors or does power rest with the City Council or the Mayor? And what about agencies like the LADWP and public employee unions so large that at election time they make the Koch brothers shudder?

LA’s next mayor has his work cut out for him. I say “he” because, LA’s next mayor should be Eric Garcetti.

LA needs Eric because our next mayor will face a still failing education system, limp job growth, inadequate public transit, a daunting homeless problem, inadequate affordable housing, baroque business regulations and a fouled environment. And, he will have to lead a public soured on government and smarting from Metro’s breakdown on the 405. Guess who pays when projects like this fall years behind schedule and are fumbled.

How do the candidates differ? Here is what Eric and Wendy said about a Crenshaw Line station at Leimert Park in South LA.

Eric: “As mayor, I will continue to aggressively fight for the rail stop in Leimert Park to improve safety, create jobs, boost local businesses and provide better access to a transportation option that will help South LA residents get where they need to go without a car, which will reduce congestion and pollution for us all.”

Wendy: “As soon as possible upon taking office as mayor [I commit to directing] staff to review the design options in the [Environmental Impact Report/Statement] as well as funding opportunities for underground portions of Crenshaw Blvd between 48th and 59th streets.”

Further review? Review and lawsuits are what Beverly Hills and Cheviot Hills NIMBYs threw in the path of the trains?

Eric does. Wendy reviews. Read more…

(Note: To help Streetsblog readers decide how best to cast their vote in the election, we asked two regular writers not on staff to write their recommendations in the election. Today, Founding Board Member Emeritus and our 2011 Streetsie Writer of the Year Dana Gabbard writes about his decision to back Wendy Greuel. Tomorrow, current Board Member and 2009 Streetsie Writer of the Year Joel Epstein takes his turn writing about his support for Eric Garcetti. Update: Here is Joel’s piece on Garcetti.)

I am a fairly simple person. When I wrote a commentary in favor of the passage of the bullet train bonds I offered just two reasons why to vote for it. Now I can also add to its virtues its assistance in funding the Regional Connector and Union Station Run-through tracks (aka the Southern California Regional Interconnector Project). Plus all those pesky hidden fees the airlines sock you with has made a fast intra-state network of bullet trains suddenly a lot more appealing vision than it was even back in 2008 when the bonds passed.

OK, so what does a simple guy like me do when faced with the complicated question of who I should vote for in the runoff on May 21st between Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel, the top two finishers in the March 5 primary, to be Mayor of Los Angeles? Sam Lubell’s recent excellent critique of our civic culture in the city of Los Angeles and the need to reform/streamline city government plus the rather scathing management audit of the L.A. Dept. of Transportation by the Controller’s Office illustrate the magnitude of challenges the next Mayor faces regarding livability and transportation issues.

So while there isn’t a lot of substantive difference between the candidates (which accounts for why the campaign has devolved into a rather mean grudge match replete with mud-slinging and low blow accusations) style does matter when one has to make a choice among two fairly equal choices.

I choose Wendy Greuel. She isn’t flashy. OK, to be honest an excess of charisma isn’t a problem for her. But she is sober and willing to tackle the systemic problems that our city government faces. I respect her and believe she could grow in the job into being a great Mayor. Read more…

John Choi.

(Update: Several commenters who are also people we well know, complained that we didn’t give Choi a fare shake in this piece. Make sure to read below to get their comments, below and yes…we do now have a picture of Choi riding a bicycle.)

If Livable Streets advocates were deciding the race to replace Eric Garcetti in CD 13, Mitch O’Farrell, a Garcetti deputy, would win in a land slide. While researching this story, I could not actually find anyone who regularly contributes to Streetsblog through donating, writing, or attending events, who is publicly supporting O’Farrell’s opponent, John Choi. Choi is a former employee of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and Mayor Villaraigosa.

One of the main reasons given: O’Farrell is from the community. Choi “moved here last year”. Excluding those residents of Hollywood and some of the surrounding community who are still incensed by the Hollywood Specific Plan that encourages development and density, that is a huge plus for O’Farrell.

Choi’s candidacy raises an interesting question, can any candidate really be a Livable Streets Candidate if they haven’t lived in the area they would represent for very long. Choi says all the right things, at the 10:12 mark of the the April 1 debate sponsored by Climate Resolve, he talks about implementing the Bike Plan for all commuters and his role pushing projects such as the Sunset Junction Triangle Park as a Public Works Commissioner.

While O’Farell is hardly an outsider, some see his rise in city politics as proof that there is more than one type of insider.

“He came to be an insider through the Neighborhood Council system. I’m convinced (and hopeful) that Mitch will put the interests of the community above the interests of Big Money,” writes David Bell, the President of the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council (title for identification only.) “In the years I’ve spent volunteering on behalf of my neighborhood, I’ve become convinced — whether the issue is health, safety, open space, education, housing, or transportation — the biggest threat we face are those who see this community as nothing more than a chance to make a profit.”

O’Farrell is a founding member of the Glassell Park Neighborhood Council, which was the third N.C. certified in January of 2002.

O’Farrell, out for a walk with the the least enthusiastic group of volunteers I’ve ever seen. Read more…

Flanked by City Council Transportation Committee Chair Bill Rosendahl and Sherman Oaks Home Owner's Association President Richard Close, Wendy Greuel argues the city needs to do more for commuters, especially those using the 405. Photo courtesy Wendy Greuel for Mayor

“Behind me, you can see one of the most notorious symbols of LA traffic: Valley commuters stuck in the 405 South daily traffic jam,” began Wendy Greuel at her transportation themed press conference at the Sherman Oaks Galeria. “The 405-101 interchange is the most congested interchange in the United States.”

Greuel, the City Controller who is battling City Councilman Eric Garcetti to be the next mayor of Los Angeles, took a moment to yesterday to highlight what many Angelenos already know. There is not enough freeway space for the number of people that want to, or feel forced to, drive to get where they need to go.

That statement is doubly true for the 405.

Maybe the next mayor should do something about it.

One issue that both Garcetti and Greuel agree on is that further widening of the I-405 through the Sepulveda Pass, one of the few transportation links between the populous exhurbs of the Westside and San Fernando Valley, is a fool’s game. Both advocate for a strong and real transit alternative to driving on the 405.

And advocates agree. David Murphy is the head of Angelenos Against Gridlock (AAG).  In the past weeks, AAG earned a lot of media attention by attacking the widening and revealing the celebrity support of Elon Musk for highlighting how far behind, and over budget, the 405 widening project is.

But Murphy’s group isn’t arguing for further widening, but for rail expansion.

“What does all the attention to the 405 traffic, including even on Good Morning America today, say about the need for rail?” Murphy asked rhetorically in an email.

While both candidates agree that transit is the best way to move people through the pass, they each offer different solutions.

“I am also committed to developing a relief project for the 405,” Greuel continued yesterday. “I began exploring this as a councilmember and, as mayor, I am ready to put those plans into action and provide relief to the 405 congestion. My plan supports investing in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Light Rail, dedicated lanes and prioritizing the city’s bike plan.”

“If you look at the number of passengers we have to alleviate, light-rail probably wouldn’t do enough,” Garcetti is quoted as saying in Neon Tommy. “[The rail would] go from the north San Fernando Valley basically to LAX, including a transit tunnel through the 405 pass that would allow you to be able to go essentially from Sherman Oaks to UCLA in five or 10 minutes.”

While a tunnel may sound cost prohibitive, Greuel hasn’t ruled out the tunnel option. She noted that it might actually be easier to tunnel than build on or near the 405 given recent experiences.

...sure you are...

Read more…

The next Cory Booker, or just a nice guy?

Paula Jai Parker attends the Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Crenshaw Blvd in Los Angeles. Photo:Eric Garcetti

Social media’s been buzzing with news that City Council Member Eric Garcetti is using his mayoral campaign to help out pedestrians in need. Chris Cruse reports on Facebook, in a story that has been confirmed on background by two people in the Garcetti campaign, that the mayoral candidate can still find time to help the little guy. Cruse reports, in a post originally picked up by Venice for Change:

I walked down my street to pick up some food, and came across a young guy laying on the sidewalk. His friend was yelling at him, slapping his face to wake up. The guy on the ground had a big gash and was bleeding out of his head. Not moving. I asked his friend if he was ok, but it was clear he needed help.

Right then, a black car pulled up on Silver Lake Blvd and a handsome businessman-looking guy rolled down the window. Asked if everything was ok. I told him this guy hit his head real bad. The car pulled over and 2 guys got out. They seemed to know exactly what to do. One brought a shirt and rolled it up and stuck it under the guy’s head. Asked a bunch of questions. The other called the paramedics. The friend was worried that they’d be in trouble, and asked us to just leave them there. The handsome one said they work for the city, they can’t just leave someone hurt on the ground. He hit his head, he needs to be checked out. The friend nodded ok. Read more…

Garcetti closes the deal with one of the Real Rydazz at CicLAvia. For more pics of Eric at CicLAvia to the Sea, visit Marta Every's Facebook Page

Following our Mayoral Candidate Video Series in March and February, some Streetsbloggers complained that the answers from leading candidates Council Member Eric Garcetti and Controller Wendy Greuel were, well, they were awfully similar. In an effort to get some more specific answers, we asked both candidates to answer a series of questions that were quite a bit different than the ones we asked in the video series.

Garcetti’s campaign was the first to respond, and their answers can be found after the jump. Personally, he seemed to avoid getting too specific, in some cases he answers the question he would like us to have asked and not the one we asked, but there’s still more we can learn about the candidate. In some cases, his answers show a knowledge of City Hall and internal politics if you know how to read them. For example: