Breaking News: Rosendahl, Koretz to Assume Transportation Committee Leadership

8_11_09_rosendahl.jpgBill Rosendahl at February’s Car-Free Friday event.

Tucked away in his story on the removal of the Reseda Boulevard Bike Lane Ted Rogers broke the news on the new leadership of the City Council Transportation Committee.  As of September 1st, Bill Rosendahl will take over the Chairmanship and new Councilman Paul Koretz will serve as Vice Chair.  After reading Rogers’ article, I confirmed the future appointment with Rosendahl’s office.

Rosendahl has become the go-to Councilman on the Committee over the past two years for transportation reformers.  In addition to his tireless advocacy for the Green Line and for a yet-to-be-realized rapid bus on Venice Boulevard, Rosendahl has earned his bona-fides as a transit advocate.  Following the horrific Mandeville Canyon Bike Crash, Rosendahl also becoame an outspoken advocate for the rights of cyclists; be it supporting the Cyclists Bill of Rights or demanding accountability from the LAPD on bicycle licenses and their reporting of April’s "bike v hummer" incident.

It also makes sense for Koretz to be a part of the committee as he may have been the most thouroughly vetted council person on transportation issues in years.  He supports the new and proposed transit lines that will run through his district, and probably has ridden more miles on his bike than I have.  Koretz has completed the San Francisco to Los Angeles route of the AIDS Lifecycle rides.

We should also note that the proposed plan to increase capacity on Pico and Olympic Boulevards by removing street parking runs directly through Rosendahl’s and Koretz’s districts.  Both councilmen have been vocal opponents of the plan.

Streetsblog will be following up this story tomorrow with the makeup of the rest of the committee and reaction from the advocacy community.  In the meantime, please leave your comments below.

  • Oops…you mean that hadn’t been announced yet? I figured everyone knew, since I got it off the Committee Assignment link onthe city council’s own website: http://cityclerk.lacity.org/cps/pdf/clkasgn.pdf

    Does this mean I’m an investigative reporter now?

  • Yeah, you’re ahead of the game. I called Garcetti’s office and the person that answered the phone told me it was LaBonge…I know he’s chairing tomorrow’s meeting, but that wasn’t what I was asking.

  • BOB2

    Excellent opportunity for some innovative transportation progress on the Council, now if we could only do something to focus the Mayor?

  • FixHighways

    Rosendahl?

    That man changes his position like an OCD clean freak changes his/her underwear everytime he/she uses the bathroom.

  • Well, he was talking about getting appointed to the MTA a year or so ago but that never happened. Then I heard him say he’d like to run for Congress, then for the Senate – nuthin’ happening on those fronts. I guess this is where his ambition has landed him, two chairs over in a meeting room in City Hall.

    At least we have someone to complain to who will echo our concerns on the committee. Hopefully, instead of weakly calling for more “studies” and staff reports he’ll figure out a way to fund and run a transportation strategic plan for L.A. (where Greuel left us in the process is anyone’s guess).

    If only the mayor gave a damn … with a relatively bike-friendly council (well, 5 or 6 votes, at least) AND a progressive mayor, we’d be on a fast track to calmer, safer, streets in no time.

  • FixHighways

    I wonder if the Bike Advocates are paying attention on who they want to be the next LA Police Chief?

  • After “extensive” research it appears that the committee is going to be the same with Koretz replacing Greuel. LaBonge has moved from second to third chair, so still has a leadership position with the committee.

  • So Bernard Parks will be taking the nap time chair again?

    I’m sorry to be cynical, but I just don’t see too much coming out of the council without the mayor backing up a pro-environment, pro-health, pro-cycling agenda.

    To think that transportation doesn’t even come up when it comes to the mayor’s talks on the environment … it is indicative of a certain myopia for global warming that ignores the positive aspects of transportation reform.

  • I share your cynicism. If there were more Photo-ops or more opportunities to date female reporters for Mayor Villara-pose-a he’ll be gun-ho about it.

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