Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In
Complete Streets

Will Figueroa Street Be Los Angeles’ First Truly Complete Street?

For a copy of the flyer announcing their February meetings, ##http://la.streetsblog.org/wp-content/pdf/FullPageSpanishandEnglish1.21.11.pdf ##click here.##
Option 1.

I have to be honest.  If the My Figueroa project ends up fulfilling its mission of designing a people-friendly Figueroa Street from the southwest corner of Exposition Park to Downtown Los Angeles only by adding a couple of trees and repainting the crosswalks, I'll be extremely disappointed.

The project team raised expectations by encouraging participants to last September's community meetings to consider improvements to the corridor such as separated bike lanes and scramble crosswalks.  Then, in addition to partnering with Streetsblog Board Member Deborah Murphy, they announced that the architects for the project were the world renowned Gehl Architects out of Copenhagen.

Now, via a flier announcing February's outreach meetings, they've released their first proposed sketches for the corridor.  Instead of five through traffic lanes, a planted median and some street parking, let's look at the street that's proposed in the picture above.  Instead of five lanes of yuck and some trees, I see two lanes of through traffic, a dedicated transit lane, a pedestrian plaza, a lane for local and bicycle traffic and then restaurant seating.  What a change that would be...

In short, this is a street that would serve people regardless of their favored mode of transportation.  If this plan comes through, South Figueroa will be Los Angeles' first true complete street.  Generally, once cities get one street that looks like the one pictured above, residents from the rest of the city start asking "what about us?"

Streetsblog spent a lot of time in 2010 discussing how the culture of the city was starting to change.  If this project ever becomes a reality, then the change isn't just coming.  It will have arrived.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Do You Love Our San Gabriel Valley Coverage? Than Consider a Donation to our EOY Fundraising Drive

SGV Connect podcast, newsletter and news coverage gets better every year. Help us continue to grow by making a donation today.

December 12, 2024

Metro to Strengthen Station Fare Gates

Metro is installing taller stronger fare gates at ten existing station. New stations - starting with LAX - will also the feature them

December 12, 2024

Kevin de León, Agent of Council Chaos, Quietly Exits Stage Left

Disgraced Councilmember Kevin de León finally bows out, two years after his racist scandal roiled the city. Newcomer Ysabel Jurado, who handily defeated him in November, takes the reins of Council District 14 today.

December 10, 2024
See all posts