Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In
Bicycling

Transportation Committee Approves Green New Deal Motion for Bus, Walk, Bike Network Improvements

Downtown L.A.’s new Flower Street bus-only lane. Photo by Joe Linton/Streetsblog L.A.

This afternoon the Los Angeles City Council Transportation Committee approved a motion that lays the groundwork for improving L.A. City's networks for getting around by bus, bicycle, and on foot. The motion will now go to the full City Council, and, if approved, will generate an implementation plan report in July, 2020.

The motion (council file 20-0187) was authored by City Councilmembers Mike Bonin and Paul Krekorian, and seconded by Council President Nury Martinez. The motion preamble identifies transportation as "the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Los Angeles" and frames transportation improvements as central to both "a Green New Deal that aggressively responds to the climate crisis with the urgency and scale that it warrants" and to Mayor Eric Garcetti's recent Climate Directive.

Then the motion goes on to direct city departments to plan to implement green transportation improvements:

I THEREFORE MOVE that LADOT, in consultation with Metro and with the support of the Bureau of Engineering and StreetsLA, be directed to report back by July 1, 2020 with a proposed network of bus priority infrastructure that improves travel speeds on transit corridors by 30 percent consistent with the Metro Vision 2028 Strategic Plan. LADOT shall prioritize infrastructure serving high-need communities identified by the Plan for a Healthy Los Angeles’ Community Equity and Health Index. The implementation plan shall include projected mobility benefits and emission reductions.

FURTHER MOVE that LADOT, in consultation with the Bureau of Engineering and StreetsLA, be directed to report back by July 1, 2020 with an implementation plan for a comprehensive Citywide network of active transportation corridors for walking, bicycling, and micro-mobility. The implementation plan shall complete at least one major regional project and one neighborhood-oriented network per year and be prioritized based on the Plan for a Healthy Los Angeles’ Community Equity and Health Index. The implementation plan shall include projected mobility benefits and emission reductions.

It is great news that city departments will be developing plans for more bus lanes and more active transportation. More please!

Cynics will recall that the city already has some multi-modal plans on its shelves, including Mobility Plan 2035 and lots of Vision Zero projects. The city plans have been blocked by numerous councilmembers - including the motion's co-author Krekorian, plus Gil CedilloPaul Koretz,  Mitch O’FarrellCurren Price, and David Ryu. Perhaps, with out-of-control global warming burning Australia and California these days, some of those recalcitrant councilmembers will take a fresh look at much needed improvements.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Metro Ridership Keeps Growing, with a Million Daily Riders in October

Metro ridership has grown steadily for the past two years, with October, a second straight month of million-plus daily boardings, setting a pandemic-era record

November 21, 2024

Metro Committee Approves Revoking $435K Culver City Grant due to Bike Lane Removal

Culver City recently removed protected bike lanes funded by a Metro Active Transportation grant, now Metro wants its money back

November 20, 2024

Touring the Puente Hills Landfill Slated to Become the Future “Griffith Park of the San Gabriel Valley”

Puente Hills Landfill Park is expected to open in 2027, with 140 acres of trails and stunning vistas all the way to the ocean

November 19, 2024
See all posts