This Week In Livable Streets

Metro board committees, Metro Public Safety Advisory Committee, key L.A. City/L.A. County/Metro budget hearings and votes, Expo bike/walk path, fareless transit, Foothill Gold Line, Neighborhood Council deadlines, and more:

• Varies – L.A. County Public Health’s former daily 2 p.m. COVID-19 briefings are now generally on Mondays and Wednesdays. Watch at the County Channel, Channel 94 on most cable systems, or via the County of Los Angeles Facebook page, where broadcast briefings are archived.
• All month – The L.A. County Bicycle Coalition hosts the L.A. Rivers Challenge, where participants will ride, walk, or run L.A.’s historic waterways. Details on LACBC social media: Youtube, Facebook. Register at LACBC event webpage.
• Tuesday 5/18 – Tomorrow is another deadline day for some L.A. City Neighborhood Council elections! Tomorrow is the last day to request a mail-in ballot for Region 10, which includes the following councils: Empowerment Congress Central, Empowerment Congress North, Empowerment Congress West, Mid City, Park Mesa Heights, United Neighborhoods, and West Adams. Tomorrow is also the last day to mail in ballots for Region 9, which includes the following councils: CANNDU, Central Alameda, Empowerment Congress Southeast, Empowerment Congress Southwest, South Central, Voices, Watts, and Zapata-King. Find your region’s election timetable at the L.A. City webpage. To request a ballot go to the NC elections sign-up webpage. More background at SBLA article.
• Tuesday 5/18 – At 3 p.m., the Budget Finance Committee will hear the Joint City Administrative Officer and Chief Legislative Analyst report relative to the second set of recommendations regarding the reinvestment of 2020-2021 funds from the LAPD. Folks will remember the mayor vetoed the first round of recommendations, which favored streetscaping over real reinvestment. The second plan the councilmembers came up with was much more in line with the spirit of the reinvestment effort, but a large chunk of the funds were still awaiting definitive reallocation. Find the agenda and instructions for how to tune in here.
• Tuesday 5/18 – Move L.A. will host a 4-5 p.m. Zoom call conversation about how to convince the Metro Board of Directors to say yes to fareless transit for all low-income bus and rail riders, all community college students, and all K-12 students in LA County. Details at Move L.A. webpage.
• Wednesday 5/19 – The County Board of Supervisors will hold a budget hearing at 9:30 a.m. Find the presentation on the 2021-2022 budget here. [Find the agenda and instructions for tuning in, offering public comment here.] Re-Imagine L.A. is urging supporters of Measure J – the effort to reallocate county funds from armed law enforcement responses to reinvestment in the well-being of overpoliced and marginalized communities – to comment in favor of the reallocation. Talking points and explanations regarding what is at stake can be found here. Join a Re-Imagine L.A. working group here.
• Wednesday 5/19 – Metro’s Public Safety Advisory Committee will meet from 5-6:30 p.m. Details at meeting agenda and Metro PSAC webpage.
• Wednesday 5/19 – The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority is hosting a virtual community meeting to provide a project update and answer questions. The meeting will focus on the currently under-construction Glendora to Pomona segment. The meeting will take place from 6-7 p.m. on Zoom. For details, see event flier, Authority calendar, or call (626) 471-9050. Pre-register via Zoom.
• Wednesday 5/19 – The L.A. City Transportation Department (LADOT) will host a 5 p.m. virtual meeting regarding closing the Expo Line bike path gap through Cheviot Hills – known as the Northvale Gap. Details at LADOT flier. Preregister via Zoom.
• Wednesday and Thursday 5/19 and 5/20 – Metro board committees will meet to discuss and decide various items in advance of next week’s full board meeting. This week will be the first board include the FY21-22 Budget, fareless transit, Eagle Rock BRT, and more. Meeting agendas and staff reports at Metro board webpage.
• Thursday 5/20 – At 9 a.m., City Council will hold a special budget hearing. Councilmembers will hear a presentation of the report by the Budget and Finance Committee relative to the Mayor’s proposed 2021-22 budget, as well as related motions and resolutions, of which there were many at last week’s committee meeting. Find the agenda, related documents, and ways to tune in and offer public comment here.
• Thursday 5/20 – The city of Los Angeles Pedestrian Advisory Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom. Details at meeting agenda.

Did we miss anything? Is there something we should list on future calendars? Email joe [at] streetsblog.org