CicLAvia's celebrating a birthday, City Council's moving forward on efforts to streamline affordable housing projects and the formation of a public bank, Metro's budgeting process gets underway with two town halls, Pasadena-North Hollywood BRT, Metro's Public Safety Advisory Committee, and more:
- Varies - L.A. County Public Health's 2 p.m. COVID-19 briefings are one or two days each week. 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.
- Tuesday 10/5 - City Council meets at 10 a.m. Of note on the agenda is a motion instructing City Planning, with the assistance of the Housing Department and the Department of Building and Safety, to report back with a strategic plan to streamline 100 percent deed-restricted affordable housing projects in the City of L.A. Also of note, council is taking the next step forward in public bank formation - authorizing the Chief Legislative Analyst to draft and release a Request for Proposals seeking consultant services needed to conduct policy, fiscal, and economic analyses related to the formation of the bank. Find the agenda, related documents, and details on how to listen in/comment here.
- Tuesday 10/5 - At 2 p.m., the Planning and Land Use Management Committee will consider the Environmental Assessment for the Crenshaw Crossing project at Expo and Crenshaw. The 400-unit project, slated to be built on publicly-owned land as part of a joint development effort with Metro and the County, has undergone a number of iterations. Watt Companies first proposed nearly 500 units with just 15 percent affordability. After much outcry, they agreed to increase the percentage of affordable units to 20, but dropped the number of overall units to 400. Last fall, the County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to see half the units be reserved as affordable. Unfortunately, none of the descriptions of the project appear to reflect that last change yet. Find the agenda and related documents here.
- Tuesday 10/5 - At 3 p.m., the city council Transportation Committee will discuss a report on making the Al Fresco program permanent and the commitment of up to $30 million in right-of-way improvements along the Slauson corridor as part of the Rail-to-Rail bike/walk path project. Find the agenda, related documents, and ways to listen in/comment here.
- Tuesday 10/5 - Metro will host two Telephone Town Hall meetings to kick off the agency’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget process, which includes how much the agency spends operating transit, and how much it spends widening freeways. According to a press statement, "Metro intends to put equity first and foremost as it plans next year’s budget." The second and final town hall will be Tuesday from 6-7 p.m. Click on Metro's event page to register, or call in on the day of the meeting at (888)400-9342 (Spanish) or (888)400-1932 (English), or access via computer.
- Wednesday 10/6 - City Council will meet at 10 a.m. to cover a number of topics, including the expansion of overnight parking restrictions in North Hills and Del Rey. Find the agenda and related information here.
- Thursday 10/7 - Metro's Special Operations, Safety, and Customer Experience Committee will hear an oral report from the new Public Safety Advisory Committee, as well as an oral report from the System Security and Law Enforcement Department. Recent shootings at the Washington and Rosa Parks stations have underscored the urgency of finding the right way to ensure the safety of riders while also ensuring those same riders are able to ride without fear of harassment by law enforcement. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. Find the agenda and related meeting information here.
- Thursday 10/7 - Metro is hosting public meetings regarding its planned North Hollywood to Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit project. Though many transit riders and others have expressed support for the planned improvements, portions of the project have been criticized by pro-car folks in Eagle Rock and Burbank. Upcoming community meetings will focus on the BRT project aspects in Burbank; details, including Zoom and phone information, are at Metro's The Source.
- Sunday 10/10 - CicLAvia–Heart of LA celebrates a decade of open streets. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. you can walk, roll, jog, bike, rollerskate, skateboard, or catch a Pedicab ride to wander your way through Mariachi Plaza, Chinatown, MacArthur Park, the Civic Center, and all points in between. Expect new street art, activities for all ages, delicious things to eat, and a few special birthday surprises! The CHP booth at the Mariachi Plaza Hub will be giving out free helmets to anyone under 18, while supplies last. Complimentary masks will be available at Info Booths, and CicLAvia-branded masks will be for sale. A free, drop-in vaccination clinic (Pfizer, ages 12 and up and Johnson & Johnson, ages 18 and up) will also be available. Visit CicLAvia's website for more information.
Did we miss anything? Is there something we should list on future calendars? Email joe [at] streetsblog.org
