In enthusiastically welcoming the first protected bike lanes in his central Los Angeles district, City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez proclaimed, "We are making Hollywood safer by redesigning the street layout to decrease speeding, give people more options to get around the city, and just making it much more livable."
Soto-Martinez spoke at this morning's ribbon-cutting celebration for the completion of the initial phase of the city's Hollywood Boulevard Safety and Mobility Project, part of Soto-Martinez' "Access to Hollywood" revitalization efforts. The event was attended by about a hundred project supporters, plus fewer than half a dozen detractors.
Hollywood now has 2.1 miles of new parking-protected bike lanes; they extend from Gower Street to Hillhurst Avenue. The project spans two city council districts: Soto-Martinez' CD13 and the 4th Council District, represented by Nithya Raman.
Soto-Martinez and Raman acknowledged the many people responsible for making the project happen, including the city's Transportation Department (LADOT), Bureau of Street Services (StreetsLA), and many community groups that shaped and supported the project.
LADOT General Manager Laura Rubio-Cornejo stated that, "for a very long time the design of Hollywood Boulevard itself did not reflect the local neighborhood spirit." She praised the new "safer, more accessible" design that "prioritize[s] people over cars."
Streets for All Founder Michael Schneider termed the project "the boldest reconfiguration of a street the city has ever seen." While the project's benefits to cyclists are very clear, Schneider and others touted improved safety for all road users, including pedestrians and drivers.
Councilmember Raman noted that in the past, "residents have often been ignored because the smallest loudest voices said 'no' to safety." Now, she emphasized, "the majority of residents have said 'yes.' [Measure] HLA passed with 80 percent of CD13 voters in support of it."
"It is an incredibly exciting moment to say the majority of Angelenos want safe streets, and we are here to say 'yes' to it."
Raman and Soto-Martinez cut the ceremonial ribbon, and led attendees in a ride in the new protected bike lanes.
