Three news items for you to read up on this weekend.
Measure HLA at Council Committee Next Week
L.A. City Council Committees will formally discuss the city's Measure HLA plans at a joint meeting of the Transportation Committee and Public Works Committee next week at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 12.
(Skip down if you don't want the usual HLA recap.) Last year, voters approved mandatory bus/bike/walk stuff. The city Public Works Department Bureau of Street Services put said stuff on hold. Just one tiny HLA project got done in ten months, as the city omitted required bike/walk stuff, risking a couple of lawsuits. Departments put out some draft HLA documents awaiting public debate and city approvals: November's implementation ordinance and last week's standard elements, but no HLA workplan yet. Meanwhile traffic killed lots of Angelenos.
For discussion/approval on February 12 [see meeting agenda] are two Measure HLA items:
- Item 4 (council file 24-0173) includes the City Attorney's draft implementation ordinance, a new law essentially designed to specify how the city will comply with Measure HLA. Some advocates anticipate that the ordinance will be helpful to remove some city department excuses currently blocking HLA upgrades. But the ordinance also attempts to water down some parts of HLA, including introducing a few loopholes where the city could opt out of some improvements required under Measure HLA. It also sets up a cumbersome extra appeal process that would likely mean serious delays before the city improves streets. The item also looks to codify current relatively driver-centric outreach standards for HLA upgrades that "may result in closures or disruption of access to the public right-of-way." That "access" is not the everyday dangers/barriers faced by people walking, in wheelchairs, or bicycling - it's a euphemism meaning repurposing space currently for driving or parking cars. Safe streets advocates face Hobson's choice on this one: push for modifications hoping for a somewhat stronger ordinance (changes could mean sending it back to the City Attorney for months further delaying delayed safety upgrades) or get a weak city processes approved that could facilitate some improvements.
- Item 5 (council file 24-0600-S43) is a request for a preliminary budget recommendation for a Measure HLA implementation plan. Council committees and the full council still need to approve this July motion, then city departments will report back 90 days later.
Unless SBLA missed it, this will be the council's first open HLA discussion since last June.
Next week could be big for Measure HLA's role in the city's slow reluctant slouch toward a multimodal future. If you want to see safer streets, plan to attend Wednesday morning's committee meeting and/or Thursday's 6 p.m. virtual meeting on draft project minimum standards.
Metro Announces New Bike/Ped Grant Cycle
Metro is helping cities build some bike and walk facilities. This week Metro announced the second grant cycle for its Measure M Metro Active Transport, Transit, and First/Last Mile (MAT) Program.
For cities/municipalities throughout L.A. County, Metro sales tax will fund $75 million worth of projects - in four categories:
- First/Last Mile (FLM) Areas
- Pedestrian Districts
- Active Transportation Corridors
- Quick-Build
To seek funding, project proponents - generally cities - need to submit a letter of interest (LOI) by Monday, April 7. Eligible projects are limited to locations identified in Metro's 2023 Active Transportation Strategic Plan (ATSP). Find a list of eligible locations attached to a recent Metro MAT board box memo.
For more information on this round of grants, see the MAT program webpage, and/or attend a virtual MAT Cycle 2 Workshop on Thursday, February 20 (details to be posted soon). Various cycle 2 documents are available at Metro's MAT Dropbox page. Email MAT questions to matprogram@metro.net.
New CicLAvia map for April 6
CicLAvia released the map for its April 6 open streets event extending from Hollywood to Koreatown - presented by Metro. The five-mile route includes portions of Vine Street, Santa Monica Boulevard, Western Avenue, and Wilshire Boulevard - with convenient rail access via the Metro B and D Lines.
The next CicLAvia event will be even sooner; on February 23 thousands of people will take to Jefferson Boulevard for CicLAvia - West Adams meets University Park. See earlier SBLA coverage for the full 2025 CicLAvia schedule.
