Friday Round-Up: Pico Blvd., Koreatown Circle, and SGV E-Bikes
Three short livability news stories for your rainy day reading.
New Mini-Traffic-Circle in Koreatown
As announced earlier this week, the L.A. City Transportation Department (LADOT) completed a new quick-build traffic circle and official crosswalks at the Koreatown intersection of 4th Street and New Hampshire Avenue.
Many Streetsblog readers are aware that this is the tragic site where, on July 31, a DUI driver killed 9-year-old Nadir Gavarrete. In August, community volunteers installed unpermitted crosswalks. The city scraped off the unofficial crosswalks on Wednesday before installing the official crosswalks on Thursday.
LADOT plans to install a permanent concrete traffic circle there. The project was funded in 2011, and after several delays, LADOT now expects construction to get underway in 2026.
LADOT Plans Pico Upgrades
Last night LADOT hosted a community open house for its Pico Boulevard Safety and Mobility Plan Project. A virtual project open house will be held next week: from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, November 17. Meeting details at LADOT flier.
The 3.5-mile project will extend along Pico Boulevard from Crenshaw Boulevard to Figueroa Street (a block from the Metro A/E Line Pico/Convention Center Station. The project spans the communities of Arlington Heights, Harvard Heights, Pico-Union and downtown Los Angeles. The area is diverse and, especially closer to downtown, mostly working class Latino households. Pico Boulevard is characterized by mom-and-pop businesses, quite a few pedestrians, and four lanes of car traffic.
Last night, LADOT shared its new Pico project plans, which call for a lane reduction and some parking removal to make space for protected bike lanes. Additional features include resurfacing, sidewalk repairs, curb ramps, and more.
Project funding comes Metro MAT (Active Transportation First/Last Mile grants) totaling ~$15 million. Construction is expected to get underway in 2026, and finish in advance of the 2028 Olympic games.
Learn more about the Pico project at next Monday’s virtual meeting, or via LADOT’s project webpage.
Deadline For GoSGV E-Bike Vouchers
There are only three more days to sign up for SGV e-bike vouchers. Monday, November 17 at noon is the deadline to apply for a $2,000 dollar cargo e-bike voucher from GoSGV, the long term E-Bike rental program run by ActiveSGV and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments.
Applications will favor income-qualifying residents and/or those living in the 10 Freeway area, which includes Alhambra, El Monte, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, and South El Monte. Applicants must complete a three-hour e-bike safety course.
Apply for voucher via the SGVCOG program webpage. E-bike rental program information at GoSGV webpage.
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