Friday Round-Up: Pico Blvd., Koreatown Circle, and SGV E-Bikes

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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 installed this mini-roundabout yesterday at 4th/New Hampshire

New official crosswalks at 4th and New Hampshire

New traffic circle signage at 4th/New Hampshire

New mini-circle and official crosswalks at 4th Street and New Hampshire Avenue in Koreatown

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.

LADOT Pico Boulevard project open house last night

LADOT map of Pico Blvd. Safety and Mobility Project, showing recent traffic deaths and severe injuries – via LADOT project fact sheet

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.

Pico Boulevard project presentation board showing project design

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.

GoSGV electric bicycles are available for rent today. Photo via ActiveSGV

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