This Week In Livable Streets

Streetfilms premiere, Metro board City Selection Committee meeting, The Willits Slide, Metro 405 Freeway widening, Metro 5 Freeway widening, Hawthorne plans, and more.

• Tuesday 8/25 – Tomorrow morning! The Boo-Boo Bandage Brigade coalition invites you to The Willits Slide, a civic performance commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Willits settlement, a landmark civil rights decision. In 2016, L.A. City settled a disability access lawsuit committing to spend more than a billion dollars on sidewalk access. Ten years later disability and mobility advocates will gather to ask: is Los Angeles actually moving forward? The Willits Slide will take place at 9 a.m. at L.A. City Hall at 200 N. Spring Street in downtown L.A. – across from Grand Park. Details at event flier.
• Tuesday 8/25 – The city of Hawthorne is updating its general plan, and South Bay Forward is encouraging people to weigh in for a more walkable, bikeable city. The city will host a community workshop tomorrow from 6-8 p.m. at Hawthorne Memorial Center, Venus Room, at 3901 W. El Segundo Boulevard. Details at event flier. RSVP (and read more) at South Bay Forward.
• Tuesday 8/25 – Metro and Caltrans plan to widen the 405 Freeway through the City of Carson. Metro released the 405 Freeway Wilmington Avenue to Main Street Improvements Project Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)/Environmental Assessment (EA) on Aug. 5. The 45-day EIR comment period ends on September 21. Metro will host two in-person public hearings where interested folks can learn more about the environmental review process and share feedback. The second of two hearings will take place tomorrow from 6-7:30 p.m. at Carson Events Center at 801 East Carson Street. Project documents and additional meeting information at Metro project page.
• Wednesday 8/26 – The little-known L.A. County City Selection Committee is responsible for electing Metro boardmembers who represent county subregions. The Los Angeles County City Selection Committee North County San Fernando Valley Sector will hold an in-person meeting this Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. Find remote access information at L.A. County committee webpage. The meeting agenda should be also be posted there. Recently the subregion narrowly approved Santa Clarita City Councilmember Jason Gibbs, who subsequently failed to secure countywide approval.
• Wednesday 8/26 – Catch the West Coast Premiere of Streetfilms Clarence Eckerson’s Close Encounters of the 34th Avenue Kind: The Story of NYC’s Best Open Street. It’s free at 10 a.m. at the Art Theater at 2025 E. 4th Street in Long Beach’s Retro Row. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with Jim Burke, the “Mayor of 34th Avenue,” Krista Nightengale of the Better Block Foundation, and Alex Jung of City Fabrick. RSVP to reserve your spot. More film and event details at SBLA post.
• Wednesday 8/26 – Metro’s widening the 5 Freeway in North L.A. County. Attend a 6 p.m. virtual construction update meeting. Details at Eventbrite.
• Ongoing: The National Day Laborer Network continues to urge those that can to adopt a corner to help protect day laborers and vendors from ICE sweeps. See their webpage to register to adopt a corner or attend a workshop on how to help.
• Ongoing scheduled Metro service alerts:
  • Metro G Line construction bus/bike detours are in effect through 2027. The Sepulveda Station area closure is in effect through December 2026.