Recent Streetsblog LA posts about Car Dependence

Some Perspective On How Angelenos Are Driving Less

By Joe Linton | Jun 22, 2015 | 20 Comments

Last week, Los Angeles City Deputy Mayor, and soon-to-be Santa Monica City Manager, Rick Cole tweeted out a graph showing that Angelenos are driving less than we used to. In 2002, the average city resident drove 11.9 miles each day. By 2013, that daily Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) has declined to about 10.8 miles each day. I […]

L.A.’s Real Growth Is in Car-Free and Car-Lite Families

By Damien Newton | Aug 1, 2013 | 15 Comments

I’ve never made it a secret that I’m one of the few Streetsblog editors that owns a car. But in the new Los Angeles, the one that prioritizes transit projects over highway expansion, that my family of four only has one car that we barely use is becoming the new normal. Yesterday, Streetsblog.net reported on […]

Times Victory: Trio of Bills Take Aim at “Buy Here Pay Here” Car Dealerships

By Damien Newton | Feb 6, 2012 | 2 Comments

A trio of state legislators have introduced legislation aimed at “Buy Here Pay Here” dealerships in California. These dealerships, where used cars are sold at a marked up price with loans that have abnormally high interest rates, are often used by people of lesser means as a last resort to get a car. These […]

Update: Villaraigosa/Garcetti/Englander Plan Would NOT Apply to Used Car Dealers

By Damien Newton | Nov 9, 2011 | 1 Comment

I just received an update from the Mayor’s Office on the proposal to eliminate business taxes for car dealerships. The motion submitted by Councilmen Eric Garcetti and Mitch Englander for city staff to draft a motion that would exempt car dealerships from city business taxes applies only to new car dealerships, so our concerns about […]

Vallianatos: Policy Shifts Towards Walkable Communities Anathema to “Buy Here Pay Here”

By Mark Vallianatos | Nov 9, 2011 | No Comments

(This is part two of our series on reader’s response to last week’s series on Buy Here Pay Here used car dealerships. Yesterday we summarized the statements of Joe Linton, Roadblick, Adrian Martinez, Damien Goodmon and Allison Mannos. Today we bring a more detailed response from Occidental College Professor Mark Vallianatos. Tomorrow, we’ll have a […]

Mayor, Garcetti, and Englander Call for Exempting Auto Dealers from City’s Business Tax

By Damien Newton | Nov 8, 2011 | 9 Comments

Picture this. One day one of the most important political figures in the city stands in front of a major Downtown attraction and announces that train service to this attraction will be increased dramatically in the coming weeks. The next day, a major political figure, flanked by an up-and-coming political star and the City Council […]

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