Pedestrian Safety

What use is a law if nobody bothers to enforce it?

A proposal by County Supervisor and Metro Board Member Mark Ridley-Thomas could create major changes in how Metro decides which grade-crossings are designed at-grade and which will have grade separation.  Ridley-Thomas represents the communities fighting for a grade-separated Expo Line in South L.A. and much of the area that will be covered by a rail line for the Crenshaw Line.  The proposal would greatly increase the power of neighborhoods in deciding the design of grade-crossings in their community.  Some rail advocates worry that the motion would effectively derail the Measure R light rail projects.

We reported recently that the federal government was demanding $2.2 billion back from state DOTs in rescissions -- money that was already allocated to states that they were then asked to give back. Bike and pedestrian advocates were worried that states would disproportionately target active transportation projects for cuts, instead of carving into car-centric programs. They were right.

Since 1997, communities around the U.S. have been celebrating Walk to School Day. In 2009, over 3,300 walking events registered their participation in Walk to School events. How many will this year? How are those of us in Southern California supporting this great event?

Today's City Council Transportation Committee Hearing has a couple of big-ticket items sure to earn ink.  A proposal to increase the city's allotment of spaces for car-sharing has already been covered in LAist.  A second motion asking LAPD and LADOT to make certain that the President can't shut down the Westside next time he needs to raise some money is even more press friendly.  But a one-page motion by Bill Rosendahl and Tom LaBonge represents a small step in changing the way the city plans its transportation projects, and will almost assuredly earn little press outside of Streetsblog.

On Monday, at Vine and Selma, a woman attempting to cross Vine on foot was killed after being hit by a delivery truck. The streets were immediately filled with LAPD vehicles and an investigation ensued. Although it was evident that statements were taken and that measurements and photos were taken, missing from the investigation was any evidence that the traffic signals were tested or surveyed. This is unfortunate because the signal at Vine and Selma is malfunctioning.

If Hollywood were to make a movie entitled "Hollywood & Vine - Transit Oriented Development" they'd have to hire professionals to manage the streets, control the traffic, move the trucks and make sure the entire environment was safe. There would be a 1st Assistant Director on set, legally responsible for the safety of all cast and crew, a commitment that would include a safety meeting each day. It's been this way for a long time, ever since the tragic incident on the set of "Twilight Zone" that took the lives of Vic Morrow and two child actors, Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen.

I became passionate about biking when I lived in Paris. Mayor Bertrand Delanoe had implemented a bold transportation plan making biking safe, practical, accessible and fun. When I moved back here, I decided not to get caught up in the L.A. car culture: riding rather than driving whenever possible, and teaching my two kids to do the same. I have high hopes for my hometown Culver City, which has the perfect size and demographics to become truly bicycle and pedestrian friendly.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday advanced an auto safety bill aimed at strengthening U.S. DOT regulators’ hands in the aftermath of Toyota’s recall debacle. Despite Republican complaints that the legislation would impose too many new costs on the car industry, bipartisan support emerged readily for an amendment focused on pedestrian safety. Rep. Cliff … Continued