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Streetsblog LA
With CicLAvia in the Rearview Mirror, Mar Vista Plans for a Pop-Up Great Street
Despite Great Streets being a signature transportation project of Mayor Eric Garcetti, throughout the city the vision, outreach, and implementation are driven by the enthusiasm of the local City Council offices. Staff in the Mayor's Office is working closely with each of the fifteen Councilmembers to create a Great Streets program that is locally-driven and Council-approved.
August 12, 2015
Phil Washington’s Metro Re-Org Imports Denver Leadership
In a July 23 memo [PDF] to Metro staff, new CEO Phil Washington outlined his initial foray into Metro restructuring, including leadership changes at many key posts. In May, Washington left his post as head of Denver RTD to lead Metro. Washington now brings former Denver colleagues to staff three high-level Metro leadership positions.
August 6, 2015
Opinion: Climate Change Leaves No Room for Phonies: The Westwood Bike Lane Represents the Future–or Failure–of Los Angeles
Recently, Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz joined Mayor Eric Garcetti and others at a preview of the Expo Line Phase II, which extends that light rail line from its current terminus in Culver City, all the way to downtown Santa Monica. Afterwards, a press conference for this long-overdue project was held at the nearly-completed Palms Station, where they gave speeches and celebrated this milestone toward providing better mobility and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
July 27, 2015
Reps Pelosi and Lieu Tout ‘Grow America’ Transportation Bill
Elected officials, labor leaders, and Metro's CEO assembled this morning to call on Congress to pass a long-term transportation bill. In order to highlight the ways that transportation infrastructure funding benefits communities, the press event showcased the bluff-top construction site of the city of Santa Monica's California Incline retrofit project.
July 17, 2015
Great Streets, Tactical Urbanism, and the Challenge of Flipping the Traditional Planning Process on its Head
When, in mid-May, the Mayor’s Office put out a call for proposals offering up to $20,000 in Great Streets Challenge Grants for applicants seeking to foster community via imaginative uses of public space, I’ll admit my heart sank.
July 9, 2015
Editorial: My Unsolicited Advice for City Councilmember David Ryu
It's July. That means a new budget year for government agencies, where there is some turnover: some new faces, new officers, and new committees.
July 2, 2015
Transportation Committee Questions LAPD’s 8,000+ Annual Ped Tickets
This afternoon the Los Angeles City Council Transportation Committee discussed a motion questioning the effectiveness of LAPD's "jaywalking" enforcement. The pedestrian enforcement motion, 15-0546, was authored by City Councilmember Mike Bonin, who chairs the committee.
June 24, 2015
Metro CEO Phil Washington Speaks on Career Pathways in Transportation
This morning, Metro joined the L.A. County Community College District's press event announcing a $15 million California Career Pathways Trust (CCPT) grant from the California Department of Education. The state education funding goes to L.A. County community colleges for career and technical education, internships, and training.
June 4, 2015
Donald Shoup Interview, Part 2: Pasadena, Ventura, Mexico City, A.B. 744
Donald Shoup, parking's one and only rock star, is retiring from UCLA this year. Tomorrow, the college is sending him off with a fundraiser retirement dinner atop parking structure number 32. You can attend, and hobnob with Shoup himself, by donating to the Shoup Fellowship fund for future UCLA planning students.
May 29, 2015
Don’t Miss Part 1 of Joe’s Interview with Donald Shoup
Over the weekend, Joe Linton provided the perfect long-weekend reading for Livable Streets Junkies, an interview with the parking rock star Donald Shoup. The retiring professor had so much to say at his Streetsblog exit interview, that we're splitting the piece into two parts. Part II will run on Thursday or Friday of this week.
May 26, 2015