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Streetsblog LA
Cedillo’s Folly: Council Adjourns in Memory of Veteran Killed Crossing North Fig.
On August 20, at the ironic request of Councilmember Gil Cedillo, the Los Angeles City Council adjourned in memory of 84 year-old Korean War Veteran, William Matelyan. Matelyan was crossing North Figueroa Street at Avenue 26 last month when he was struck and killed by a car. This area of North Figueroa was approved for a road diet in the 2010 City of Los Angeles Bike Plan. Road diets are proven safety measures that make streets safer for all.
August 22, 2014
The Debate Over CA’s Cap-and-Trade Funds Is Not Over
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti led a group of California mayors on a trip to Sacramento to push for legislation on a number of issues that impact cities before the final, frantic weeks of August that mark the end of the legislative session. On their agenda was getting assurance that cap-and-trade funds would be available to help cities reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years.
August 14, 2014
New LADOT GM Reynolds First Transportation Committee Meeting Report
Seleta Reynolds started last Monday, August 11, as the General Manager of the city of Los Angeles Transportation Department (LADOT.) Reynolds made her first GM report to the city council's Transportation Committee yesterday, though she had already appeared before the committee during her confirmation process. Reynolds had championed pedestrian safety as a manager at San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency before accepting Mayor Garcetti's invitation to lead LADOT.
August 14, 2014
Editorial: Respect Your Advisory Committee, Build a Safer Hyperion Bridge
There has been quite a bit of proverbial water under the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge. Under a great deal of community displeasure in 2013, the city of Los Angeles set aside an outdated bridge retrofit plan and formed an advisory committee to decide the future of the historic span.
August 12, 2014
California Bill Would Remove Legal Loophole for Hit-and-Run Drivers
The California Senate is scheduled to vote on a bill next week from Assemblymember Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) that would close a loophole in state law that allows some hit-and-run perpetrators to avoid criminal prosecution.
August 7, 2014
Metro July Meeting Re-Cap: Subway, SRTP, Active Transpo, and More
Metro's July Board of Directors meeting took place yesterday. As usual, it was four-plus hours long, with plenty of implications for the future of livability and transportation for the region. SBLA re-caps the meeting below.
July 25, 2014
Gatto and Englander Stump State Legislation for Hit-and-Run Alert System
At a press conference on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall yesterday, state and local legislators joined forces with local non-profits to draw attention to efforts to stem the tide of hit-and-run crimes. The press conference focused on A.B. 47 - a proposal to create a new emergency alert system to notify the public to help apprehend hit-and-run suspects. The alert system would use existing state-controlled sign boards on state-controlled freeways, so it will require state legislation.
July 24, 2014
LA Times Editorial: Councilmembers Should Not Be Tinkering with Bike Plan
I was excited to read yesterday's pro-bike Los Angeles Times editorial entitled Some bumps in the road on the way to a bike-friendly L.A. The piece calls out Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo for stopping the approved North Figueroa bike lanes. The Times supports the "worthwhile objective" of implementing bicycle infrastructure to make "the city safe and hospitable for cyclists... [to] reduce carbon emissions and overall congestion."
July 23, 2014
Is Reynolds the Antidote to L.A.’s Defeatist Attitude on Transportation?
Should Mayor Eric Garcetti have hired someone with more Los Angeles experience to run Los Angeles' Department of Transportation? With San Francisco's Seleta Reynolds chosen as the incoming department head, there's been a small buzz that only someone with direct experience with our region can handle making L.A. a better place to live. It has to be someone with local experience, they say.
July 22, 2014