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Streetsblog LA
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 Under a great deal of community displeasure in 2013, the city of Los Angeles set aside an outdated bridge retrofit plan and formed an advisory committee to decide the future of the historic span.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
Cedillo Kills Approved North Figueroa Bike Lanes Citing “Safety” Reasons
As a candidate, Gil Cedillo pledged his support for the approved road diet bike lanes on North Figueroa Street. Once elected, Los Angeles City Councilmember Cedillo maintained that he was listening to community concerns, while he and his staff phone-banked and canvassed to rally opposition to the bike lanes.
July 11, 2014
Metro Round-Up: LAX, Open Streets, New Reps on Technical Committee
At yesterday's Metro Board Meeting, directors approved a handful of initiatives that have great implications for the future livability of the Los Angeles Region. Here is the re-cap:
June 27, 2014
CA Bills to Crack Down on Hit-and-Run Drivers Sail Through Committees
Two bills focused on addressing hit-and-run crashes, authored by CA Assemblymember Mike Gatto, appear quickly on their way to being passed. A.B. 47, which would create an alert system on California highways to help the public assist police in catching drivers involved in hit-and-run crashes, sailed through the Senate Public Safety Committee Tuesday with a 6-1 vote. A.B. 1532, Gatto's other bill which increases fines and penalties for hit-and-run drivers, passed a separate committee.
June 26, 2014