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Streetsblog LA
On a Rainy Day in Los Angeles, Villaraigosa and Ray LaHood Spread Sunshine for High Speed Rail
In a somewhat rainy day in Southern California, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and United States Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood spread a little sunshine on California's embattled High Speed Rail project with an upbeat press conference at Los Angeles' Union Station. There was no mention of the Federal Transit Administration's Civil Rights Review of the transit agency currently headed by Villaraigosa. The growing opposition against the $100 billion High Speed Rail Project, which includes Republican politicians in California's legislature and the leadership of the Congressional House of Representatives, was dismissed as a small group of malcontents.
February 8, 2012
The Mayor’s Office, Measure R and Multiple “Plan B’s”
When the Mayor and his staff in city hall say that nothing is off the table when it comes to accelerating project development and construction for the transit projects funded by the Measure R sales tax, they aren't just talking. While the Mayor promised that there was a "Plan B" if his efforts to change federal law to favor communities that tax themselves to build transit don't go anywhere in D.C.
January 30, 2012
Garcetti, LaBonge Want Car Free Yucca Street
(Update: I got a little confused by the motion. It will shut down through traffic on Yucca Street in Hollywood, between Las Palmas Ave. and Whitley Ave. Cars are permitted, through traffic is blocked. Curbed found me out. - DN)
January 9, 2012
Ridley-Thomas Survey Shows Strong Support for Slauson Ave. Bike Lane
For years, residents surrounding the Slauson Avenue Corridor between La Brea and Angeles Vista have argued that the sad looking street needs an upgrade. What form that upgrade takes is up to debate, some residents want the street changed to allow more cars to move through the corridor while most others want to see the four lane road improved to allow for a better environment for all users.
January 6, 2012
Holiday Greetings from the Governor to School Children: Get Ready to Drive to School
December 20, 2011
Privacy Screens? Newest Attempt to Snare Expo Gains Key Ally
For months, the idea of "privacy screens" has been bandied about at meetings of the Expo Construction Authority Board of Directors but few took the idea that anyone would place large screens on top of the soundwalls adjacent to the line seriously. However, at last week's meeting of the Expo Board of Directors, Board Member and newly-minted L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson seemed to take the idea very seriously.
December 7, 2011
At Zev’s Urging, Supes Demand Progressive Bike Plan
Earlier today, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors quickly and unanimously passed a motion by Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky urging for progressive changes to the L.A. County Draft Bike Plan. The L.A. County Bike Plan addresses the "unincorporated" parts of L.A. County (those without a municipal government) such as Marina del Rey.
November 29, 2011
Mayor, Garcetti, and Englander Call for Exempting Auto Dealers from City’s Business Tax
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 President, stands with the head of the local automotive dealer lobbying group and announces a political proposal to end business taxes for car dealerships.
November 8, 2011
New Routing Near Silver Lake Reservoir Could Close off Part of Park for Bikes
Visitors to Griffith Park over the last year have noted that there is some major construction going on near the Silver Lake Resevoir. In order to protect Angelenos from any future plans to poison the water, the federal government is ordering that all open air resevoirs be taken offline and replaced with below ground ones. That edict is creating constrcution projects in parks across the country, but in in Griffith Park it might alwo seal off parts of the park to bicyclists.
November 1, 2011
How Can L.A. Fix Its Sidewalks?
Councliman Bernard Parks has been making news recently for his proposal to hand over the maintenance costs, and liability issues, for the city's crumbling sidewalks to the people owning the house adjacent to the sidewalk. Simply, people that own a house are responsible for the repair of the sidewalk in front of their house. If someone trips and is hurt it is the home owner's liability.
October 28, 2011