South LA

“Are they going to actually listen to what I have to say?" a South L.A. community leader asked when I talked to him about getting involved with the LA/2B project (the effort to integrate Complete Streets principles and community input into the Mobility Element of the City's General Plan).

"Oh yeah, I just saw maybe 50 or 60 riders go by. Yeah, it was pretty cool." said a security guard at Plaza Mexico.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, 32 people went to the hospital this morning after Metro bus 51 collided with the Blue Line. Of the approximately 650 people on both the bus and train when the incident occurred, most of those sustaining injuries had been on the bus. And, most of those injuries were minor.

Yesterday, Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa formally announced that the city's "50 Parks Initiative" is underway. The city's Recreation and Parks Department is acquiring land for fifty new parks, predominantly in park-poor population-dense neighborhoods.

Over the next week, you've got four opportunities to participate in promoting more livable streets in South L.A.

It's been a disheartening summer for those seeking to regulate fracking in California.

Ridership on the Expo Line continues to be "on a roll," touts Zev Yaroslavsky in his blog.

Community Services Unlimited, Inc. (CSU), a great organization that I've profiled here, is featured in a short documentary by USC students Mindy Guilford and Adam Joe. The piece explores the Garden Gateway program, CSU's interactive workshops designed to empower South L.A. residents with the tools and know-how to grow their own healthy food. The monthly workshops often feature cooking segments as well, to give gardeners ideas about how to use the produce they grow. The program is currently on hiatus for the summer, but will pick up again in the fall.

I don't live in South L.A. But I can be found somewhere within its confines 4 times a week, on average. Often, more. And, always on the bike.