Vision Zero

Proposed speed limit increases and decreases to be heard by Transportation Commission tomorrow morning

It's been a rough ride for advocates' of safe streets the past six months. From the blowback on Vision Zero road redesigns on the Westside, to the politicization of road diets from conservative talk radio hosts demonizing anyone who dares suggest that maybe our transportation system needs to be made safer.

A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting the Mar Vista Farmer's Market with my seven-year-old son. Seeing a group gathering petitions for Restore Venice Boulevard's demands that the road diet on Venice Boulevard be immediately ended, I turned off to go in through the side. Earlier in the week, a tweet condemning the person who wrote the weird, racist flyer that was the last straw for a friend and neighborhood councilmember was misinterpreted as being a condemnation of everyone who opposed the road diet. I'm sure I phrased it poorly, but my attempts to clarify had fallen on deaf ears. A lot of people involved in the Restore Venice Boulevard Movement were convinced I, a Board Member of the Mar Vista Neighborhood Council, had called them all assholes.

L.A.'s Vision Zero efforts are two years old today. The programs have a mixed record of achievement toward the target of zero traffic deaths.

L.A.

At last Saturday's open house on the Mar Vista Venice Boulevard safety improvements, responses were mixed, with LADOT reporting a majority of comments were positive.

Is Vision Zero in conflict with bus speeds? Metro boardmember Mike Bonin makes a compelling case that bus riders and safety advocates have more common ground than conflict.

LADOT included a tepid new alternative. Attendees favored none of the above. Another meeting is coming up.

Last Wednesday, the city of Los Angeles Vision Zero team held a workshop for public input on planned safety upgrades for Temple Street. At the workshop, the city Transportation Department (LADOT) shared potential plans for Temple, and received public input.