L.A. will add bike and bus lanes, cut car lanes in sweeping policy shift
08-17-15, 01:22 PM
#1
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L.A. will add bike and bus lanes, cut car lanes in sweeping policy shift
The biggest news last week in the carfree world was from Los Angeles. Way to go LA!!!
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Read more: L.A. will add bike and bus lanes, cut car lanes in sweeping policy shift - LA Times
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From the LA Times:
L.A. will add bike and bus lanes, cut car lanes in sweeping policy shift
Over the decades, Los Angeles has bulldozed homes, paved through tranquil canyons, toppled countless trees and even flattened some hillsides, all in the name of keeping automobile traffic flowing as fast as possible.
On Tuesday, city leaders decided to slow things down.
They endorsed a sweeping policy that would rework some of the city’s mightiest boulevards, adding more lanes for buses and bikes and, in some places, leaving fewer for cars. The goal is to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians while also luring more people out of their cars.
The plan represents a major departure in transportation policy for a city so closely identified with cars, and reflects the view of many planners that the old way of building more road space to address traffic is no longer a viable option.
Known as Mobility Plan 2035, the plan spells out hundreds of miles of new bicycle lanes, bus-only lanes and other road redesigns. It also seeks to cut the fatality rate from traffic collisions to zero within 20 years, in part by keeping cars within the speed limits. And it builds on other changes the city has already made to its streets in recent years.
From the LA Times:
L.A. will add bike and bus lanes, cut car lanes in sweeping policy shift
Over the decades, Los Angeles has bulldozed homes, paved through tranquil canyons, toppled countless trees and even flattened some hillsides, all in the name of keeping automobile traffic flowing as fast as possible.
On Tuesday, city leaders decided to slow things down.
They endorsed a sweeping policy that would rework some of the city’s mightiest boulevards, adding more lanes for buses and bikes and, in some places, leaving fewer for cars. The goal is to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians while also luring more people out of their cars.
The plan represents a major departure in transportation policy for a city so closely identified with cars, and reflects the view of many planners that the old way of building more road space to address traffic is no longer a viable option.
Known as Mobility Plan 2035, the plan spells out hundreds of miles of new bicycle lanes, bus-only lanes and other road redesigns. It also seeks to cut the fatality rate from traffic collisions to zero within 20 years, in part by keeping cars within the speed limits. And it builds on other changes the city has already made to its streets in recent years.
Read more: L.A. will add bike and bus lanes, cut car lanes in sweeping policy shift - LA Times
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Last edited by Roody; 08-17-15 at 01:25 PM.
08-17-15, 01:45 PM
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This is wonderful news...or a least a start. People shouldn't have to stick their necks
out driving the freeway/speedway day after day out just getting to and from work. Every
time one commuter bikes or buses or 'both', it's one less car to congest or just stink
up traffic. A sweeping state-wide policy would be even better. It's happening in
Washington State.
out driving the freeway/speedway day after day out just getting to and from work. Every
time one commuter bikes or buses or 'both', it's one less car to congest or just stink
up traffic. A sweeping state-wide policy would be even better. It's happening in
Washington State.
08-17-15, 08:47 PM
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Good article. I have to read the report since it's a huge PDF. It looks like they are going in the right direction but the motoring forces are going to challenge it in court. Streets Smarts are critical becuase it also calls for more street widening!
Documents | LA/2B
Good article. I have to read the report since it's a huge PDF. It looks like they are going in the right direction but the motoring forces are going to challenge it in court. Streets Smarts are critical becuase it also calls for more street widening!
Documents | LA/2B
08-17-15, 09:00 PM
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L.A. may be a city closely identified with cars, but 25% of the trips taken there are by some means other than a car. That compares well with the rest of California (23%) and kicks the bojangles out of Portland, OR which sits at 16%.
This is just one more step along the path that has already been chosen. Once L.A. had built out its car infrastructure, some quarter-century ago, it was faced with what to do with the ever-increasing travel times. Not surprisingly, they have built a bunch of rail and have been adding bike and pedestrian facilities for quite a while.
Who knows, they may someday have a civilization down there. (Obligatory NorCal native jibe at SoCal; required because they not only have more wealth and fame, but better weather.)
This is just one more step along the path that has already been chosen. Once L.A. had built out its car infrastructure, some quarter-century ago, it was faced with what to do with the ever-increasing travel times. Not surprisingly, they have built a bunch of rail and have been adding bike and pedestrian facilities for quite a while.
Who knows, they may someday have a civilization down there. (Obligatory NorCal native jibe at SoCal; required because they not only have more wealth and fame, but better weather.)
08-17-15, 09:45 PM
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Next week they will also possibly plan for world peace? If so both plans should reach their conclusion at about the same time. Oh, well it couldn't hurt. It would be nice to be able to ride in the rest of L.A. as it is now done in West L.A. and Santa Monica. In fact it would be nice to ride from West L.A. and Santa Monica to the rest of L.A. in a convenient and safe manner.
08-17-15, 11:25 PM
#6
Pedalin' Erry Day
The dominance of the automobile in our public spaces we now experience was science fiction a century ago and could never have occurred without public policies that advanced that end, so it stands to reason a shift in public policy could be equally effective in diminishing the importance of cars over time.
08-18-15, 12:02 AM
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I wonder where they will get the funding? They still haven't built that HSR. Haven't even laid down one piece of track.
08-18-15, 07:03 AM
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08-18-15, 07:50 AM
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08-18-15, 07:52 AM
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Prefers Cicero
08-18-15, 10:17 AM
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This LA news is great for setting a precedent for other cities where sprawl makes it a lot more difficult to consider driving lane reductions and widespread shifts to cycling and public transit. Hopefully many other cities will look at LA and say if they can do it, then so can we.
From what I've seen, CA HSR has some major issues, such as ecological impact and the fact that it's not that great of a system, from a global point-of-view comparing it with other HSR systems. When Elon Musk's hyperloop idea was announced, it promised better speed with less environmental impact than HSR. Idk how feasible it is to manufacture thousands of miles of tubes for hyperloop instead of HSR tracks, but I can imagine that a solar-powered tube running through a forest would have less ecological impact than a train smashing animals at 300mph.
From taxes on growth stimulated by investments in freeway infrastructure and all the buildings connected by it (and the cheap energy that facilitated it all).
If the new infrastructure lowers business costs and road-maintenance costs, some of those fleeing businesses could end up fleeing back.
From taxes on growth stimulated by investments in freeway infrastructure and all the buildings connected by it (and the cheap energy that facilitated it all).
If the new infrastructure lowers business costs and road-maintenance costs, some of those fleeing businesses could end up fleeing back.
Last edited by tandempower; 08-18-15 at 10:23 AM.
08-18-15, 10:17 AM
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Cooker the got it from the State when the State had money. The State is almost broke. Almost like Greece. With prop 13 and slow housing sales the ability to raise the money is slim. The same reason they can't get the HSR off the ground after all these years.
Every time they try to raise city taxes the business flee to to
Other counties or other States.
They can hardly fix the roads they have now it will be a kick seeing them find the money for this project.
In case I forgot to mention they have been trying to build the HSR since the early 70s.
Every time they try to raise city taxes the business flee to to
Other counties or other States.
They can hardly fix the roads they have now it will be a kick seeing them find the money for this project.
In case I forgot to mention they have been trying to build the HSR since the early 70s.
Last edited by Mobile 155; 08-18-15 at 10:24 AM.
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