Activists threaten to sue after the city of Los Angeles decided to forgo environmental review on a street reconfiguration project that removed a vehicle lane on Venice Boulevard.
"Setting the stage for a legal challenge, the Los Angeles City Council rejected an appeal Friday from neighborhood advocates fighting a bicycle lane on a congested Westside artery," reports Laura J. Nelson.
The controversy surrounds a 0.8-mile stretch of Venice Boulevard in the neighborhood of Mar Vista.
"The city spent $1.8 million to add four traffic signals, sidewalk mosaics, curb ramps, more visible crosswalks and a bike lane with a buffer zone to separate drivers from cyclists," according to Nelson. "The project removed one vehicle travel lane in each direction."
The bike lane enjoys some public support, but opponents have been threatening to sue the city if the City Council made the pilot project permanent. After the City Council voted in December to make the project permanent, opposition groups appealed, which set the stage for last week's decision.
As noted by Nelson, the city's Vision Zero goals and its Mobility 2035 plan, have encountered resistance wherever road lanes for cars have been removed—perhaps most infamously in 2017, when the city reversed nine miles of road diets in Mar Vista and nearby Playa del Rey.
FULL STORY: L.A. backs Venice Boulevard’s controversial ‘road diet’ as activists threaten to sue
Los Angeles Can't Stick to its Road Diet
A high-profile controversy over a decision by the city of Los Angeles to remove a vehicle lane in either direction has finally come to an end. The vehicle lanes will be restored.
When it Comes to Road Diets, Evidence Doesn't Matter
Drivers are a powerful enough lobby to overcome all evidence of the need to redesign streets for safety. Examples from Maryland and Virginia provide the latest case studies in Vision Zero futility.
Changes Approved for Pedestrian Safety on San Francisco's Sixth Street
A safety-minded street reconfiguration overcame opposition in San Francisco thanks to strong political leadership.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.
Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.
Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service