Despite the program’s success across the region and rising production costs, Los Angeles-area events could receive less funding in the coming year.

In an opinion piece in Streetsblog LA, Wes Reutimann, Special Programs Director and co-founder of the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition and ActiveSGV, praises the region’s expansive Open Streets program, which includes events like CicLAvia and Beach Streets that have grown in size and scope since they first launched in 2010.
“Beloved by local families and Angelenos from all walks of life, these family-friendly experiences provide the public with a fleeting snapshot of what a more sustainable, multi-modal Southern California could look like.” So, Reutimann asks, why is LA Metro proposing slashing open streets funding by as much as 40 percent? Reutimann points out that the cost of producing events is rising, with insurance costs and safety considerations adding significant costs that will be hard to make up through private sponsorship.
Reutimann argues that “The value of Open Streets has never been greater,” bringing together community and helping California promote multimodal, sustainable transportation. “After a decade, Metro should be sponsoring about one Open Streets event a month, highlighting the county’s rich diversity and its expanding and improving public transit system. The level of continued investment required to reach this goal – just $2-3 million per year above where it is now – is peanuts to an agency that routinely approves cost overruns for highway projects in the tens of millions.”
FULL STORY: Los Angeles Loves “Open Streets” Events – So Why Would Metro Slash Funding?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

San Francisco’s Muni Ridership Grew in 2024
The system saw its highest ridership since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces a severe budget shortage in the coming year.

Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding
In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.

Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy
The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.
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