Earlier this week, the Los Angeles City Council voted to approve a new street/sidewalk furniture contract with Tranzito-Vector, paving the way for more comfortable mass transit experiences for hundreds of thousands of Angelenos. This 10 year contract sets clear goals, including the creation of 3,000 new transit shelters across LA, 450 additional shade structures, emergency call features as well as digital signage showing when the next bus will arrive and more. Since becoming Chair of the LA City Council’s Public Works Committee in 2017, I have been working with City officials to reignite the creation of more transit shelters with urgency and this contract is a big step in this effort.
It’s beyond time to rewrite the future of street furniture in LA and this partnership with Tranzito-Vector will create needed progress. Ambitious future goals have been set, but the reality today is that our city lacks the infrastructure to meet basic needs of our transit riders and my hope is that the vote is a big step in correcting this wrong.
This is about equity, fairness and making sure transit riders aren’t stuck standing in blistering, sometimes life threatening, heat just to get around town. The lack of basic transit amenities has been ongoing for over two decades and starting now, we can truly start making it better.
I’m grateful to StreetsLA for sharing our urgency and working diligently to get this contract done. While more needs to be done to get new shelters up and installed, it must be underscored that the adoption of the contract is a critical leap in making more transit shelters a reality.
As always, I will keep you updated and if you have any questions, please call my office at 818-774-4330 or email [email protected].
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation will begin to accept online applications on Thursday, October 6th at 9AM for their Citywide Residential Speed Hump Program. Due to high demand, applicants are encouraged to apply promptly once the application period opens. The application period will close when 375 applications (25 in each Council District) have been submitted.
To determine if your street meets the criteria required for Speed Hump installation, please review the 2022 Speed Hump Program Evaluation Guidelines and 2022 Fact Sheet. Only one applicant per street segment request will be allowed. The applicant will be the Block Representative and will be responsible for all related correspondence with the Department of Transportation staff. More information can be found here.
Thanks to our partners at the LA Conservation Corps and Office of Community Beautification, the pedestrian undercrossing at Shirley and the 101 freeway in Tarzana has been cleared of debris, trash, and graffiti. Contact Councilmember Blumenfield's office at 818-774-4330 or [email protected] if there is an area in your neighborhood that needs upkeep.
Cool LA is a LADWP initiative to help older adults, low-income neighborhoods, and those living in communities with a lack of applicable programs to better manage the impacts of extreme heat caused by climate change. Initiatives include cooling rebates on various types of energy-efficient cooling units and Level Pay, to help customers smooth out their summer bills across 12 monthly payments. For more information and other programs, please visit ladwp.com/cool-la.
Metro has a plan to make it easier to get around LA, with better transit across the North Valley. The North San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Project will improve east-west transit service with better access to jobs, education and essential services. This Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Network Improvements is aimed to provide the following benefits:
Check out the interactive StoryMap and join a virtual community meeting on Thursday, September 29 at 6pm to learn more about the project and Metro’s plans to pursue a Statutory Exemption through Senate Bill 288 and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). As part of this exemption process, Metro will present a project business case and racial equity analysis.
From Saturday October 1st at 10pm -- Sunday, October 2nd at 10am, Caltrans will close all lanes on the 101 between White Oak Ave and Balboa Blvd to allow crews to safely demolish the pedestrian bridge over the 101 at Encino Ave. The following ramps will also be closed during this time:
Councilmember Blumenfield attended the 1st annual 818 Oktoberfest presented by Canoga Park Elks Lodge and 818 Brewing. The event raised funding for local organizations including Haven Hills, Rancho San Antonio, Purple Pig, and Veterans Administration.
Friends of the LA River (FoLAR) is hosting the 1st Annual River Fest, a FREE open-air film festival celebrating FoLAR’s work and the LA River’s deep connection to art, environmental justice, community health, and climate adaptation. All are welcome and register here.
This week's photo from the Los Angeles Public Library's archives is from the Valley Times taken on September 13, 1956 of the construction of the West Valley Civic Center in Reseda on Vanowen and Vanalden. Today, the site still serves as home to several City departments including the West Valley Public Library and Councilmember Blumenfield's District office.