As part of its Vision Zero effort, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) has proposed a mile-long road diet on Venice Boulevard to calm traffic and improve safety for bicyclists. A number of residents have organized a campaign to defeat the project due to concerns over loss of parking and increased traffic–including circulating a petition that got more than 2,000 signatures. Our staff has attended a neighborhood meeting, an LADOT town hall, and the Mar Vista Community Council to speak out in support of traffic calming and smart street design as a way to save lives. At the Mar Vista Community Council meeting on July 11th, there was a nearly even split in attendees with 60 community members testifying in support and 54 speaking against the project. The council ultimately voted 9-2 to support the project and requesting more LADOT studies on the project’s impact on safety and traffic.
Misinformation among speakers at those events shows how much we all need to educate the public on the dangerous connections between fatalities and high speeds. A particularly compelling argument is the statistic that if a pedestrian or bicyclist is hit by a car going 40mph, their survival rate is only 20%. We anticipate concerns like this will continue; if you want to help speak up please consider joining the LA Vision Zero Alliance.
