The Los Angeles City Council voted today to approve the Mobility Plan 2035, which lays out transformative reconfigurations and additions to Los Angeles streets and centers on the idea of creating complete streets that are safe for everyone (not just cars); that means bike lanes, bus-only lanes, and road diets, among many other changes, as outlined right here. The LA Times reports that while supporters are celebrating, opponents—many of whom are concentrated on the house-and-car-packed Westside—are mobilizing for a lawsuit.
Opponents of the Mobility Plan are upset largely because its state-mandated Environmental Impact Report said that following the plan as it's laid out in its proposed timeframe (by 2035) would create "unavoidable significant adverse impacts," including more gridlock, noise, and "diminished access" for emergency services. But councilmembers had to sign a legal document that stated that the benefits of the Mobility Plan (it'll be easier for ALL people to get around the city) outweigh the consequences in order to approve the plan today.
Mobility Plan 2035 calls for, among other things, the creation of a Bicycle Enhanced Network made up of linked bike paths, lanes, and protected lanes; increased frequency along transit routes (especially during peak times); more demand-based parking meters (which seems to have worked well already in Downtown); and even an increase in the number of trash cans on the streets.
· L.A. council OKs sweeping plan to add bike lanes, bus routes by 2035 [LAT]
· Here's the Big Plan to Make it Way Easier to Get Around Los Angeles Over the Next 20 Years [Curbed LA]