DONATE

Time’s up for status quo in LA’s public right of way decision making

In less than 30 days, the City of Los Angeles will begin implementing the requirements of the HLA initiative, which received voter approval. Angelenos made it clear: they want streets designed for people, not just cars.

However, there’s a significant problem: the current system for rolling out this mandate is not just flawed, it’s severely broken. Without action from the Mayor and City Council to set the course for this initiative, its implementation risks becoming chaotic, entangled in existing city power and budget struggles, and ultimately failing to serve the best interests of the 200+ neighborhoods across Los Angeles.

 

Even more troubling is the evident inequality within the current system. The implementation of HLA risks leaving underserved communities behind, failing to address their significant needs.

 

Here’s what needs to be done as a starting point:

 

Designate Budgets and Resources

  • Allocate funding to create the 5-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) in the FY25 Budget: The CIP must align with the implementation of the mobility plan; one cannot proceed without the other. This serves as the primary tool for establishing agreed-upon priorities, funding levels, schedules and interdepartmental coordination.
    • In addition to securing funding in the FY25 budget for the CIP, it’s imperative for the Mayor and City Council to uphold the CIP motions and requests for report-backs from the CAO’s office regarding the progress of this endeavor, as they’ve been directed to do several times. It’s crucial for the Mayor and City Council to lead this effort, rather than delegating it to the budgeting office.
  • Develop a 5-year Forecast of Locally Controlled Funding for Sidewalks and Streets: This forecast will aid in planning and long-term budgeting efforts, providing clarity and foresight for infrastructure investments. 

Coordinate Policy Oversight

  • Reschedule City Council’s Transportation Committee Meetings to Ensure Full Attendance: Over the past several months, attendance at Transportation Committee meetings has been inconsistent due to conflicts for Council members with overlapping committee responsibilities. Given the critical juncture of implementing the voter-approved measure, it’s imperative to have all policymakers able to be fully engaged.

  • Schedule Joint Transportation Committee and Public Works Committee Meetings:

    These meetings are essential as they bring together the scopes of both committees – Transportation Committee primarily overseeing LADOT and Public Works Committee overseeing all Public Works bureaus. Coordination at the policy level, set by the Council and Mayor’s office, is crucial.

    • Additionally, public meetings are vital to ensure engagement and transparency. Given the significance of the subject matter, consider increasing membership to 5 for both the Public Works and Transportation Committees, to facilitate broader involvement of Council members in substantive policy deliberations; currently, currently the committees have only 3 – 4 members.

Clarify Elements of the Mobility Plan 

  • Policymakers must establish clear guidelines and procedures for transforming the Mobility Plan map outlines into actionable project components, defining the inclusion or exclusion of features like sidewalks, access ramps, street trees, bus stops, and stormwater capture in mobility plan projects. 
  • Given the absence of a comprehensive sidewalk program in Los Angeles beyond the terms of the Willits settlement, which arose from an accessibility lawsuit initiated in 2010 and settled in 2016, it is imperative for policymakers and Angelenos to grasp the necessary steps toward developing a more comprehensive program aimed at enhancing walkability and accessibility for individuals with disabilities.

Provide Updates on the CAO’s Equity Index and the Infrastructure Equity Scorecard Pilot 

  • On a quarterly basis, sharing the CAO’s Infrastructure Equity Work will assist in prioritizing resources and locations effectively. 

These tasks represent the beginning of what will likely be a more extensive list of actions for the systems change this moment requires. The time for maintaining the status quo in decision making in LA’s public right-of-way has passed.



© Investing in Place. All Rights Reserved.

Site Credits

Stay up to date on our work!

Sign up for our newsletter

hello@investinginplace.org

Instagram Youtube Linkedin

New Title

New Name

New Bio

Estolano Advisors

Richard France

Richard France assists clients with strategic planning, visioning, and community and economic development. He is a strategic planner at Estolano Advisors, where he has been involved in a variety of active transportation, transit-oriented development, climate change resiliency, and equitable economic development projects. His work in active transportation includes coordinating a study to improve bike and pedestrian access to transit oriented districts for the County of Los Angeles, and working with the Southern California Association of Governments to host tactical urbanism events throughout the region. Richard also serves as a technical assistance provider for a number of California Climate Investment programs, including the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities, Transformative Climate Communities, and Low Carbon Transit Operations programs. He has also taught at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Richard received a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and his M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA.

Accelerator for America, Milken Institute

Matt Horton

Matt Horton is the director of state policy and initiatives for Accelerator for America. He collaborates with government officials, impact investors, and community leaders to shape infrastructure, job creation, and equitable community development efforts. With over fifteen years of experience, Matt has directed research-driven programs and initiatives focusing on housing production, infrastructure finance, access to capital, job creation, and economic development strategies. Previously, he served as the director of the California Center at the Milken Institute, where he produced research and events to support innovative economic policy solutions. Matt also has experience at the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), where he coordinated regional policy development and planning efforts. He holds an MA in political science from California State University, Fullerton, and a BA in history from Azusa Pacific University. Additionally, Matt serves as a Senior Advisor for the Milken Institute and is involved in various advisory boards, including Lift to Rise and WorkingNation.

UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

Madeline Brozen

Madeline is the Deputy Director of the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies at the Luskin School of Public Affairs. She oversees and supports students, staff, and faculty who work on planning and policy issues about how people live, move, and work in the Southern California region. When not supporting the work of the Lewis Center community, Madeline is doing research on the transportation patterns and travel needs of vulnerable populations in LA. Her recent work includes studies of low-income older adults in Westlake, public transit safety among university students, and uncovering the transportation needs of women, and girls in partnership with Los Angeles public agencies. Outside of UCLA, Madeline serves as the vice-chair of the Metro Westside Service Council and enjoys spending time seeing Los Angeles on the bus, on foot, and by bike.

Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

Luis Gutierrez

Luis Gutierrez, works in the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, as the Director of Energy & Water in the Office of Energy and Sustainability (MOES), Luis oversees issues related to LA’s transition to clean energy, water infrastructure, and serves as the primary liaison between the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Water and Power. Prior to joining MOES, Luis managed regulatory policy proceedings for Southern California Edison (SCE), focusing on issues related to equity and justice. Before joining SCE, Luis served as the Director of Policy and Research for Inclusive Action for the City, a community development organization dedicated to economic justice in Los Angeles. Luis holds a BA in Sociology and Spanish Literature from Wesleyan University, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Cal State LA.

kim@investinginplace.org

Communications Strategist

Kim Perez

Kim is a writer, researcher and communications strategist, focused on sustainability, urban resilience and safe streets. Her specialty is taking something complex and making it clear and compelling. Harvard-trained in sustainability, she won a prize for her original research related to urban resilience in heat waves—in which she proposed a method to help cities identify where pedestrians spend a dangerous amount of time in direct sun, so they can plan for more equitable access to shade across a city.

jessica@investinginplace.org

(213) 210-8136

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jessica Meaney

For over almost two decades, Jessica has led efforts in Los Angeles to promote inclusive decision-making and equitable resource allocation in public works and transportation funding. Jessica’s current work at Investing in Place is grounded in the belief that transparent and strategic prioritization of public funds can transform Los Angeles into a city where inclusive, accessible public spaces enrich both livability and well-being. As a collaborator and convener, Jessica plays a role in facilitating public policy conversations and providing nuanced insights into the interplay of politics, power, and process on decision-making and fiscal allocations.