By Nick Block
Staff Writer
LA/2B, a new web project, allows residents of Los Angeles to submit their ideas on issues concerning transportation. This web site will help Mayor Villaraigosa and other councilmen formulate a public transportation web project that can more closely reflect the views of the community.
The site outlines the main goals of project LA/2B. Mayor Villaraigosa plans to work with the community to revise the Mobility Element, identify a network of commonly used streets, update street standards, make a streetscape manual, revise the City’s performance and measurement Tools and create and implementation strategy.
There is certainly a need for a reform of Los Angeles transportation. According to College Home, the average time spent getting to and from work for Angelenos is about 38 minutes daily, which accounts for 165 hours a year. A Forbes study called Los Angeles the most congested metropolitan area in the U.S. Although the population of the city might be large, there is room for improvement in limiting time spent in traffic.
LA/2B has raised questions about the needs of pedestrians and drivers. While these questions may seem generic, L.A. residents have contributed valuable feedback, showing the effectiveness of community involvement.
One idea to make bike riding a more efficient method of transportation is to create a bike share program. The program is used in New York City and involves paying for temporary bikes to get from one point to another.
Some bloggers have suggested that street changes are too expensive and that funds could be used elsewhere. They attribute the high cost of the plan’s implementation to the many hills and the thousands of miles of streets.
However, many streets do not need to be renovated. It may be more expensive to change a hill street, but these streets are typically in extremely compact areas where few changes need to occur. The project will be used to identify the limited number of streets that require renovation in order to keep costs low.
Despite those who believe that LA/2B is just a public relations move, there has been actual change as a result of the site. It has already been effective in helping the significant concern about access to Los Angeles International Airport. Since there are only a few ways to get to LAX, Metro has been put in charge of finding ways to connect the Metro Rail System to LAX, making it efficient for commuters.
Misconceptions about the non-existent need for street changes and the high costs are unfounded. In fact, changes have already been implemented with much success.
There is reasonable evidence to back the conclusion that renovation is necessary, and there is a clear set of goals to make sure funds are used to fulfill the plan.
The web site has made the goals of the Los Angeles community a priority for the city governance.
Leave a Reply