L.A. Wildlife Crossing To Break Ground This Spring

The planned wildlife bridge spanning an eight-lane freeway will be the world's largest and most ambitious project of its kind.

1 minute read

January 18, 2022, 8:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Mountain Lion

National Park Service / Flickr

Southern California's wildlife will soon have a safer way to travel, reports Alissa Walker, thanks to a planned wildlife crossing that will help the region's mountain lions cross the eight-lane 101 freeway, expand their habitat, and increase their genetic diversity.

With the last $10 million secured through Governor Newsom's new budget, the $87-million project, the largest of its kind in the world, is now fully funded and will break ground this spring. The bridge will span Liberty Canyon in the western part of Los Angeles, connecting two portions of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the nation's largest urban national park. Walker notes that the design features materials designed to deflect headlights and insulate its travelers from traffic noise, as well as native landscaping to attract pollinators.

Popular in places like Canada and Australia, wildlife crossings make travel safer for migrating animals and enhance biodiversity in habitats fractured by roads and urban development. According to Beth Pratt, California regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation, reweaving together fragmented habitats is also an effective climate resiliency strategy. Meanwhile, wildlife crossings also make roads safer for humans, saving lives and thousands of dollars in vehicle repairs. 

Wildlife crossings were allocated $340 million in federal funding in the infrastructure bill, which could prompt more similar projects around the country. 

Wednesday, January 12, 2022 in Curbed

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

1 hour ago - Zachary Whalen

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

One side of the image shows a Chicago bus stop without a bench, the second image shows the bus stop with a yellow and blue bench.

Guerilla urbanists are building DIY bus stop benches in Chicago

A before-and-after of one of the bus stops with a new bench. The new benches are not officially sanctioned or permitted, but the residents who placed them hope they will be the start of a network of DIY benches across the city.

45 minutes ago - Block Club Chicago

NYC Mayor Zohran Mandami speaks behind a blue podium.

Mamdani overhauls NYC's Vision Zero plan with 100 new policy goals

The overhaul aims to reduce traffic deaths and make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers through lower speed limits, new safety infrastructure and more.

1 hour ago - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

A New Jersey train approaches people waiting at the station.

Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds

A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.

September 15 - Mass Transit

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.