Inspired by Manhattan's pedestrianization of Times Square, L.A.'s city council recently approved $1.8 million in funding to reduce a major downtown thoroughfare's roadway by half to make room for "a massive increase of the pedestrian infrastructure."
"Last Friday, the Los Angeles City Council approved a plan to overhaul Broadway between 2nd Street and 11th Street through Downtown’s historic core," reports Damien Newton. "The existing six lanes of mixed-use travel lanes will literally be cut in half, down to three lanes. In their place, a massive increase of the pedestrian infrastructure will take place."
"According to the Bringing Broadway Back (BBB) website, the project was inspired by New York City’s pedestrian expansion plans in Times Square. To justify the project, BBB points to the NYC DOT report entitled 'Measuring the Street' [PDF]."
The "semi-permanent treatments" will "set the stage for the full implementation of a Streetscape Plan that prioritizes people over vehicles, and will make Broadway a safer, more pedestrian-oriented street,” says area councilman José Huizar.
FULL STORY: Bringing Broadway Back? Council Backs Plan to Halve Car Lanes in Favor of Pedestrian Space
L.A. Officials to Look at Possibility of Car-Free Downtown Broadway
Los Angeles may follow in San Francisco’s footsteps by banning cars along a stretch of a downtown thoroughfare.
Streetscape Overhaul Opens on Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles
Broadway in Los Angeles is the historic lifeline of Downtown and a key corridor in the ongoing renaissance of the neighborhood. Yesterday the city opened a brightly colored, pedestrian-friendly, vehicle-lane-reducing makeover of the street.
Mind the Gap: Funding Hole Could Halt Downtown L.A. Streetcar Plans
When voters in downtown L.A. approved a special taxing district to help fund a new $125 million streetcar line, one small detail was left out of project cost estimates - $166 million in potential utility work. Might this gap kill the project?
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Median Home Prices Top $1 Million in Over 200 California Towns
Towns once known for their affordability are seeing sharply rising home prices.
LA County Receives Reconnecting Communities Grants
Seven grant awards totaling $162 million will be used for planning, capital projects, and regional partnerships to reduce environmental harm and improve access in disadvantaged communities.
Seine Pollution Could Hinder Olympic Swim Events
Events like the triathlon could be impacted if tests continue to reveal high levels of dangerous bacteria in Paris’ famous river.
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