Editorial: Ambitious Plans Don't Work Without Political Leadership

The Los Angeles Times critiques the political culture in Los Angeles. In this case, it's the failure of a road diet project that provoked the criticism, but these lessons apply to the city's bicycle plans and homeless housing plans, too.

2 minute read

August 4, 2017, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


La City Hall Cycling

davidcstone / Flickr

The Los Angeles Times editorial board has responded to a recent round of controversy in Los Angeles over a road diet implemented by the city in the name of traffic safety and then rescinded after complaints from commuters.

"The callousness of some of the commuters complaining about Los Angeles’ attempts to make the streets safer has bordered on satire," begins the editorial in response to the victorious voices in the latest controversy, over a road diet that reduced vehicle lanes on Vista del Mar in the Westside neighborhood of Playa del Rey. "But this is no joke — there is a real possibility that traffic concerns and knee-jerk opposition to change will override good public policy and slow, or even reverse, L.A.’s ambitious plan to dramatically reduce deadly crashes on local streets."

The editorial is at its most pointed when it calls out the leadership of the city for not doing the hard work of implementing the necessary changes to pursue the city's stated Vision Zero and Great Streets initiatives. The editorial calls out Councilmember Gil Cedillo, who recently "introduced a motion that would block any road diet or lane reconfiguration in his district," and Councilmember Paul Krekorian, who recently "sent a Great Streets project in North Hollywood back to the drawing board because he was concerned about removing traffic lanes to make room for protected bike routes."

The editorial also calls out Mayor Eric Garcetti for not continuously making the case for traffic safety—even it means removing vehicle lanes and reducing traffic speeds. That kind of leadership is necessary for any of the city's ambitious plans:

It’s easy for Garcetti and council members to tout their progressive credentials and sign off on ambitious policies to transform L.A. It’s much harder to implement those plans. Too often city leaders fold in the face of opposition. We’ve seen this with the city’s Bicycle Plan. We’ve seen it with homeless housing. And that’s why so many ambitious plans remain unfulfilled.

Saturday, July 29, 2017 in Los Angeles Times

portrait of professional woman

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 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 Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Flat modern glass office tower with "County of Santa Clara" sign.

Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing

The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.

5 hours ago - San Francisco Chronicle

Aerial view of dense urban center with lines indicating smart city concept.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant

A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.

6 hours ago - Governing

Pale yellow Sears kit house with red tile roof in Sylva, North Carolina.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing

Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.

7 hours ago - The Daily Yonder