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L.A. Mobility Plan 203509-09-15 | News

L.A. Mobility Plan 2035
Mobility Is Key for L.A.

Los Angeles County encompasses 463 square miles and 3,800,000 people. The city's population is projected to increase to 4.3 million by 2035. Seventy-one percent of the motor vehicles on the road in L.A. County have a single occupant; 11% car pool; 12% use transit; and 6% walk or bike (per 2009 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data).

The Los Angeles City Council in a 12-2 vote has approved a transportation plan https://planning.lacity.org/documents/policy/mobilityplnmemo.pdf to promulgate a "complete streets" concept for L.A. streets over the next two decades by adding hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes, bus-only lanes and pedestrian safety measures.

The plan stems from the adoption of the California State Legislature's Complete Streets Act (AB 1358) in 2008, which requires local jurisdictions to "plan for a balanced, multimodal transportation network that meets the needs of all users of streets, roads, and highways, defined to include motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, children, persons with disabilities, seniors, movers of commercial goods, and users of public transportation, in a manner that is suitable to the rural, suburban or urban context."

The Draft Environmental Impact Report from the Environmental Review Unit of the L.A. Planning Department anticipates Plan 2035 would cause "unavoidable significant environmental impacts with regard to transportation and traffic "?(R)? noise from increased bus frequency "?(R)? biological resources (i.e., protected habitats) "?(R)? [and] emergency access and neighborhood intrusion as significant impacts."

A community group called Fix the City (FTC) is opposing the plan. FTC says it supports mobility and encourages alternatives to motor vehicles, but notes Plan 2035 is "designed to create immobility, while enabling increased development and density." FTC say the plan "states point blank that reducing traffic congestion is not its goal." FTC says the plan will only stick Angelinos in more traffic.

L.A., the epitome of a city dependent on motor vehicle ownership, currently has 87 miles of subway/light rail, with plans to add 32 more miles. By comparison, at its ridership peak in 1945, the Pacific Electric rail system had 1,164 miles of track and served 125 cities throughout Southern California.

L.A. Mass Transit
You may be surprised to know L.A. is currently third in cities nationwide in public transit usage. On a typical weekday, 1.3 million people ride Metro rail and buses. All Metro buses are powered by clean-burning CNG.

Modern L.A. Mass Transit Highlights
1990: Blue Line light rail system began service in downtown L.A. and Long Beach, the first interurban transit service to operate since 1963.
1992: Metrolink regional commuter train system began service.
1993: Red Line subway with service between Union Station and Westlake opened.
1995: Metro's Green Line service began between Norwalk and Redondo Beach.
2000: L.A. Metro's Rapid Bus Service pilot program began.
2003: Metro's Gold Line began operation from Union Station to Sierra Madre Villa.
2005: Metro's 14-mile Orange Line bus rapid transit service began, connecting North Hollywood to Warner Center.
2011: Metro Mold Line extension from Union Station to Atlantic Station opens.
2012: Initial phase of Metro's Expo Line opens, connecting downtown L.A. and Culver City.
2012: Metro's Orange Line extends to Northridge.
2014: 12.5 miles of Bus Rapid Transit from Wilshire Blvd. to Santa Monica.
2014: I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements: 10 miles of HOV lanes, improved ramps, bridges and sound walls.
2015: Expected completion of Phase 2 of the Expo Line from Culver City to Santa Monica.
2016: Expected completion of Phase 2a of the Gold Line Foothill extension from Pasadena to Azusa.
2035: 116 Metro rail stations planned to be in service.

Bike Travel
Currently, 64,000 people in L.A. walk to work; 16,000 bike to work. From 2000 to 2010, there was a 56% increase in biking to work.

L.A. Bike Path Highlights
1977: L.A. adopts a 600-mile citywide system of bikeways.
1996: L.A. designates 673 miles of bikeways and 69 miles of study corridors.
2013: L.A. adopts a Bicycle Parking Ordinance requiring development projects to provide bike parking and allowing reductions in required vehicular parking.
2015: Expected completion of L.A.'s first protected bike lanes (cycle tracks) along sections of the 4.5-mile MyFigueroa project.