The West Hollywood City Council voted 5-0 on April 7 to revise a $395,882 contract with KOA Corporation for a feasibility study on protected bicycle lanes along Beverly Boulevard, following a 3-2 vote to narrow its scope. The decision reflects a push for safer cycling infrastructure tempered by concerns over cost and timing.
Item E.2, under unfinished business, tasked KOA with studying Class IV protected bike lanes—separated from traffic—between Doheny Drive and San Vicente Boulevard, part of the Design District Streetscape Master Plan (DDSMP). The council authorized the city manager to execute the agreement, but only after revising the original scope, which proposed three alternatives and a year-long process ending June 2026. Paige Portwood, Acting Senior Transportation Planner, presented the item, noting its roots in a December 2023 directive to update the 2013 DDSMP for protected facilities.
Council debate revealed splits. Councilmember Erickson opposed the $400,000 study, favoring quick builds: “It’s time to stop wasting money. Build the bike lanes.” Vice Mayor Heilman suggested using the existing Class II lane plan with green paint and dividers, limiting the study’s scope to avoid reconfiguration. Councilmember Meister agreed, calling the stretch too short for such expense. Mayor Byers framed it as a rare chance to align with regional protected lanes, despite the 2027 timeline tied to Edison’s undergrounding. Councilmember Hang, frustrated by bureaucracy, supported safety but questioned the price.
Heilman moved to revise the scope to focus on protecting the existing lane design, not multiple alternatives. The motion passed 3-2, with Erickson and Hang dissenting, favoring immediate action over any study. Staff, led by Community Development Director Nick Maricich, agreed to rework the contract with KOA, targeting a May consent calendar return. The revised scope aims to assess trade-offs—like parking or sidewalk space—within the current plan, balancing speed and liability concerns raised by Heilman.
The final 5-0 vote approved the contract with this adjustment, ensuring progress without derailing the DDSMP’s undergrounding, set for completion post-July 2025 by Southern California Edison. The study, budgeted in FY25 at $395,882.58, aligns with the General Plan’s bicycle network goals, though staffing shortages—only one vacant Senior Transportation Planner—drew scrutiny. Public frustration underscored Fountain Avenue’s urgency, with a fatality in January 2025 cited.
The decision advances Beverly Boulevard’s bike infrastructure, but the 3-2 revision reflects a council wrestling with efficiency versus thoroughness. Construction, tied to the streetscape timeline, remains slated for late 2027, pending Edison’s work and a May priorities discussion.
That’s not true. They didn’t approve it
It will come back, probably in June, with a tightened timeline and scope.
Thanks for your input as you say the author had it incorrect and its been revised to reflect the revision.
Ridiculous waste of money for such a small stretch when it will be unprotected going into Beverly Hills on one side snd LA city on the other. But I guess ridiculous is is par for the course for the three “progressives” who also voted for that idiotic bike lane on Fountain that will snarl traffic and lose tons of parking.