DEAR WEHO: Fountain Avenue: The Street We Lost and The Lives We Can Save

Fountain Avenue claimed another victim Monday night.

by Nick Renteria

A man was simply trying to cross Fountain Avenue when a white sedan tore through the intersection at Havenhurst. Never slowing down, never swerving. Witnesses say the impact was so violent, they heard not one but two crashes: the first when the car hit him, the second when his body slammed against a parked car over 30 feet away. His shoes and personal belongings flew across the asphalt. One neighbor rushed outside to find him screaming in agony, his body twisted and broken in the street.

The driver never stopped. Kept speeding west, disappearing down the deadliest street in our city. This wasn’t a freak accident. It was a felony hit-and-run. And on Fountain, it was just a matter of time. Violence like this has become all too common on Fountain, but it wasn’t always like this.

Long before West Hollywood became a city, the County of Los Angeles exploited our lack of representation to expand the road into four lanes. There was no input from residents, no public meetings or discussions about how this would affect our community. The truth is, what was best for our community was never considered. They only considered what would allow outsiders to cut through our city the fastest. Our neighborhood street, once a quiet tree-lined avenue that connected homes and businesses, was sacrificed for the convenience of drivers. What we lost wasn’t just a street — it was a sense of ownership, and what we are left with now is a scar.

But we have the power now to undo the injustices of the past.

Imagine stepping out onto a Fountain Avenue designed for connection, not speed, where the sounds of rushing cars are replaced by the soft hum of life. The first thing you notice is the birds chirping, no longer drowned out by the sounds of honking and revving engines. The street is a neighborhood street again with two narrowed lanes that naturally slow down traffic, inviting drivers to move with caution. The sidewalks are wide and smooth, with shade trees offering a break from the heat. The street is dotted with benches inviting people to sit and enjoy the view of the beautiful architecture of the buildings that line the street. Neighbors wave as they bike by in large protected bike lanes, enjoying the cleaner air that comes with reduced traffic. It’s finally a space designed for you and me, not Los Angeles County.

This is the future of Fountain Avenue.

The last council election made it clear: West Hollywood wants this change. Pro-redesign candidates beat out opponents who ran on stopping the bike lanes. Despite the results of the ballot box, a vocal minority has attempted to derail progress at every turn. This opposition has used fear-mongering tactics and misinformation to neuter the Fountain Avenue Streetscape Plan, aiming to minimize its scope and impact despite undeniable evidence that these changes would save lives.

Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica is a prime example. Once a fast-moving thoroughfare dominated by car traffic, the street was redesigned with narrower lanes and the addition of protected bike lanes that slowed speeds. The results were dramatic: post-implementation LADOT studies revealed a 60% reduction in injury crashes. That’s not just a statistic. It means fewer lives shattered by collisions, fewer trips to the emergency room, and a community that feels safer for everyone.

There is no reason to wait.

Every day we delay, we risk being complicit in another tragedy. We have a real chance — right now — to reclaim our power. The blueprints are drawn, the funding is there, and we the people have spoken. We can build a Fountain Avenue that serves our needs. Where no one has to sprint across a crosswalk. Where we can walk, bike, and live without fear that we will be the next heartbreaking headline.

If change scares us, we should ask why we’ve grown comfortable with danger.