Dear West Hollywood City Officials,
I am writing to express my serious concerns and strong opposition to the planned lane reductions on Fountain Avenue, which I understand are part of the broader Fountain Avenue Streetscape Project. As a long-term resident, commuter, and active member of the community, I urge you to reconsider this project based on its significant negative impacts on traffic flow, public safety, and the daily lives of residents.
The decision to reduce Fountain Avenue from four lanes to two is particularly alarming. With Santa Monica Boulevard already a recognized traffic bottleneck and Waze and Google Maps regularly re-routing commuters through our residential streets, Fountain Avenue serves as a critical East-West traffic corridor for the vast majority of our community. Reducing its capacity will inevitably create significant gridlock, a fact that has been widely voiced by residents. A recent public petition against the project has gathered over 2,000 signatures, reflecting a widespread and growing community dismay that could have political implications for local elected officials.
Furthermore, I must challenge the premise that this project will increase safety. While the stated goal is to reduce speeding, the reality is that stressed and diverted traffic will not simply vanish. Traffic never vanishes! Instead, this project will likely push thousands of frustrated drivers onto smaller, adjacent residential side streets as they seek alternative routes. This would create a new and far more dangerous situation, increasing speeding and accidents on streets not designed to handle such a high volume of traffic. The city’s own data shows that the street is primarily used as a pass-through corridor (approximately 64% of trips have no origin or destination in WeHo), which means the congestion will merely be redistributed to surrounding neighborhoods.
I am a bicyclist myself, and I can confirm that we do not require a separate protected corridor on Fountain Avenue. There are far more viable and safer East-West routes for cyclists, such as along Sunset Boulevard or even Santa Monica Boulevard where traffic speeds are already lower. The needs of a very small number of dedicated bicyclists are being prioritized over the daily transportation requirements of thousands of West Hollywood residents who rely on their vehicles for commuting, business, and daily errands.
The proposed plan, with its estimated cost and potential for litigation, appears to be an ideological decision that fails to adequately address the practical realities and the direct negative impact on the community. It risks alienating a large segment of the voting population by making daily life more difficult without a demonstrable increase in overall public safety.
I respectfully request that you put an immediate pause on this project and engage in a more comprehensive dialogue with residents to find a balanced solution that serves the entire community.
Sincerely,
Gregor Reti
1145 N La Brea
Has anyone in West Hollywood City Hall bothered to research how the narrowing of Hollywood Blvd. under the “Access to Hollywood” project has affected traffic? I know for a fact, since Hollywood Blvd. is down to one lane in each direction that area has become gridlocked during rush hour and after events at the many theaters in that area let out. I very rarely see bicyclists using the lane and traffic on Fountain and Franklin has increased substantially.
Amen, I couldn’t agree with you more!
Mr Reti, Aren’t there also environmental issues and transitioning to green energy issues? I live off Fountain and would have my best east-west access route greatly reduced to little that I desire (car wise), but I did not think this is being done for the sake of a “small number of dedicated cyclists.” I have been torn between thinking it’s a waste because I almost never see cyclists when I’m out on Fountain, and wanting us to do all we can to reduce fossil fuel use/pollution. while improving (some say) Fountain Ave. Personally, I prefer walking/jogging in the sun, not… Read more »
Why would you want a residential avenue to be a high-speed thoroughfare? Both sunset and Santa Monica are safer because they are sloooowwwweeerrr. No one will seek alternative routes on the side streets because most traffic flows from east to west and West to east. Yes, traffic will be slower, but that’s the point.
These streets pass through West Hollywood. They are just like rivers. People upstream do not get the right to use and alter them as they wish.
One of the most efficient tools in gridlock control is one way streets, used all over the world. Main arteries should run alternatively in opposite directions. Sunset can run West and Santa Monica East for example . One way streets get rid of left turns from the middle that are the cause of most accidents and injuries. The landscaping and bike lane plans can follow once the gridlock is managed more efficiently.
As a resident of Beverly Hills that slides through Cynthia to Holloway then over to Fountain, we will stop this. WeHo does not get to dictate my commute. Leave fountain alone!
If you want to do anything, reduce the medians and sidewalks on Santa Monica and add another lane!
While I’ve never been a fan of this project, perhaps creating gridlock will make it so people don’t commute through as often? Use the 10 rather than our streets to move from West to East LA each day.
Yes, yes, and yes! Very well stated!
I agree with the author. Other options bikers have include Willoughby and De Longpre. Gridlocking two-thirds of the city for this project will have significant negative impacts. I’m all for improving safety but the current plan isn’t a good balance.
This project should ABSOLUTELY be on a ballot! I am appalled by the City Councils “Trumpist” action of shoving this project down our throats without giving the residents a vote. Gregor’s comments are 100% accurate.
This should be on a ballot. Who wants MORE traffic??
There’s no bicycling on Fountain today with no bike lanes, and there’ll be no bicycling on Fountain tomorrow should the bike lanes be built.