Op-Ed: MOVE OVER!

The nearly constant conversational topic in West Hollywood is bike lanes, pedestrian safety, and traffic. With the increase in car-caused deaths and injuries, public concern is at its highest level. This is not just a local matter. Cities across the country are dealing with a growing mix of cars, trucks, buses, bikes, scooters, and delivery robots — oh, and yes, pedestrians. A full page in the July 27 edition of the New York Times covers “The Battle for the Streets” in Toronto, Canada. (It could well be New York City.)

The situation has simply snuck up on us locally. We were unprepared for such changing conditions — unless our planners knew but had no remedies. Like Delhi at morning rush, the ultimate urban crush is here. What’s next?

A little history. When we moved to West Hollywood in 1974 — then a county backwater known mostly for being an unregulated playground — the residential streets were quiet and undisturbed by traffic. A car every hour was normal on our side streets. Parking was not a problem. The park boasted a busy softball field, and the Jackson Five played pickup basketball with my oldest boy. Quite a few residents were production people from the nearby movie and recording studios. A number of well-known actors quietly maintained in-town pieds-à-terre here and were our undisturbed neighbors.

One could cross a street with confidence of reaching the other side without incident. Neighbor Dave could saunter up the block every evening with his parrot on his shoulder, followed by his canvasback duck, Molly, chatting with friends along the way. Commercial trucks never entered residential streets, obeying the load limit signs.

When cityhood came ten years later, the rhythm of the area was already being altered by increasing population and traffic passing through. The clock was moving faster. The future was upon us without warning.

Traffic problems are not unique to West Hollywood, as every person with a driver’s license can attest. It is a regional problem, and to properly address it will take much political will and a desire to work with other communities toward a mutual solution. Knowing how ponderously and slowly all governments move, citizens will have to keep prodding them for action and results.

That we have yet to develop a county-wide transit system worthy of handling the huge population is a failure of previous local administrations in love with personal automobiles and the ease with which they discontinued the Red Line trolleys.

Another important factor is compliance with the current rules. For the past twelve years, I have been a passenger, not a driver, and have had time and opportunity to observe how cars, trucks, bikes, and motorcycles use the road. It gets crazy at times as people use shortcuts and make dangerous moves. The DMV should consider revising road rules for cyclists — a growing presence on the road.

Fountain Avenue had always been my default route when returning from LA city. And I was certainly not the only one. More than once I was startled by a car suddenly emerging from a cross street and jumping in front of me. Accidents and deaths on this stretch of pavement make it a huge community concern.

Whatever the Council comes up with as an answer will displease many. There is no one simple fix that will appease all residents and concerned groups.

If I had my way, I’d allow parking only on one side. The other side would have an expanded bike lane. Street sweeping would require shifting parking to the opposite side. Four-way stop signs at every intersection. Speed limits reduced to 20 miles per hour. Three formal — with warning signs and painted walkways — pedestrian crosswalks needed.

Let’s see, is there anyone I haven’t angered? Our car culture is strangling our cities, and changing it will take grit and understanding. Are we up to it?

While I’m at it, here are some more thoughts on traffic of all kinds in WEHO:

• Limit store deliveries to nighttime — say 2300 to 0400 hours.

• Eventually (they are coming!) only electric delivery and service trucks.

• More cul-de-sacs to discourage through traffic.

• Reduce speed limits on our Main Street — Santa Monica Blvd. — to 20 MPH.

• Add many more formal pedestrian crosswalks on busier streets.

• Install four-way crosswalks (see one at UCLA in Westwood) at our busiest intersections — e.g., San Vicente and Santa Monica.

• Connect our bike lanes with those in adjoining cities.

• Shorten the length of street-parking spaces on commercial streets to encourage smaller vehicles.

• Stop worrying about inconveniencing car drivers. They are the target. I’d guess that 75% of the cars on WEHO streets during the day are just passing through. They don’t spend any money here.

There must be many more ideas among the residents — and our business community — on this subject. Let’s flood the Council with them. To deal with the impending future, we must be bold in the present.

As Mammy Yokum used to say, “Time’s a-wastin’!”