New crosswalks, street lighting and sidewalk improvements are coming to Hollywood Boulevard near Western Avenue under a project planned by the city of Los Angeles.

A project to make Hollywood Boulevard more walkable between Western Avenue and Gower Street is scheduled to begin next year. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, 13th District, has announced that $850,000 from the Hollywood Mobility Trust Fund will be used for the Hollywood-Western Streetscape Improvement Project, in addition to a $1.84 million Active Transportation Program grant. The Hollywood Mobility Trust Fund is comprised of money provided by developers when projects are approved, and the Active Transportation Program grant came from the state.

“As Los Angeles becomes even more walkable, I want to make sure that my constituents have a safer, more pleasant pedestrian experience,” O’Farrell said. “This latest round of funding for safer streets has been a goal of mine since I first took office, and I am pleased to finally see plans for the Hollywood Western-Streetscape moving forward.”

The project will improve mobility and safety along Hollywood Boulevard from Gower Street to Western Avenue. New ramps that meet American Disabilities Act standards and signalized crosswalks will be installed, and approximately 30 trees will be planted. The project is expected to begin in mid-2017.

Striped crosswalks are planned on Hollywood Boulevard at Gower Street, Van Ness Avenue, Wilton Place, Gramercy Place and Western Avenue. A new traffic signal is also planned at Hollywood Boulevard and Gramercy Place. Additional amenities include bike racks, benches, trash receptacles and curb extensions.

The streetscape project has been planned for years, but the portion now funded by the state grant was lost when the Community Redevelopment Agency was dissolved. O’Farrell has been working on the improvements since he was an aide to then-Council President Eric Garcetti.

Many representatives of the community praised the project for making the area more desirable.

“It’s an exciting time for the area and I’m elated that this section of Hollywood Boulevard will benefit from a facelift and makeover,” said Anthony Lagasca, chair of the Hollywood Studio District Neighborhood Council. “I look forward to working with Councilmember O’Farrell, as well as local stakeholders to continue to mold this part of Hollywood into being a premier place to live, work and play.”

The project builds on street improvements already underway on Hollywood Boulevard in Thai Town, which is located along Hollywood Boulevard from Western Avenue to Normandie Avenue, just east of the Hollywood-Western Streetscape Improvement Project area. The Thai Community Development Center (TCDC) recently planted 16 trees along the boulevard, and plans additional beautification projects in the near future.

“Definitely, it’s going to help revitalize the area, make it more walkable and give it more shade,” said Chanchanit Martorell, executive director of the TCDC. “It helps make it more of a destination. There is nothing but a positive outcome that can come from all of this.”