Roughly 100 residents attended an Aug. 22 meeting regarding parking changes for the Gardner/Vista/Willoughby bike lane project. (photo by Jon Viscott)
Proposed bike lanes are causing consternation among some West Hollywood residents. On Aug. 22, the city hosted a meeting to review parking considerations for a planned streetscape redesign for Vista and Gardner streets. The loss of 56% of street parking spaces in a block-long segment of Gardner Street was of specific concern to residents.
Attempts to reduce vehicular traffic and encourage alternative transportation has been an uphill battle for the West Hollywood City Council, which has approved various programs that would increase bike lanes and pedestrian-friendly spaces. But while the approved redesign of Vista and Gardner streets, as well as Willoughby Avenue, would improve sidewalks, some community members take issue with other implementations for a “people friendly” redesign – particularly the e-scooter sharing program and parking reductions.
“About 100 residents filled the [meeting] and made it very clear that now they understand the project, they care and they are overwhelmingly against the plans,” resident George Nickle said.
Mayor John Erickson said that he wanted “to know what the residents of Gardner think, and not individuals who are trying to turn this into a political issue.”
“Sadly, it is election season, and there are a few candidates and individuals that would like to rile up the neighbors with mistruths,” he said.
Erickson added that new redesigns are in the works to help minimize parking loss.
“The city will be able to give a dedicated parking district to the residents of Gardner, so they don’t have to worry about losing parking at night,” Erickson said. “Anyone that would like to know what’s actually happening can give me a call and I’ll talk to them one on one, and we’ll make sure that their needs are heard.”
“This street was chosen because it is the widest street in the area, giving us ample opportunities to devise plans,” Vice Mayer Chelsea Byers said. “We are going to continue to listen and work with the community to find solutions that support our shared goals.”
Councilwoman Lauren Meister also supports a design that would not eliminate parking, which she noted was one of the options initially proposed to council.
“This is a quality-of-life issue,” she said. “It’s one thing to inconvenience motorists, it’s another to inconvenience our residents.”
Nickle, who is running for City Council this November, also pointed out that the council majority had bypassed a plan that would have saved parking when the redesign was initially approved in March.
“I have little hope that our current council majority will address the concerns of residents. The only way forward is compromise. That compromise was offered to council in March. It may need to wait for a new commonsense majority to make the right decision for the residents of West Hollywood,” he said.
Residents also spoke out about the issue at the Aug. 26 City Council meeting.
“While I understand and support efforts to promote cycling as an environmentally-friendly mode of transportation, I oppose the removal of valuable parking spaces to make way for new bike lanes,” resident Sam Salt said. “As a parent, safety is always my top priority. Eliminating parking spaces will force parents to spend more time circling looking for parking in areas that are less safe for children, increasing the risk of accidents. We are not just talking about inconveniences. We are talking about real dangers to our kids and the most vulnerable members of our community. Every time we enter a crosswalk, I tell my six-year-old son to look twice, not just for cars, but for scooters and bikes because they blow through the stop signs.”
Some residents complained that the city had not adequately reached out to the community.
“Council wants community input and outreach, especially regarding the bike plan,” resident Cathy Blaivas said. “And it has been acknowledged the community was never notified [about the loss of parking on Gardner Street]. And staff has stated over and over again that they act at the direction of the council. Then who is responsible for the postcards and mailings sent to resident omitting the actual language of loss of parking – instead, euphemisms like ‘parking considerations’ [and] ‘parking reconfiguration’ was used. And at who’s direction? … Is the object to keep us uninformed?”
“I agree with the residents on Gardner,” Councilman John Heilman said. “Unfortunately, the council majority seems more than willing to ignore the legitimate concerns raised by the neighborhood. Even some advocates for bike lanes recognize that the neighbors have valid concerns about the loss of parking.”
But Streets for All CEO Michael Schneider said that by giving people “safe alternatives to driving,” the parking demand would be reduced, citing that 50% of trips in the region are three miles or less.
“In a region where a pedestrian is injured every five hours and killed every two days, we need to do everything possible to calm traffic down and give people safe alternatives to driving,” Schneider said.
An item was shelved during the City Council meeting that would approve grant funding from the California Air Resources Control Board for Transportation Improvements. It was tabled because of language that specified the installation of protected bike lanes on Fountain Avenue. While a streetscape project has been approved for Fountain Avenue, only a pilot program has been OK’d by council for bike lanes.
“I hope the language will be modified to reflect what council voted on – a Fountain Streetscape Plan, where we look at Fountain Avenue holistically – that means studying sidewalks for ADA compliance and pedestrian activity, parking spaces, number of automobiles versus bicyclists, car lanes, bike lanes and parkways and, importantly, getting feedback from the community,” Meister said. “A grant application must accurately represent the project for which the money is going to be spent. In addition, I hope the steering committee is expanded to include a few long-time residents of Fountain and an adjacent part of La Cienega. No one knows the challenges of Fountain better than people who have lived there a while. Right now, the steering committee is heavily skewed towards bicyclists.”
“I don’t want us to accept state funds to implement a project which doesn’t have full community support and may not be feasible,” Heilman added.
The $8.2 million grant would also help improve other pedestrian and bike safety infrastructure, as well an expansion of commuter shuttles and an investment in an EV transit vehicle fleet.
“I’ve never known a city to turn down $8-plus million dollars of free money to invest in their streets, trees and sidewalks, but it sounds like individuals would rather be anti-bike lane than cleaner air,” Erickson said.
“We should be immensely proud that our city is leading on climate change, sustainability and street-safety issues in our region to the point that we have earned the support of statewide funding programs to accelerate the long-term plans our community has been creating,” Byers said.
Streetscape projects are costly investments and we should ensure we are maximizing the opportunity to use partner funds to meet regional goals.
The grant approval is expected to come back to council with revised language.
“It’s going to come back to the council, and we’re going to accept it, because this is free money to invest directly into our community, to clean the air and anyone that is against that should get their priorities checked,” Erickson said.
Vice Mayor Chelsea Byers addressed residents during a meeting on Aug. 22 to discuss parking considerations on Gardner and Vista streets in West Hollywood. (photo by Jon Viscott)
13 Comments
John Erickson, speaking like the political hack he continuously shows himself to be, refers to free money from the state. The state, Mayor, is us as taxpayers. Politicians needs to stop living a life of zero accountability for recklessly spending our money like drunken sailors on shore leave. Then there’s Erickson’s multiple condescending dismissals of resident concerns. He, like others, continues to play for an audience outside West Hollywood’s borders. Byers similarly operates in a naive utopian pipe dream that West Hollywood exists as a standalone island in the middle of this vast megalopolis.
I offered at that meeting that one way to calm traffic and create safer conditions for everyone is to enforce the laws that are on the books. Another is a visionary one that suggests bikers, pedestrians, motorists and scooter riders can all live in harmony on existing infrastructure if each were led to a place of personal responsibility and situational awareness. None of the council majority have that sense of leadership, creativity and big vision.
Not a resident so, this is not about the bike lanes (which I would support). Regarding this comment: “Another is a visionary one that suggests bikers, pedestrians, motorists and scooter riders can all live in harmony on existing infrastructure if each were led to a place of personal responsibility and situational awareness. None of the council majority have that sense of leadership, creativity and big vision.”
This is a very good goal, but what is needed is a concerted effort to include active transportation awareness in drivers license material and in the tests. Because of our auto dependence it is too easy to get a license in the state and too hard to take it away.
John Erickson says he likes free money! He also likes free trips! He’s gotten three of them!
In the past year, he’s gone to Rome, to Paris, and to Chicago…none of which he paid for!
He left West Hollywood multiple times, missing multiple meetings, not caring to hear from us…enjoying himself traveling the world and partying… all on somebody else’s dime!!!
The Gardner, Vista, Fountain, Willoughby loss of parking meeting pointed out very clearly how losing so many parking spaces will hurt residents, particularly older adults and people with disabilities! We cannot ride bikes nor scooters. We need to drive and we need our parking spaces!. We cannot be forced to walk long distances just because there are no parking spaces near our residences. But John doesn’t care…it’s free money!
The number of bikes that are in West Hollywood is minuscule, so why favor them and not those of us who really need help? Because it doesn’t fit into his agenda? Because the money coming into West Hollywood is more important than the people who live here?
The other thing is that he lied when he said that residents knew that they were going to lose their parking spaces. They did not know! They were completely blindsided. So if he tells CARB that we were informed, that is not true, and it could even be illegal .
He and Danny Hang suggested that people park in plummer park at night, walk several blocks home, and then move their cars at 6 AM. What chutzpah! Another example that they care nothing about people, nor their safety! I wonder if John and Danny would enjoy doing that themselves?
He is not a friend to the people who live in West Hollywood. In fact, he is their worst enemy!
And…if anyone is playing politics, it is him and not the other candidates that he is accusing!
Our city Council majority led by John Erickson may not want to hear from the residents of West Hollywood, but we are going to continue meeting and forcing him to hear us!
Heis a public servant who was voted into office, not by unions, not by developers, not by biking coalitions, but by us the voters! And we can vote him (and “i don’t mind inconveniencing motorists for bike safety” Chelsea Byers!) out again too!
The Mayor of West Hollywood – IN PRINT – said he couldnt care less what residents thought of this initiative. It is getting pushed through. So, the only way to have our voices heard is to PUSH HIM OUT. Otherwise we are the lemmings he sees us as. There were many voices offering opinions and ways to mitigate problems – but Erikson and Chelsea Hamas Byers did not want to hear them. So, that begs the question, “Why?” Is it because these politicians are so much for clean air? Or is it because these career politicians received donations and promises on future “gifts” if they get these measures approved and on the books. Chelsea Hamas Byers was especially frustrating at the meeting – looking to talk to people “one on one” outside instead of in front the residents. This is what charlatans do – the old divide and conquer method. But when they have the power in a situation, you can bet they’ll team up to make somebody feel small in their protestations. The “I’ll rely on City Staff for that information….blah blah” rhetoric is a usual refrain I hear at City Council meetings, instead of listening to residents. Maybe, hypothetically speaking, if Chelsea Byers spent more time listening to residents instead of training Hamas protesters to attack Jewish people outside synagogues on Pico, maybe she’d have a better idea of what the West Hollywood residents need from their elected City Council members.
As someone who regularly bikes on these roads and has been hit by a car, it’s a shame to see so many people who claim to be “progressive” still addicted to their cars and need to store 4,000lbs of metal in the public ROW.
Bicyclists don’t cause traffic congestion, pollute the air, or cause people to become obese due to sitting constantly but based on the comments above you’d think they were the second coming of the Third Reich.
As a long time resident of Gardner Street, I would like to ask what the parking plan is for us…Mayor Erickson stated there is a plan, and we could call him and talk one on one. If there is a plan….why not put it in print and share with all of us??? We have been discussing this loss of parking since April.
Streets for All CEO Michael Schneider does not have the right to make decisions for residents of this community. Some people rely on cars. They are not able to just hop on a bike, or scooter, or even walk to public transit…..public transit that currently challenges our public safety.
And so far, no one has told us where workers who service the homes would be able to park. Or how emergency vehicles would be impacted.
For Mayor Erickson to dismiss our call for safety which is the main reason we need parking near our houses….and instead, just infers that none of us care about clean air, is nothing more than hubris. We have stated over and over again….this is a SAFETY issue for all of us. Being concerned about safety, does not mean we are environmentally unfriendly.
To say that we need to get our priorities checked……well, I think City Council majority needs to start reading the room better, and check their priorities…And if it is NOT THE RESIDENTS of their community…..then I am not sure who they are serving.
I respect the Beverly Press’ reporting, but a couple of facts are misstated:
1) “… redesign for Vista and Gardner streets. The loss of 56% of street parking spaces …”. The value of 56% from the staff report of 3/18/24 applies only to Gardner St. between Lexington and Fountain Avenues (as Mayor Erickson stated, this value is being reevaluated by city staff to retain more parking). For Vista St. between Romaine & Santa Monica and Gardner St. between Santa Monica and Lexington, the value is 9% (6 marked spaces) as a result of converting from angled to parallel parking on the west side of the street; the east side would be unaffected. This conversion would also affect parking in front of driveways, which has not been quantified, but in all cases parallel parking would still be allowed (as already happens along part of Vista St.).
2) “… redesign of Vista and Gardner streets, as well as Willoughby Avenue, would widen sidewalks, …”. No sidewalk widening is proposed for Vista or Gardner Streets or Willoughby Avenue.
I am a resident and I fully support bike lanes and further investment in non-car transport. We demand that our governments take drastic measures to mitigate climate change impacts, and then we whine when they actually do so. We need ten thousand more of these projects TOMORROW.
It is depressing to me that people simply lack the imagination to envision a better future for Los Angeles. I am a lifelong Angeleno and proud of my city, but it doesn’t need to be the cartopia it is today. I am fully supportive of the Willoughby/Gardner corridor. Parking issues can be mitigated with one way streets and parking permits, but some residents would rather complain and repeat the same tired NIMBY playbook (with many factual inaccuracies like it taking longer for first responders) than be solutions oriented. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It would be a catastrophic misstep to reject $8M for clean air initiatives, but leave it to the mob to pressure our leaders to reject real improvements to this place.
Anyway, attending that meeting pictured above made me actually really depressed and realize that we really won’t have climate solutions or any sort of future, because the most annoying people will always show up and prevent progress. I will continue to pressure for climate initiatives because I’m still quite young and climate change will impact me a lot more than the median age of those who attended the meeting. (no offense)
I’m a weho resident and I’m thankful that we have leaders in city government like the mayor and vice-mayor who have the vision to think about what type of city West Hollywood can become. It takes a lot of political courage to stick your neck out and face criticism for short-term inconveniences in pursuit of a more accessible, safer, and greener city. A lot of folks just want to complain about the current state of the city but have no vision for the future— they just seek to poke holes in any possible solution. It’s a ridiculous to think that there’s any reason not to accept an $8,000,000 grant to improve the safety of our streets, for all of us, not just cars. The municipal election that gave these city councilors their mandate is far more democratic than the smattering of nimbys that showed up to a random meeting.
How sad, and telling that people who post strong opinions don’t have the courage to own those opinions! Rather than identifying themselves, they have to hide their identity.
Why? What are they so afraid of?
Hi Mikie, I don’t want my family to get harassed by aggressive nimbys in the neighborhood. I exist! I spoke at the community meeting and city council council meeting. Sorry, you can’t disqualify my opinion so easily!
cop out
If there are plans the Mayor can share with residents on a “one on one” basis, why aren’t these plans public? The staff messed up and did not take into account the tandem parking on Gardner which would be lost under the original plan. Staff is supposedly now working on another “plan” which we hope will include feed back from the people who actually live on Gardner. At the August 22nd meeting over 100 people showed up; four or five people spoke in favor of the City’s bike lane plans for Gardner and Fountain; the overwhelming majority expressed they were against these plans. It is sad that our Mayor is so dismissive of the residents’ concerns.