Parts, but not all, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center are in West Hollywood. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Not much of Beverly Boulevard is in West Hollywood. The street cuts in and out of the city between Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Doheny Drive. Parts of Cedars-Sinai, actually, are in the city of Los Angles, while others are located in West Hollywood. On April 7, the West Hollywood City Council discussed the future of bicycle lanes on its portions of Beverly Boulevard – even if those portions only constitute about three blocks.

“It’s worth it – especially if we’re one day going to be connected to L.A.’s and Beverly Hills’ networks,” Councilman Danny Hang said. “It’s not just about three blocks, it’s about safety.”

The City Council directed staff to allocate nearly $400,000 toward a Beverly Boulevard bicycle lane feasibility study with the consulting group KOA. In a separate item, the council also ordered that bike lanes be repainted green.

“Color matters – green lanes help visibility, and it keeps in line with industry standards,” Hang said.

“Data shows that the more visible and safe that a bike lane can be, the more the bike lane is utilized,” Mayor Chelsea Byers said. “We know that the demand for safe, multi-modal streets is at an all-time high, especially as people seek to align their commuting experiences with solutions for climate change as well as more affordable lifestyles.  As West Hollywood takes these strategic opportunities to improve our mobility network, we create greater connectivity to concurrent measures underway in surrounding cities.”

The City Council spent much of its meeting debating what was the best way to make a protected bike lane “protected,” with various suggestions including barriers and road bumps.

“I support solutions that physically separate cyclists from cars,” Hang said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what safety measures the feasibility study brings to council. We know that protected bike lanes are essential – not just for cyclists, but for creating a network of safety that benefits everyone on our streets.”

While the feasibility study will bring back information to the council on which path might be the best way forward, Councilman John Erickson argued that the discussion had gone on so long that the council needed to take action.

“While I am frustrated with timing, I am positive that we are all headed in the same direction to get stuff built as quickly as possible,” Erickson said after the meeting.

Ultimately, the City Council asked staff and the consulting firm to revise the scope of the work on Beverly Boulevard and to shorten and streamline the process. The results will be presented to the City Council at a future meeting.

“The compromise we reached should allow us to move forward with the current plans while still providing greater protection for cyclists in this short area in the city,” Councilman John Heilman said.

Erickson added that the City Council will soon be working with city staff more broadly on prioritizing initiatives.

“We will be having a priorities conversation in a month about what we will rearrange to put those priorities top of mind for city staff so they can hopefully expedite timelines,” he said.