City Council Approves BlueLA Expansion

Last week, the Los Angeles City Council approved a motion to expand BlueLA, an electric vehicle car share program that operates in partnership with the city. Following implementation of the City Council motion, BlueLA’s vehicle fleet will expand to include 200 additional vehicles and 300 new vehicle chargers to provide improved car share access in Los Angeles. Since April 2018, LADOT has collaborated with BlueLA to provide designated parking zones for car share vehicles, offering Angelenos a cost-effective alternative to private vehicle ownership while improving mobility access.

With funding from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), BlueLA’s program expansion will focus on providing greater car share vehicle access in the neighborhoods of Boyle Heights, South L.A., East Hollywood, and Pico-Union. For more information about BlueLA, including how to sign up for a car share subscription, please visit bluela.com.

LADOT Transit Pilots On-Demand DASH Service

To better serve the needs of Angelenos, LADOT Transit will conduct a pilot program starting on Monday, August 23 that allows passengers to make “on-demand” stops on select DASH routes. In addition to disembarking at regular stops, riders on affected routes will be able to request stoppage between regular, set stop locations. LADOT's decision to initiate the pilot program follows from the results of its recently released study, Changing Lanes: A Gender Equity Transportation Study, which details the relationship between gender and transportation system use, safety, and access. 

The DASH on-demand pilot program will include the following four routes:

• El Sereno/City Terrace
• Panorama City/Van Nuys
• Pico-Union/Echo Park
• Watts

To request a courtesy stop between regular route stops, passengers must inform bus operators at least one stop ahead of their desired drop-off location. Requested stops will be made by the operator provided that the stop may be made safely at a given location. Passengers who have made an on-demand stop request must disembark from the front door of the vehicle.

For information about LADOT Transit’s upcoming developments, including details about DASH, please visit ladottransit.com/wegotogetherla.

CicLAvia Returns With Wilmington Event

This past Sunday, CicLAvia hosted its first open streets event since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking place in Wilmington, Sunday’s event was attended by approximately 4,000 participants who gathered to walk, bike, and roll together through car-free and open streets. LADOT traffic officers were on hand to provide traffic management for the event, which is the first of three planned for 2021.

To inform members of the public about safety improvements on Anaheim Street, located in the Wilmington neighborhood, LADOT staff hosted a booth at Sunday’s event to answer participants’ questions about the Anaheim Street Safety Improvements project. (Details about this project may be found by visiting the LADOT Livable Streets project page.)

For more information about Los Angeles open streets events, please visit ciclavia.org. CicLAvia’s next event will take place on October 10 in Downtown Los Angeles, and will be followed by the year’s final event on December 5 in South Los Angeles.

Construction Begins on Adams Boulevard

LADOT is currently conducting a redesign of Adams Boulevard that will improve safety for all forms of transportation. Over the past ten years, nine people have been killed on Adams Boulevard between Fairfax Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard, including six pedestrians — more than almost any other street in Los Angeles. Proposed changes include pavement repair, signal upgrades, bike lanes, lane reduction, pedestrian beacons, and other safety treatments. Earlier this week, LADOT initiated the construction of a new pedestrian island at Marvin Avenue in the project zone to improve the safety of those who walk nearby. LADOT will conduct stripe removal along Adams Boulevard from August 23 - 25, during which time lane closures and parking restrictions will be in effect on the boulevard.

For more information about this transformative project, please click here.

LADOT Supports Return to Classrooms, Pilots New Student Safety Program

With LAUSD students returning for in-person instruction this past Monday, LADOT continues its commitment to getting students back to school with reliable and safe transportation options while supporting student safety programs.

To ensure the ongoing safety of students as they ride, bike, and walk back into the classroom, LADOT has deployed more than 300 crossing guards to prioritized locations across Los Angeles. LADOT crossing guards provide traffic guidance at designated street intersections, allowing for a safer, calmer environment for students and their families as they travel to and from school. Additionally, LADOT is currently conducting the Student Safety Patrol pilot program as a potential future option to support the safety of those in proximity to school zones, which includes students as safety representatives who assist at the pick-up and drop-off zones for their school.

To reduce transportation barriers, LADOT Transit is pleased to currently offer free DASH bus service for all passengers. LAUSD and other students are eligible for continued fare-free service through the DASH to Class program by applying for a Student Reduced Fare TAP card. LADOT encourages students to obtain a Reduced Fare Tap card by filling out and submitting a K-12 Student Reduced Fare TAP card application, which is available online at taptogo.net, at Metro Service Centers, and at LAUSD schools. LADOT Transit reminds all passengers that masks are required for boarding transit vehicles. For more information, students and their families are encouraged to visit ladottransit.com/studentsridefree.

Providing transportation improvements and educational information for local students, the Safe Routes to School L.A. program aims to increase the comfort, safety, and convenience of those who travel along routes to and from Los Angeles schools. Since the closure of LAUSD schools in March 2020, Safe Routes to School L.A. has been awarded $22.38 million from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Active Transportation Program for neighborhood street improvements at nine local schools, completed a comprehensive redesign project at Esperanza Elementary School in Westlake, and has hosted a variety of virtual projects and safety events to assist students and their families as they return to school. For more information about the Safe Routes to School program, please click here.

This Week in Photos:

CicLAvia hosted its first open streets event since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic this past Sunday with approximately 4,000 people attending the event in Wilmington to walk, bike, and roll on car-free streets. LADOT staff were present to inform members of the public about the Anaheim Street Safety Improvements project.

LADOT by the Numbers:

 

 

Last Sunday, CicLAvia hosted its first open streets event since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic with approximately 4,000 people attending the event in Wilmington to walk, bike, and roll on car-free streets.

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