Breaking Ground for Reimagine Ventura Blvd

Safety improvements and a new street design are underway along a half-mile stretch of Ventura Blvd in Woodland Hills. Last week, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, business owners, and community members joined LADOT at a groundbreaking for the Re-Imagine Ventura Project.

Ventura Blvd is one of LA's most iconic streets and synonymous with the Valley. However, many parts of the street are not conducive to multiple modes of travel such as biking and walking. This project will establish the stretch of Ventura from Royer Avenue to Sale Avenue as a main street with a sense of place where people gather to shop, dine, and do business and can travel however they please -- whether on foot, bike, car, or other means -- safely .

The project will include two more signalized crossings so folks don’t have to walk excessive distances to cross the street. We’re adding a buffer zone to create more separation of bikes from the vehicles driving, and reverse-angle parking which not only makes bikers more visible to people parking their vehicles but increases the overall parking availability on the street to the benefit of all the businesses in the area. This project will also help to create a more welcoming environment with trees, landscaping, and benches. LADOT is proud to be a part of this project and looks forward to its completion so we can all enjoy a reimagined Ventura Blvd.

Permanent Slow Street Features Added In Watts Neighborhood

The Slow Streets program continues to bring safety treatments to neighborhoods around Los Angeles. This program responded to the pandemic to give neighborhoods more space for recreation, particularly in areas that lack accessible parks and green spaces. Phase I of the program used temporary materials and signage. Now in Phase II, we're including a wider range of treatments with permanent alterations to the street. In Watts, some residential neighborhoods received the installation of a centerline gateway treatment with more sturdy signage signaling drivers about residents biking as well as notifying them to reduce their speed.

Speed Limit Reductions Complete

LADOT has officially completed the process of reducing the speed limits on eligible streets in neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. Following the passage of Assembly Bill 43 drafted by Assemblywoman Laura Friedman last year, LADOT began the process of identifying streets eligible for speed reductions.

LADOT's speed reduction plan reduced miles of speed limits by 5 miles per hour on the streets shown on the map above. Prior to the passage of this bill, California required cities to set their speed limits based on the speed of the 85th percentile of drivers. Here in LA, that system forced us to regularly raise speed limits on streets undermining our traffic safety goals. Thanks to this new law, we are finally able to set speed limits with an eye towards the safety of the roadway.

Under the bill, LADOT could immediately lower limits on streets where there had been a recent speed increase that was not merited by any engineering change to the roadway. Ultimately, LADOT identified 177 miles of streets where speed limits could be reduced. Resetting these speed limits took 3 months of diligent work by LADOT crews to swap out and replace 805 speed limit signs.

We know that speed is the primary factor in determining the severity of a collision. By reducing speed limits we protect the most vulnerable pedestrians, bikers, seniors, and children by giving drivers and others more time to react to prevent a collision.

Participate in our Community Surveys:

Reseda Boulevard Complete Streets Project

As part of the Complete Streets Program, the City is reconstructing Reseda Blvd to improve safety and accessibility for all. Give your feedback on the upcoming improvement and receive updates and more information on the project here.

 

 

Last week, we joined Councilmember Bob Blumenfield and community members in Woodland Hills to break ground on the ReImagine Ventura Project which will deliver a more walkable, bikeable, and beautiful sense of place to this iconic street in the San Fernando Valley.

The LADOT Weekly Brief Newsletter

Want to learn more about LADOT's ongoing work in the City of Los Angeles? Sign up for our weekly newsletter by filling out the form below.