On Tuesday, March 5, the City of Los Angeles primary ballot will have a bill proposing an overhaul to the city’s transportation guidelines for LA residents to vote on. The bill, Measure HLA, seeks to codify the guidelines previously set in the city’s Mobility Plan 2035.
Measure HLA proposes additional pedestrian safety and public transit measures, including center exclusive bus lanes and widened sidewalks.
Mobility Plan 2035 outlines enhancement plans for the city’s transportation safety across several vehicles, including improved street lighting for pedestrians, curb-adjacent exclusive bus lanes for riders and protected bike lanes established by plastic bollards or concrete curbs for cyclists.
The LA City Council passed Mobility Plan 2035 in 2015; however, this plan has only partially been implemented, as it is a document of city guidelines rather than a legal policy. Mike Bonin, former city council member and lecturer of political science and international relations, believes that the approval of Measure HLA would spur the city to act upon the previously adopted plan.
“I’ve dealt with [LA] long enough to know that the city needs to be forced to do anything worthwhile. … This is just the history of modern LA,” argued Bonin. “[LA] needs to be forced into doing things, and so [Measure HLA] would force the city into implementing [their] own plan. It’s not making the city do anything [it] doesn’t say it wants to do; it’s just making the city do what it says it will do.”
Measure HLA requires that whenever a stretch of roadway that is at least 0.125 miles is repaved, the city must redesign it to meet the guidelines set in Mobility Plan 2035. Proponents of the bill estimate that if it passes, the Mobility Plan will be implemented anywhere between five to 15 years, as opposed to the 160-year track that it is on at the current pace.
“I don’t own a car in LA and that can be difficult. I ride my bike all over Westchester, and I’ve taken it down to [Playa del Rey] before, and honestly, it’s pretty stupid. It’s really unsafe, especially at any major intersection,” shared Josh Petteruti, a senior environmental science major. “I’ve never really encountered a protected bike lane other than that little stretch on Sepulveda [Boulevard], so I don’t feel safe at all, honestly. I feel like I’m always on high alert [and] have to constantly be checking my side.”
LA had over 330 deaths due to motor vehicle crashes in 2023, with over half of them being pedestrians.
Measure HLA is fueled by the report that motor vehicle crashes were the top cause of death among children under 18 in LA in 2022. Additionally, according to data compiled through Dec. 23, 2023, more than half of the people who died in car crashes in LA in 2023 were pedestrians.
“Cycling and walking are still dangerous in [LA]. I — frequently and seriously — tell my mother that if I die on my bike, please know that I am doing an activity that I love. Of course, I don’t want that to happen, nor do I want it to happen to others,” shared Noah Allison, visiting assistant professor of urban and environmental studies. “It is subsequently vital for this measure to pass so funding is approved to make streets safer for pedestrians of all ages and abilities.”
Measure HLA is part of Vision Zero, a broader program designed to reduce LA to zero traffic deaths annually. Additionally, Bonin noted that traffic violence is more prevalent in particular communities, especially in communities with more immigrants, communities of color, low-income individuals, children and senior citizens.
“The people who are more likely to die from traffic violence are people who are vulnerable, and we know where they’re [most likely] going to die. There’s a high-injury network. [LA] has outlined the places in the city that are most likely to see traffic fatalities. They tend to be in … areas where people are lower income and where neighborhoods haven’t had the same kind of investment,” said Bonin. “It’s not just about safety; it’s about equity. It’s about making [LA] a place that is fair. Your likelihood of living or dying crossing the street shouldn’t depend on what zip code you live in.”
Critics of Measure HLA include the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC) Local 112, who spent over $100,000 to campaign against the bill. UFLAC believes that Measure HLA will slow emergency response times in a city that already faces heavy traffic issues. The new bus and bike lanes, according to UFLAC, could cause “road diets,” or lane reductions that could worsen traffic and further slow emergency vehicles.
Supporters of Measure HLA disagree with UFLAC’s conclusions, citing an environmental analysis conducted when the Mobility Plan 2035 was passed. The results determined that the modifications brought with the plan would remain the same or even improve emergency response times. Since Measure HLA would add center turn lanes, which permit emergency vehicles, they would allegedly navigate through traffic quicker.
Critics of Measure HLA are concerned that the incorporation of protected bike lanes and transit lanes will worsen traffic in LA.
City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo recently provided a report that claimed Measure HLA would ultimately cost the city $3.1 billion after all modifications are enacted. Opponents of Measure HLA argue that other city projects would have to be pushed aside to afford transportation improvements. Supporters have disputed this claim, noting that the $1 billion investment in sidewalk repairs that was included in the figure was previously mandated by a 2015 class action lawsuit.
“Proponents of [Measure HLA] say that … Szabo may have used inflated figures, [including] a $1 billion sidewalk repair project that was not in the measure, but Szabo says that he used conservative numbers. It’s a difficult situation, but I will say on my end that the city [lacking] money is not something that should underline this debate,” said Chhandosi Roy, Ph.D., research associate for the Center for the Study of Los Angeles.
Petteruti further argues that while the city may have to reallocate funds, Measure HLA does not entail any financial demands for LA citizens. “Measure HLA doesn’t come with any new, added taxes or fees for residents of LA. The finances were already taken into account in 2015 when the LA City Council passed [Mobility Plan 2035]. To think that, suddenly, cost is a barrier — I don’t think that’s the case,” added Petteruti.
Petteruti is also a member of Students for Safer Streets (S4SS), an organization that raises awareness and advocates for the new bill across LA. The coalition is composed of students from several Los Angeles schools, including LMU, the University of California Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, and Santa Monica College. Kennedy Necoechea, a senior mechanical engineering major, was among the LMU students canvassing for the bill.
“With the pedestrian enhancements that [Measure] HLA is proposing — and if they are implemented — we could have these larger bike lanes and sidewalks, sufficient lighting at night and just [improve] overall safety in general. I think it’s very applicable to LMU students and how we are in Westchester and getting to school,” stated Necoechea.
LMU will host a vote center for the primary election ballot — that features the Measure HLA bill — from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5 in McIntosh Center in University Hall.
