Learn About Upcoming Street Improvements Aimed at Enhancing Safety
The City of West Hollywood invites community members to attend an Informational Open House to learn more about the Willoughby, Vista/Gardner, and Kings Street Design Concept Plan. The event will take place on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at 6 p.m. at the Plummer Park Community Center, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard. Attendees can drop in without an RSVP, and light refreshments will be served.
The organization Streets For All recommends that Weho residents who are bicyclists attend and give feedback because there may be an attempt to push back on protected bike lanes at this open house.
The open house aims to provide detailed information about the Street Design Concept Plan, including the project’s progress and next steps. The initiative is guided by the city’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Plan, which promotes safe, healthy, and convenient transportation for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and motorists.
Launched in 2019, the Street Design Concept Plan prioritizes enhancing neighborhood safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists through strategic street improvements. The plan aims to reduce cut-through traffic and create safer routes, linking residential and commercial areas with key corridors like Santa Monica Boulevard and Fountain Avenue.
Following the West Hollywood City Council’s recent approval of the plan, the project now moves to the Design & Engineering Phase. This phase will develop detailed engineering plans, specifications, and cost estimates, determining the feasibility of conceptual elements and incorporating necessary refinements.
The project, identified in the Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Plan adopted in 2017, has involved extensive community engagement. Initial outreach began with a visioning workshop in Summer 2019, and although the project faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual workshops resumed in August 2022. Feedback from these workshops, along with demonstration projects and meetings with residents and organizations, has shaped the plan’s development.
In 2023, the Transportation & Mobility Commission and the City Council supported recommendations to include protected bike lanes along Vista/Gardner, with adjustments made to minimize parking loss. The City Council also directed the inclusion of protected bike lanes in all roadway projects.
Additional community outreach will continue throughout the Design & Engineering Phase to refine the plan and address concerns such as on-street parking impacts.
For more information about the Street Design Concept Plan, visit the Engage WeHo information and feedback page at engage.weho.org/willoughby.
