HYPERION BRIDGE needs us!
Thread started by
Roadblock at 09.26.13 - 5:17 pm
HYPERION BRIDGE NEEDS US. They city is spending millions to "upgrade" it to a 55mph speed zone and NO BIKE LANES. This is a major artery from Silverlake to the river. PLEASE EMAIL!!
The LA Bureau of Engineering (BOE) and Caltrans are currently studying rehabilitating the Hyperion-Glendale complex of bridges over the 5 Freeway and LA River connecting Silver Lake to Atwater Village. Despite being designated for bike lanes in the 2010 Bicycle Plan, the proposed project does not include these planned lanes. Why? Ridazz, LACBC and LA Walks (and many of you) attended a community workshop last night to find out.
What we discovered is plain old car-centric engineering from start to finish. Caltrans and BOE are designing Hyperion Ave. to freeway standards with a design speed of 55 miles per hour. Based on that design speed, they are pursuing a median crash barrier, banked turns, and supersized car lanes. Those decisions leave no room for bike lanes and just a narrow sidewalk on only one side of the street. Simply designing the street to normal city street standards would leave enough room for everyone.
Your voice is needed to make Hyperion Ave. safe for all. Tell Caltrans and BOE that freeway speeds have no place on city streets and that walking and biking are just as important as moving traffic.
Comments can be emailed to Tami Podesta by October 11th at Tami.Podesta@dot.ca.gov. Please cc: tom.labonge@lacity.org, councilmember.ofarrell@lacity.org, and mayor.garcetti@lacity.org.
To: Tami.Podesta@dot.ca.gov
cc: tom.labonge@lacity.org, councilmember.ofarrell@lacity.org, mayor.garcetti@lacity.org
bcc: info@la-bike.org
Subject: No Hyperion Freeway - Build a Safe Viaduct for All
As someone who bikes or walks between Silver Lake and Atwater Village, it is absolutely critical that Hyperion Ave. be made safe for people like me. Everyone's needs can be met if the project is designed for appropriate speeds through an urban community. Specifically, I would like the project to include:
Bike lanes on Hyperion Ave.
Wider sidewalks and well-marked crosswalks with wayfinding signs
Narrower traffic lanes to provide more space for bicyclists and pedestrians and discourage speeding
No crash barrier and banked turns that will make people drive even faster
A complete crosswalk on the Atwater end of the viaduct to let people access the sidewalk from both sides of Glendale Blvd. and give bicyclists an alternative through the dangerous merge
There is no reason for this project to not be consistent with the bike plan and Caltrans complete streets policy. The viaduct is currently the greatest barrier to safe bicycle access across the 5 Freeway and the LA River. This project can change that and make all travelers benefit.
Sincerely,
your name
your address
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I copied/pasted, emailed the folks you recommended and added some of my own (hopefully tactfull, coherent) thoughts to personalize it. Labonge is my councilmember. Hopefully this is just something that needed to be brought to their attention and it will be remedied.
And please point out to the appropriate authorities the stairs up from Riverside to Waverly! They shouldn't be removed or obstructed.
Let us know when and where to show up and make sure we are noticed.
THANKS Roadblock!
antrider09.30.13 - 10:52 am
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Ridazz Roulette!
