Is Hollywood Boulevard Ready for its Closeup?

Phase 1 of construction on the Hollywood Boulevard Safety and Mobility Project is complete, and the 2.1-mile stretch (from Gower St. to Lyman Pl.) of the iconic street has lost one lane of car traffic in each direction to provide for a slower, safer Hollywood experience. 

Come celebrate the completion of Phase 1 at CicLAvia: Meet the Hollywoods on Sunday, August 18th— and don’t forget to say hi to SAFE! CicLAvia will be both a celebration of the Hollywood Blvd. improvements and a chance to learn more about the forthcoming Phase 2, which will continue on Sunset Blvd. to Fountain Ave., connecting the Sunset Ave. and Hollywood Blvd. bike lanes and resolving the gnarly intersection at Hollywood Blvd./Hillhurst Ave./Sunset Ave./Sunset Dr.

The goal of Phase 1 was to “address the safety needs on Hollywood Blvd.” by implementing “a new street design between Gower St. and Lyman Pl. that will reduce excessive speeds, reduce pedestrian exposure, provide for safer turns, and create dedicated space for people on bikes and scooters,” according to LADOT's fact sheet. 

The Vision Zero program identified this portion of Hollywood Blvd. as a Priority Corridor in 2019 due to its high incidence of fatal car crashes: from 2010 to 2019, 53 severe and fatal crashes occurred along these 2.1 miles, which are, of course, a huge tourist draw. 

After the Town Hall, LADOT administered surveys to collect feedback on this proposed design. Among the 833 responses received, 70% indicated strong support, and it’s easy to see why. I rode Hollywood Blvd. midday on Wednesday, July 24, as LADOT workers were putting their final touches on Phase 1, and the improvements were, well, a huge improvement.

Of course, as welcome as the changes are, they represent a rather sudden disruption in the status quo of getting around Hollywood, and everyone will require some time to adjust to the changes in traffic flow. 

Last Wednesday, I rode westbound on Hollywood Blvd. from Gower St. to Lyman Pl. and had a lovely ride punctuated by some cars that had yet to adjust to Hollywood Blvd.’s new normal. 

One black sedan, seemingly oblivious to the oncoming bike traffic, took a left turn across the bike lane and cut off a cyclist who was thankfully well-prepared for these types of shenanigans.

Elsewhere, I encountered a few drivers who also hadn’t seemed to factor in the bike lanes as they navigated the street parking and driveways.

The final stretch heading east, from Vermont Ave to Lyman Pl, poses some particular problems. There’s a bus stop on the south side of the street in front of a stretch of restaurants that sees a lot of food-delivery traffic and, thus, a lot of idling cars. The spot where cars previously idled has now been painted green and is designated for buses and bikes only, but the delivery drivers had yet to relocate as of last week.

One driver found it especially galling that I was taking his photo, and he expressed that sentiment both verbally and non-verbally.

But don’t let grumpy drivers deter you. They’re just jealous they’re not biking. 

We at SAFE hope to see you on Sunday, Aug. 18, for CicLAvia: Meet the Hollywoods — and before then, on the new-and-improved Hollywood Boulevard bike lanes!