Streets Are For Everyone Supports Measure HLA, and You Should Too

In March, Angelenos will get a chance to vote for Measure HLA, which will speed up the implementation of the 2015 Mobility Plan to reduce transportation-related fatalities to zero by 2035. The 2015 Mobility Plan proposed hundreds of miles of new bus-only lanes, protected bike lanes, and sidewalk/streetscape enhancements in pedestrian-heavy neighborhoods. Since its adoption, the city has completed upgrades on 88 miles of city streets. That’s only about 5% of the miles envisioned for bike, bus, and neighborhood safety projects. At this rate, Los Angeles will take 160 years to complete the Mobility Plan. Measure HLA is the solution we need.

The impetus for Measure HLA stemmed from a lack of progress over the past seven years, spurring street safety advocates to collect enough signatures to put Healthy Streets LA, or Measure HLA, on the March ballot. This initiative is endorsed by the LA Times and backed by a coalition of more than 40 Neighborhood Councils and 30 environmental, transportation, safety, labor, and business organizations. The initiative would also require the city to create a website so the public can track the progress of Mobility Plan Projects and would give residents the right to sue the city if it fails to comply.

The need for safe streets in 2024 is greater than ever. 2023 was a rough year for Los Angeles. 337 victims died from traffic violence in the city, marking a 9% increase over 2022 and a 14% increase since 2021. This is the highest number of traffic fatalities in over 20 years. In fact, Los Angeles had more traffic deaths than homicides last year.

Read more here on Measure HLA and here to read the Los Angeles Times endorsement.