I just received news that the Panorama City Neighborhood Council will discuss removal of a recently installed road diet and bike lanes on Chase Street.
The group has already requested removal of the lanes in one section; now they’re planning to ask for removal of the entire road diet.
Worse, they’re trying to sneak this past the public without any real discussion by inserting a last-minute “special agenda” at the end of the previously published agenda. And allowing only eight minutes to consider the matter, effectively eliminating any possibility of legitimate discussion.
5. Consideration and possible action on the recommendation of the Public Safety committee that the Board ask the city to restore Chase Street to four traffic lanes between Woodman Avenue and Van Nuys Boulevard. The Board has already taken action to request a return to four lanes between Wakefield Avenue and Van Nuys Boulevard. The council had opposed lane elimination in that area when the street restriping was still in the proposal stage. Now that the restriping has occurred, a dangerous condition has also arisen at the Woodman end, where parent traffic blocks the street while waiting to turn into the alley behind Valor Academy Middle School to pick up children. The through-street’s traffic capacity reduction is also causing huge backups along the street during rush hours, and a dangerous diversion of cut-through traffic to Parthenia Street between Woodman Avenue and Van Nuys Boulevard. That section of Parthenia has now changed from a quiet residential street to an arterial street. For all of these traffic disruptions, very few bicycles are ever seen occupying the two bike lanes that replaced the two traffic lanes. [8m]
If you live, work or ride in the area, you’re urged to attend tonight’s meeting:
PANORAMA CITY NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING AGENDA
Thursday, April 23, 2015, 6:30 PM
Mission Community Hospital, Medical Office Building, 2nd Floor, Room 208 14860 Roscoe Boulevard, Panorama City, CA 91402
If you can’t make it, email your comments — and your outrage at the sneak attack — to PCNC@EmpowerLA.org; blind copy (Bcc) LA BAC Vice Chair Glenn Bailey at glennbicyclela@gmail.com.
Demand that they allow legitimate public discussion before taking any action.
And that they allow the bike lanes to remain until people in cars and on bikes both have a chance to adjust to the new road design — and give up this ill-advised attempt to revert the roadway back to a more dangerous state.
I am not cognizant of the CA Open Records statutes, but here in TX adding an agenda item after the agenda is posted is a violation of the law and no action can be taken on such an addition.
Sounds like the changed condition is far more dangerous than the original condition for most of the people who live and travel in the area. Just saying,.
The front door to Chase St. elementary school (777 students) is on that section of street. I have little doubt that LA city council member Nury Martinez probably approved the road diet and installation of bike lanes to reduce the speeds from the posted 35 mph speed limit. That would be an improvement in safety, not a decrease.
The greatest risk of serious injury or a fatality for pedestrians and cyclists is when they get in a collision with a motor vehicle that is traveling at a higher rate of speed. Its absolute nonsense that reducing the average speed of motor vehicles on that street is in any way making it more dangerous.
Reducing the number of lanes also makes it easier for pedestrians to cross (encouraging more walking) and for motorists to make a left turn onto the street and safer to make a left turn when traveling on the street.