Today we celebrate the completion of the Broadway Dress Rehearsal, a landmark achievement that brings us one step closer towards our vision for a revitalized Broadway. Five years ago, the idea of reducing vehicle lanes in favor of pedestrian areas was relatively unheard of in Los Angeles, but we knew we wanted to create something very special for Broadway that would encourage people to walk, and enjoy Broadway, not just rush past it. We look at the Dress Rehearsal being implemented, and plans coming through for the future permanent installation of the plan block-by-block, and we see how dramatically these changes are affecting Broadway for the better. We see the physical manifestation of years of work and how dramatically these changes are affecting Broadway for the better. After years on a down slope, Broadway is bouncing back with the revitalization of its historic buildings and theaters and new businesses opening up. And older established business like Grand Central Market reimagining themselves to the delight of all. Our Master Streetscape Plan represents a big part of that change – Broadway is once again becoming one of Downtown’s premier destinations. When we started developing this plan in 2009, I said I wanted a plan that prioritized people over vehicles. We have achieved that. The Broadway Streetscape Dress Rehearsal provides a greater pedestrian experience, adding comfort and security along one of the citys busiest pedestrian streets, and makes Broadway a more enjoyable place to walk, shop, and spend time, while supporting economic development along the corridor. The project area goes from 3rd Street to just past 11th Street. Once the courthouse is built, we’ll do the same on 2nd and 1st. We want to prioritize pedestrians in more ways than just giving them space. We are giving pedestrians signal priority – for the first time ever. We are implementing “Leading Pedestrian Interval” timing on Broadway, also known as “Pedestrian Head Start.” What that means, is, pedestrians get their walk signal just a few seconds before the cars get their green, so pedestrians have a chance to get well into the crosswalk before vehicles begin to move. This greatly increases pedestrian visibility and reduces accidents when drivers don’t see a pedestrian about to step off the curb. The first blocks on Broadway where this is being piloted is the blocks of 3rd and 4th and we will go from there. But even with all of that, we didn’t forget about cars. The “dress rehearsal” also added 24-hour parking and loading zones that previously did not exist on Broadway. This means better access to and for merchants, and also a stream of new revenue to the City with 1,200 feet of loading zone space and 44 new parking meters. Speaking of numbers, the Broadway Streetscape Dress Rehearsal: *Reconfigured 1.3 miles of roadway *Installed 1,200 feet of dedicated loading zone *Installed high visibility “continental crosswalks” at 9 intersections and 9 mid-block crosswalks *Completed 80 feet of curb repairs *Resurfaced 34,000 square feet of road *Installed 180 reflective safety bollards (bow-lards) *49,300 square feet of decomposed granite – which is the tan surface treatment in what was previously a lane of traffic *Installed 254 planters holding 191,250 lbs of soil *Planted 5,500 plants *Will provide 30 table, chair and umbrella set-ups spread across nine different locations *And was supported by hundreds and hundreds of stakeholders! And, as part of the plan, 30 tables, 30 umbrellas and 90 chairs will decorate the new public outdoor seating areas at nine different locations along Broadway thanks to businesses that have “adopted” the seating sets and will be responsible for putting them out everyday for people to enjoy. And that’s just phase one. I am very proud of what this plan has accomplished and what it represents for the City of Los Angeles, and look forward to seeing phase two – the permanent concrete plan – built out block by block in the coming years! What that means is in future years instead of the treated surface we’ll actually have extend sidewalks there in the plaza space. But that’s down the road. Today, without a doubt the spirit of our plan – to create bold, innovative pedestrian space along Broadway, has been realized.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 18:52:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015