LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — As Angelenos continue to work from home with their children underfoot, the city of Los Angeles is taking steps to make streets safer and give people room to give each other space.
Mayor Eric Garcetti in his Wednesday briefing said that cars would be banned from certain streets this weekend so people would have more space to ride their bicycles and walk in their immediate neighborhoods, while still maintaining a distance of six feet from their neighbors to keep from spreading the coronavirus.
The changes have been sought in neighborhoods like Del Rey, where LA City Councilman Mike Bonin cheered the impending change.
Family friendly streets are – finally – coming to some Los Angeles neighborhoods! 1/4
— Mike Bonin-Official (@MikeBoninLA) May 14, 2020
“Family friendly streets are — finally — coming to some Los Angeles neighborhoods,” Bonin tweeted. Bonin said that details are coming and that his constituents in Del Rey and West LA have been “clamoring” for the change.
The combination of narrow streets, speeding drivers and people and children needing to exercise and play in neighborhoods fueled interest in the safer streets initiatives. Last month, Pasadena did not close off streets, but put up new signs urging drivers to slow down so residents could walk and exercise safely.
The city of Ventura will also put up “Local Traffic Only” signs on certain streets this week to make more room for pedestrians and cyclists.
