The Los Angeles City Council is cracking down on street racing and intersection takeovers, advancing a list of proposals to combat the lawlessness at a Feb. 6 board meeting.
In a 12–1 vote, council members approved the proposals, with Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez casting the only dissenting vote.
Similar measures have been implemented in recent years by Compton, Paramount, and Oakland, and have been considered outside California, including in Portland, Oregon; St. Louis; and Detroit.
The city’s plan to tackle street racing includes a collaborative pilot program with the Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
The program will target the intersections identified as hotspots in each LAPD bureau.
The strategies to curb street racing include both engineering and enforcement measures, according to city officials.
The Department of Transportation has proposed options such as raised, hardened centerlines; rumble strips; and gutters.
Officials estimate the cost for implementing all suggested measures is approximately $80,000, with the possibility of covering the initial work in the current fiscal year.
Meanwhile, the LAPD plans to seek funding for cameras at the identified intersections.
While the total cost remains undetermined, the department anticipates sworn overtime costs of around $80,000 for enforcement efforts for the duration of the pilot program.
Both departments are mandated to conduct an assessment of the program once it becomes operational.
Ms. Hernandez, the only council member to vote no, said she was concerned because the proposals seemed more response-based than preventive, and called for the council to instead invest in more proactive measures.
- The Central Bureau identified Grand Avenue and Fourth Street, Grand Avenue and Second Street, Grand Avenue and Third Street, North Meyers and Kearney streets, and Figueroa Avenue and Second Street.
- The South Bureau identified Crenshaw Boulevard and Florence Avenue, Manchester Boulevard and San Pedro Street, Hoover Avenue and Century Boulevard, Western Avenue and Century Boulevard, and Normandie and Gage avenues.
- The Valley Bureau identified Balboa and Foothill boulevards, Bledsoe Street and Bradley Avenue, Balboa and San Fernando Mission boulevards, Glenoaks Boulevard and Polk Street, and Yamell Street and Foothill Boulevard.
- The West Bureau identified Lincoln Boulevard and Manchester Avenue, Western Avenue and Washington Boulevard, Mulholland and Corda drives, Fairfax Avenue and Pico Boulevard, and Pacific Coast Highway and Temescal Canyon.
