Fixing the Streets Takes Big Ideas, but Let's Start Small

The same thing happened after the 4th Street Bridge Lighting. I spent xmas and New Year’s Eve and some time thereafter in NYC, DC and Philly, and yet, even as the metremaids and LAPD prey on those who would otherwise employ the First Street exits (now closed, owing to the Gold Line extension work) along 4th Street (the police activity screams for coverage, and I know it will end when First Street reöpens), and yet, there remain those damned plastic sawhorses that were placed to close off the lighting festivities. Were it a personal property, it would be stolen by the city and the owner fined in an extravagant fashion. perhaps a citizen of the state should abide by the state’s example.

I think I spotted Brady Westwater dropping those in place the other morning.

Don’t look for any big project funding from the City. The Mayor circulated a belt-tightening memo Monday forecasting micro-savings in face of gloom and doom multimillion dollar mismanagement driven structural deficits that are further cast uncertain by the pending Proposition S vote.

It will be interesting to see if anyone in Council offices follows the Mayor’s call to eliminate take home cars to reduce the City’s motor pool expenses…

Very funny!

When I got there that morning at 7 AM, I saw Jose Huizar Downtown aide Amy Yeager (and another young lady staff member) dragging the wet and dirty barricades out into the street in their elegant black dress and high heels, so I voluntered to take over for them. As soon as the event ended, I had to leave but when I got back late that afternoon, I saw some of them were still up, so I dragged them out of the traffic lane and called 311 for the city to come and pick them up.

I’m not surprised. I recall living at Broadway & Third years ago. The city ripped up the sidewalk and blocked off the street parking on the south side of Third. This was highly inconvenient for residents. I recall the building manager diligently trying to find out what was going on. He eventually gave up since no one at the city could tell him what was going on. I recall contacting my council member to no avail.

The sidewalk remained under construction and the street parking blocked off for years with seemingly no activity. Regretably, Brady was unable to intervene.

Actually, I did intervene on that matter… on multiple times, but failed to get a solution. In their defense, there were unexpected structural and public safety problems which stopped the project from going ahead as planned and an entirely new plan with additional funding was required to finish the project.

That is what I understood, too, about the sidewalk situation on Third near Broadway. I understand that. But, what reflects poorly on the city’s part is its inability to communicate what is going on. We’re talking years without any communication as to what is going on.

I’d also ask is the budgeting process for city works projects so tight and inflexible? Do projects really get greenlighted without any contingency? I can’t plan projects at work or in my personal affairs assuming everything will go exactly as planned. It seems odd that once the problem was discovered, the effort is paralyzed for years. Granted, the scope of the problem may have overwhelmed any contingency available to proceed. But, again, residents and businesses were not informed as to what was going on or why they were being invconvenienced.

I’d love it if the city’s project management system had a customer facing component. That way as a resident and taxpayer I could fire up my browser and check what is going on with a project like this. Something is delayed, I can see for myself what is going on. Of course, the reality is more likely that the project and the plans are sitting on a piece of paper on someone’s desk and my ability (or anyone’s for that matter) to find out what the hell is going on is extremely limited. My hunch is the city is still finding its way with this thing called the internet. Then again, I suspect the bureaucrats quite like the murk and lack of accountability this present disfunction creates.

Perhaps some city hall denizen can enlighten us on the mysteries of this process. Maybe if we’re really lucky, they could tell us what are the grand plans to improve this forlorn situation. Possibly, the esteemed Ms. Perry is on the case. Once she’s finished stabilizing the Triforium situation, I’m sure she’ll deal with this.

wow, i don’t think i’ll ever get sick of mr. kennedy bitching about the triforium.

it seems to me that the dlanc transportation and public works committee would be a great place to take up the discussion of how communication around public works projects could be improved.

you’re right jim, the dlanc transportation and public works committe would be a great place to take up that discussion.

if metro local, metro rapid, ben pezzillo and david kennedy (and other top commenters) joined and actively participated in the committe, then maybe things would actually get done.

Celia,

I’ve sworn off DLANC activity and am content to live in our community and post my random thoughts here.

It is funny to think of all the anonymous commentators shedding their cloaks and appearing to actually take credit for their words, now that would be a DLANC meeting – I wonder if the Downtown Toilet would show!?

Seriously, thank you though for thinking of me but I am far too involved in my home life right now to be an effective community volunteer,

Ben

Yes! A SWAT Team is just what is needed, to comandeer a D-9 bulldozer at midnight, drive it over to Temple and Main and demolish the Million Dollar Jukebox. Go team!

Citizens, I represent a faction of counter-assault specialists prepared to protect the Triforium.

Consider those of you opposing the Triforium fairly warned, it will be protected…

Triforium DefCon 4 protocols in effect.

Triforium DefCon 4 protocols in effect, roger. Protective laser field activated. Aerial units en route. More power Scotty, we need more power.

I’m sure that Spock could come up with something positively Wagnerian to replace it. A new symbol for L.A. Redo the entire top level of the mall; consider what Chicago did with Millennium Park. Make it dynamic. Change, Change, Change!

All bulldozers in a one mile radius have been disabled. The Triforium is safe, for now.

Why that multi-media dildo hasn’t been taken down by now is way beyond me. Early on the morning of October 1st of ‘87 I had just finished breakfast at the Bob’s restaurant, climbed the stairs to L.A. Street and had just got to the intersection with Temple and the earthquake hit. Noise came from all directions; it was a sharp quake compared to other’s I’ve been in. But the way that Triforium swayed back and forth I thought sure it was about to collapse. All of those rattling light prisms made the most noise of all. I still won’t go anywhere near it.

MetroLoco,

Too late, Op None. That smell is my marker, a marker made while your sentries slept. Your sleeping sentry’s uniform probably has a similar odour.

Now that my people have been pushed well east of Spring Street (which, at 6th, was were I usta have an office in conjunction with a number of other publishing colleagues), we have taken to raiding the odd landmarks left behind by the recently deceased.

Be aware that those of you who seem to think that the Olde Bank District is not nearly as scary as a mere few years ago, are targeted by the very developers who have made it “safe” for now even as you have helped make it arty. The seemingly bohemian demeanour established by your presence will soon be pissed on by the Grand Street Project, and I will watch too many of you get washed away by the development tide that you helped strengthen!

P.S. Fk the Triforium; the dilapidated music pulse-light mechanism was a silly idea anyhow.

What’s that? There in the distance – still on? Why it’s the Triforium!

Triumphant, triumphant, so stands the Triforium!

Triumphant, triumphant, so stands the Triforium!

Triumphant, triumphant, so stands the Triforium!

Real simple – until ground breaks and real money starts getting spent with construction materials, crews and interest on loans, any development is nothing more than a concept. In case you hadn’t read in these pages, even Gehry is skeptical Grand Avenue will be executed. Nice ground breaking for Park Fifth the other day too, not.

Unless it’s already underway, don’t hold your breath.

Thankfully, we still have the Triforium to ward off the BusTards…

Yes folks: behold the heart and soul of Los Angeles - the Triforium! It says it all, doesn’t it? An illusion propped up by a riddle and all of it begot in a mystery. A lodestone for contrarians.

Evolve, change, begin again.