Sidewalks

Blocked Sidewalk Next to Ralphs Shows Little Concern for Pedestrians

By Eric Richardson — June 11, 2008 — 15 Comments

Eric Richardson

A stretch of sidewalk next to Downtown’s new Ralphs is closed due to construction, leaving pedestrians inconvenienced and creating an unsafe situation as walkers take to the street.

Downtown is widely talked of as a place for pedestrians, where those who live and work are freed from the need to have a car, but the city’s attitude toward sidewalks has largely told a different story. — Continued Inside...

Actions Speak Louder than Words on Pedestrian Friendly Downtown

By Eric Richardson — March 27, 2008 — 2 Comments

Eric Richardson

|Photo Gallery| Curbed yesterday took a reader complaint about the closed off sidewalk on Grand Ave, across from Disney Concert Hall. The reader was complaining about the effect the closure would have on tourists wanting to take pictures of Frank Gehry’s concert hall.

While certainly the Disney is a highly visited attraction, the situation illustrated has far more bearing on those of us who live in Downtown and are trying to buy into the idea of a pedestrian urban lifestyle. As we discussed last May, Los Angeles treats sidewalks as second class citizens, not hesitating to close off a span for a year at a time while a project is under construction.

Our city leaders love to tout Downtown’s pedestrian potential, but how can we possibly believe their commitment to making Downtown a walkable place when it’s so acceptable to force those on foot to take the long way around? — Continued Inside...