A member of the Los Angeles City Council introduced a motion this week to study the feasibility of creating a pilot program to paint crosswalks using community volunteers.
It comes as a group has already been painting crosswalks across the city illegally for more than a year.
Frustrated by the lack of painted crosswalks near a park on Stoner and Nebraska avenues, People’s Vision Zero decided to take matters into their own hands.
“We’d like to see a society that’s more walkable, more accessible to people, where people have more freedom to move,” said Jonathan Hale, the group’s founder.
Hale says painting crosswalks is the group’s way of protesting for safer streets and more effective government, and that he has gotten arrested for it.
“The video of that went viral, and I had the chance to work with the mayor’s office again,” Hale said. “And we wanted to see executive action to make our streets safer, and we wanted to see the creation of a pilot program like this to allow us to continue working legally.”
Less than a year later, steps are being taken in that direction. Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky introduced a motion Wednesday asking the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to study the feasibility of painting crosswalks through a community volunteer pilot program.
The program would be focused on repainting existing, city-approved crosswalks, not new ones, according to the motion.
“While installing new crosswalks requires professional engineering review, repainting existing approved crosswalks may offer an additional opportunity for community involvement, if appropriate safeguards can be implemented,” the motion reads.
Besides Hale, other street safety advocates are also applauding the step the city has taken.
“You take your life in your own hands when you go out and walk,” said Beverly Shelton, whose grandson was hit and killed while crossing the street in Northern California. “It should be a safe thing to do, and it’s not.”
The motion still has to be voted on and approved, but Hale said he is optimistic and hopes it will lead to greater changes in how infrastructure is built in Los Angeles.
“I think there’s a lot of things that we can do to make our streets safer,” Hale said. “A lot of proven methods of slowing down cars, creating a more friendly environment for pedestrians and cyclists.”
