Streets for All Launches Westwood Connected Campaign for Safer Transit and Mobility

Advocacy group calls for bus lanes, bike lanes, and pedestrian improvements in Westwood, supported by local partners and changing city council representation

Streets for All (SFA) announced its new Westwood Connected campaign last week, aiming to bring new bus lanes, protected bike lanes, scramble crossings, pedestrian plazas, and additional mobility improvements to the Westwood area.

SFA, a local advocacy group, emphasized the need for safer transportation options, stating that “No UCLA student should have to risk their life to get to/from the Expo line, or even just around Westwood Village.”

The campaign has garnered support from various partners, including the Westwood Village Improvement Association, the North Westwood Neighborhood Council, the UCLA Undergraduate Student Association Council (USAC) Facilities Commission (FAC), and the UCLA Campus Bike Advisory Committee.

The launch of the campaign comes at a significant time, coinciding with changes in the L.A. City Council and ongoing transportation projects in the area. City Councilmember Katy Young Yaroslavsky, a proponent of bike and transit infrastructure, has recently replaced Councilmember Paul Koretz. The campaign also aligns with Metro’s plans for the D (Purple) Line subway extension station in Westwood, as well as the future Sepulveda Transit Corridor connecting Westwood to the Valley and LAX. This presents an opportune moment to build community consensus around implementing first/last mile connections.

Some of the key demands of the Westwood Connected campaign include a heavy rail stop at UCLA, extending existing bus lanes on Wilshire Boulevard to close gaps, implementing protected bike lanes on Gayley Avenue from Wilshire to Veteran Avenue, establishing protected bike lanes on Westwood Boulevard from UCLA to the Metro E (Expo) Line Westwood Station, creating protected bike lanes on Wilshire from the Westwood VA to Century City (up to the Beverly Hills city boundary), pedestrianizing Broxton Avenue between Le Conte and Kinross Avenues, and reopening pedestrian/ cyclist access to Constitution Avenue.

For more information, visit https://www. westwoodconnected.com