Illicit crosswalks, Vincent Thomas bridge closing for 16 months, and more

Here's what we're reading this week:

Inside a Los Angeles County shopping center’s struggle to woo customers with mall food "Westfield Topanga’s food hall, meant to replace part of a shuttered Sears with upscale dining, lost nearly all its original restaurants amid complaints about prices, noise, and the ordering system." (LA Times)

Ross Stores Takes 115K SF for West Coast Merchandising Hub "The retailer is moving to Atlas Capital Group’s 32-acre mixed-use campus known as Row DTLA" (Commercial Observer)

Ground Breaks on Azusa Wilderness Park "The entryway to Azusa Canyon will be enhanced with new river overlooks, playgrounds, and improved bicycle facilities." (Streetsblog LA)

Risking arrest, he paints illicit crosswalks across L.A. ‘We can’t wait any longer’ "Advocates say traffic deaths rose 56% from 2015 to 2025 as the city’s Vision Zero effort faltered; officials say they maintain or add more than 1,000 crosswalks annually." (LA Times)

West Hollywood Council to Consider Keeping Parking Spaces, Removing Bike Lanes to Fountain Avenue Streetscape Plan "Under the proposed alternative, Fountain Avenue would have one travel lane in each direction and a center turn lane. The plan would retain existing on-street parking and omit protected bikeways while including street resurfacing, new striping, high-visibility crosswalks, painted curb extensions and traffic-calming measures." (Weho Times)

In Fight Against State-Imposed Density Bonus Rules, Pasadena Faces Daunting Odds "Under the State Density Bonus Law, developers who include affordable units may request up to five concessions and unlimited waivers from local standards such as height, floor area and setbacks. Cities may deny them only on narrow grounds, including a specific, adverse impact on public health and safety backed by written findings." (Pasadena Now)

In Crenshaw, Residents Lose Patience With a Stalled Vision for Black L.A. "Years behind schedule, the $150 million Destination Crenshaw art project faces growing skepticism from the community it’s meant to serve." (Capital & Main)

Plans for a hotly debated stretch of Forest Lawn Drive announced by LA mayor "The Los Angeles mayor’s office says it has chosen a plan for a hotly debated road safety project on Forest Lawn Drive, but it won’t say how the plan will slow speeding cars on the deadly thoroughfare." (LAist)

Vincent Thomas Bridge to close for 16 months, raising fears of traffic and pollution "Caltrans said the deck replacement is necessary to preserve the structural integrity of the bridge and improve safety for maintenance workers, truck drivers and the traveling public." (LA Times)

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