Things to read from the past week:
- Ontario airport tunnel project by Elon Musk moves to next phase: "Although the SBCTA’s request proposal was downloaded by 200 firms, only The Boring Co. answered the call. A review by officials from Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, ONT, Omnitrans and the SBCTA found the company’s proposal passed the minimum requirements." (San Gabriel Valley Tribune)
- A Complicated, Important Court Case That Will Decide LA's Path To Ending Homelessness: "After decades of failure from lawmakers and executives, can federal court force a change?" (Matt Tinoco)
- Biden’s auto dilemma: How hard to push for electric cars?: "Despite growing momentum for a national shift toward cleaner cars, less than 1% of vehicles on the nation’s roads are electric. A recent analysis found that Americans were buying so many gas-guzzling SUVs and pick-up trucks that they had effectively canceled emissions reductions from every electric vehicle in the United States." (LA Times)
- California builders not in much of a homebuilding mood: "Single-family permits rose 4%; multifamily fell 15%" (Daily Bulletin)
- Nobody Drives in LA — Historic Los Angeles Transit Railways: Mapping the routes of the historic streetcar lines that once served as the backbone of Los Angeles - the Los Angeles and Pacific Electric Railways (Eric Brightwell)
- Northridge’s Skateland is about to become a homeless shelter. Some residents are upset: "The shelter has been a long time coming. The last homeless count in January found 735 unhoused people in the northwest San Fernando Valley. And while most other council districts have kept a pledge to build 222 supportive housing units in their area, this district has not met that goal." (KCRW)
- California bullet train project will seek $4.1 billion as costs grow: "The election of President Biden has galvanized high-speed rail supporters, who hope he will back a national bullet train program. His transition documents signal his support for high-speed rail in the Northeast and to 'make progress' for the California system." (LA Times)
- Buildings That Opened During Pandemic Are Slow to Lease: "Construction was classified as an essential service during lockdowns, which allowed several key projects to open. But even L.A.’s roaring development scene couldn’t dodge the blows from a global pandemic." (LA Business Journal)
- They’re building affordable housing for the homeless — without government help: "Now, about half of RMG’s projects are on properties leased from churches that are facing diminished membership but want to retain a connection to their communities, Roth said." (LA Times)
- Metro Relaunches Rail-to-River Community Engagement Process to Choose New Southeast Cities Route: "With the proposed West Santa Ana Branch rail line planned to run along Randolph St., there isn't enough room for the bike/walk path, too, forcing Metro to revisit alternative route options" (Streetsblog LA)
- Santa Monica Will Test Surveillance Tools to Monitor Its New Drop-Off Zone: "The cameras will watch delivery vehicles that stop in a new city-piloted drop-off zone — an experiment designed to cut down traffic and encourage companies to deploy zero emission trucks and ecargo bikes....But it will also be a test for Automotus, a venture-backed software company that uses the technology to automate parking violations and wants to ink more deals with municipalities across the United States. " (dot LA)
- Garcetti Funds Extension of Roomkey for 1,200 Rooms, but Council Wants City to Think Bigger: " Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that the city was releasing $75 million in up-front funding to extend Project Roomkey at three city hotels until September. The move will keep 1,200 rooms in the program, 900 of which are currently filled. The other three hundred rooms will be filled “quickly” with prioritization going to people living on Skid Row, Black women, seniors, and people experiencing homelessness in Echo Park. All three hotels had been expected to wind down their participation in the program by the end of the month. The $75 million will be reimbursed by FEMA." (Streetsblog LA)
- WeHo Council Will Consider Making Robertson Boulevard a Pedestrian-Only Zone on Saturday Nights and Sundays: "The proposal suggests that by making Robertson into a pedestrian-only zone on Saturday nights and all day on Sundays, the OUT Zone dining areas could possibly be expanded into this area as well. It also suggests the pedestrian-only zone could serve as a weekend extension of West Hollywood Park, which is set to reopen in the fall." (Wehoville)
