Erewhon fights proposed apartments, Visualizing Brightline West, and more

San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity announced yesterday that it is among a small list of organizations awarded the chance to redevelop Caltrans properties along the 710 corridor in El Sereno. The nonprofit developer intends to either build or renovate homes, which will be offered for sale at affordable costs to local families.

Here's what we're reading this week:

LA Mayor Karen Bass orders more officers on Metro "Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ordered more law enforcement along Metro stations to combat safety concerns." (NBCLA YouTube)

L.A.’s accidental homelessness ‘czar’? U.S. District Judge David O. Carter "While overseeing two cases that challenge city, county and U.S. government practices on homelessness, Carter has summoned the mayor, several supervisors, council members and city and county department heads into his courtroom. He’s grilled officials in Washington on speakerphone. And, in moments rich in symbolism, he’s shown more deference in court to Skid Row residents he cultivates as confidants than to the lawyers and public officials appearing before him." (LA Times)

Luxe Grocery Chain Erewhon Sues City of LA to Stop Redevelopment "Midwood plans to renovate the empty hotel into a 520-unit mixed-use building." (Commercial Observer)

WeHo’s push for protected bike lanes doesn’t come cheap "City Council has ordered that any new bike lanes the city builds be protected. But with several streetscape projects already in motion, research by City Hall reveals just how expensive and complicated it will be to do so. " (WeHo Online)

Transit Expert Jarrett Walker has Advice for Los Angeles "Jarrett Walker talks choice riders, all-door boarding, bus lanes, BRT, and making the bus system more legible" (Streetsblog LA)

Visiting the Hollywood Bowl just got a lot easier this summer! Metro partners with Los Angeles Philharmonic Association to launch its first-ever integrated ticketing pilot program. (The Source)

On a Hollywood studio lot, a new New York comes to life "Last summer, when the Hollywood writers’ strike had shut down film and television production, a crew of scenic painters at the legendary Fox Studio Lot took advantage of the lull to mess up New York City....Work had recently been completed on a new set of façades meant to mimic Manhattan streets, but the result was too pretty and clean. Even the smooth gray concrete curbs looked suspiciously fresh." (LA Times)

City, industry leaders break ground on electric semi-truck charging depot at Port of Long Beach "Diesel trucks account for 25% of California’s transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. The new facility is a milestone in creating the infrastructure to change that, officials said." (Long Beach Watchdog)

Metro Committee Approves $225M Cost Overrun for Westside Subway Section 1 Construction "Wilshire subway 4-mile extension section 1 (Western to La Cienega) budget swells from  $3.14B to $3.35B. Section construction is 91 percent done, now anticipated to open fall 2025" (Streetsblog LA)

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