Mayor Garcetti Breaks Ground On Pedestrian Safety Project in Mar Vista

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti helped break ground Monday on a series of pedestrian safety improvements coming to Venice Boulevard in Mar Vista.

The planned improvements include new signalized and high-visibility crosswalks and pedestrian head starts.

"Our main streets are much more than roadways -- they're places that bring people together and build community in neighborhoods across Los Angeles," Garcetti said. "Venice Boulevard does that for the people of Mar Vista, and we'll preserve that for generations to come by making it safer to walk, drive, bike and use mass transit."

The improvements are part of Garcetti's "Great Streets" initiative, which he launched in 2013 and is aimed at improving safety, access, economic activity and community engagement on streets that serve as the center of a neighborhood.

"This is a huge step in our transformation of Venice Boulevard from a freeway through Mar Vista into Mar Vista's Main Street," said Councilman Mike Bonin, whose district includes Mar Vista.

Residents and merchants alike are clamoring to make downtown Mar Vista a local gathering place where people can shop at small businesses, eat at great restaurants and enjoy their neighborhood," Bonin said. "That transformation is underway and there is a new spirit in Mar Vista. The new pedestrian crossings will make it safer and easier for everyone to cross the street and enjoy both sides of Venice Boulevard."

The safety enhancements in Mar Vista will help meet the city's Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic-related fatalities by 2025, according to Garcetti's office.

Venice Boulevard is the heart of Mar Vista. Giving people a safe way to connect north to south creates a stronger, safer street and neighborhood," said Seleta Reynolds, general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. "We know that something as simple as a protected crossing can save lives and add to the vibrant placemaking already underway."

The improvements will include high-visibility crosswalks along Venice Boulevard; four new signalized pedestrian crossings at Mountain View Avenue, Ocean View Avenue, Boise Street and Meier Street; and pedestrian head starts at nine Venice Boulevard intersections, including Beethoven Street, Meier Street, Wade Street, Boise Avenue, Centinela Avenue, Ocean View Avenue, Grand View Avenue, Mountain View Avenue and Inglewood Boulevard.

-- City News Service, photo courtesy of the Mayor's Office