The union that represents Los Angeles metropolis firefighters launched a marketing campaign this week in opposition to Measure HLA, delivering the primary critical risk to a poll proposal supposed to enhance security on town’s streets.
United Firefighters of Los Angeles Metropolis Native 112 plans to spend “six figures” — no less than $100,000 — on a marketing campaign in opposition to Measure HLA, which might require the set up of tons of of miles of recent bicycle lanes, bus lanes and different transportation enhancements on designated boulevards that endure main repairs.
Union president Freddy Escobar mentioned his group, which represents about 3,400 firefighters, is worried the measure will result in slower emergency response occasions and put new stress on a metropolis price range already experiencing monetary pressure. Hearth vans are already being hindered by “highway diets” — reductions in automobile lanes attributable to the creation of motorcycle or bus lanes, Escobar mentioned in an interview.
“Each second counts. The highway diets decelerate our firefighters,” Escobar mentioned. “And it is going to be a lot worse with HLA.”
Backers of Measure HLA denounced the transfer by the union, saying the poll proposal is urgently wanted to scale back the variety of deaths on L.A. streets. Final 12 months, 336 folks died in visitors fatalities, greater than half of them pedestrians, with these deaths now exceeding the variety of homicides.
“If we’re actually speaking about public security for everybody … then we have now to deal with this as a public well being disaster,” mentioned Eli Lipmen, government director of Transfer LA, a transit advocacy group that helps HLA.
HLA’s proponents contend that bike lanes and different enhancements will decrease visitors speeds, lowering the hazard skilled by pedestrians and bicyclists. In addition they have sought to rebut the union’s claims, saying town’s personal environmental evaluation discovered that entry for emergency automobiles would stay the identical or enhance if new road enhancements are accomplished.
The union’s announcement comes at a time of rising debate over Measure HLA, the one laws to seem on the poll within the March 5 metropolis election. If handed, HLA would power metropolis companies to finish an inventory of transportation tasks spelled out in Mobility Plan 2035, a planning doc permitted by the council 9 years in the past.
Metropolis Administrative Officer Matt Szabo, town’s prime price range analyst, warned a number of months in the past that the measure may value greater than $2.5 billion over the subsequent 10 years, or a mean of $250 million per 12 months. In a monetary influence assertion offered to voters, Szabo mentioned that tasks required beneath Measure HLA may cut back the variety of streets which are repaved every year.
Streets for All, an advocacy group, initially conceived of HLA. Michael Schneider, who based that group and is operating the pro-HLA marketing campaign, pushed again in opposition to town’s monetary evaluation, calling Szabo’s value estimates dramatically inflated.
Schneider mentioned the HLA marketing campaign reached a a lot totally different value estimate after acquiring information from town’s Division of Transportation and Bureau of Engineering. After reviewing paperwork on sidewalk and bicycle lane tasks, the HLA marketing campaign concluded the poll measure will value about $28.6 million per 12 months, if all of the tasks are accomplished inside a decade.
“We don’t assume the [city’s] estimate is an trustworthy illustration of the associated fee,” he mentioned.
Szabo mentioned Tuesday that he stands by his numbers, calling them “conservative estimates.”
Whereas the firefighters union has put collectively a committee to struggle HLA, Schneider’s marketing campaign is receiving a lift from a distinct union: Unite Right here Native 11, which represents resort and restaurant employees, and has produced marketing campaign supplies in assist of the measure.
Schneider mentioned the HLA marketing campaign additionally has secured endorsements from six council members up to now: Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Eunisses Hernandez, Heather Hutt, Nithya Raman, Hugo Soto-Martínez and Katy Yaroslavsky.
Raman, in an interview, forged doubt on the arguments from the firefighter union. “The information exhibits over and over that for those who gradual streets down, you will have fewer deaths on the streets,” she mentioned.
Measure HLA would mandate the set up of 200 miles of bus lanes — some working 24 hours a day, others operating solely throughout rush hour — and greater than 600 miles of bicycle lanes. If metropolis crews conduct repairs over one-eighth of a mile on a specific road, then any Mobility Plan venture envisioned for that stretch would should be included into the highway work.
Within the San Fernando Valley, HLA requires bicycle lanes on Ventura Boulevard from Woodland Hills east to North Hollywood. The overwhelming majority of Ventura additionally would obtain bus lanes as a part of the poll proposal, Schneider mentioned.
On the Eastside, town would wish to put in protected bike lanes on Soto Road from Huntington Drive to Whittier Boulevard and on Whittier Boulevard throughout Boyle Heights, in response to proponents of the measure. In Hollywood, unprotected bike lanes could be added to Santa Monica Boulevard, they mentioned.
Bus lanes — both 24-hour or rush-hour solely — could be put in on Broadway from downtown to Imperial Freeway in South Los Angeles, the HLA marketing campaign mentioned.
Schneider accused metropolis officers of assuming town would perform the “Rolls Royce” variations of every HLA venture, when inexpensive options can be found. He pointed to HLA’s plan for 238 miles of protected bike lanes, the type which are separated from automotive visitors.
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Though metropolis companies may obtain that purpose by developing costly concrete medians to maintain bicyclists away from visitors, they might additionally put in bollards, a less expensive different, he mentioned.
The HLA marketing campaign’s arguments haven’t reassured everybody on the council.
Councilmember Traci Park, who opposes the measure, mentioned she worries concerning the tasks required beneath HLA will depart town with fewer {dollars} for different public companies, reminiscent of applications to deal with homelessness.
“I’m assured there’s a method to construct a system [of bike lanes] out that meets our mobility and sustainability targets,” she mentioned. “However this budgeting by poll measure is one thing that sadly removes all council workplace discretion. It eliminates group engagement. It opens up the floodgates for lawsuits.”
The firefighter union has additionally centered on different L.A. metropolis races, placing greater than $300,000 into efforts to elect council candidate Ethan Weaver, who’s operating to unseat Raman.
The union additionally has been spending cash to assist the reelection campaigns of Harris-Dawson, Hutt and Councilmembers John Lee and Imelda Padilla.
