Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City Council directs study of 101 Freeway corridor congestion and asks transportation committee to report back
Summary
The Los Angeles City Council approved a motion directing city transportation staff to work with regional and state agencies to study congestion on the U.S. 101 corridor and return findings to the Transportation Committee; councilmembers emphasized funding and public engagement in the San Fernando Valley.
The Los Angeles City Council on a unanimous vote directed the city Department of Transportation to work with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Caltrans and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) to study congestion on the U.S. 101 corridor and identify potential improvements.
Councilmember Chick introduced the motion, saying the 101 corridor — which runs from Agoura Hills through Hollywood — has become a “crisis for the city and the region” and noting long commute times from the West Valley to City Hall. "We have got to find a way to address this crisis and this problem," Chick said during the council meeting. She said the effort should identify funding and explore options that will deliver measurable results.
Councilmember Bernsen, who told the council he chairs SCAG’s transit corridors task force, said work to study the corridor is already underway at regional levels and that one key obstacle is funding. Bernsen described options under consideration including tying the 101 to other commuter corridors and looking at commuter-rail possibilities such as MetroLink. He urged continued pressure on state and federal partners to secure revenues.
Councilmembers asked that the study be returned to the city’s Transportation Committee for review and recommended holding public hearings in the Valley to gather community input on proposed modes of travel. Councilmember Voronich asked that the motion explicitly send the matter to the Transportation Committee; Chick confirmed that was the intent.
The council voted to approve the special-item motion as called by Councilmember Chick. The clerk recorded 14 ayes.
Why it matters: The motion directs staff-level coordination among multiple agencies on a corridor that many councilmembers described as congested and economically important; the council emphasized the need to identify funding, consider multiple modes (including commuter rail), and solicit local input before advancing projects.
What the council did: Councilmembers approved a motion directing LADOT to coordinate with MTA, Caltrans and SCAG on a corridor study, to report back to the Transportation Committee, and to pursue public engagement in the Valley. The motion passed on a recorded vote of 14 ayes.
Next steps: The motion requests a committee-level hearing and staff coordination; councilmembers said they expect staff to identify funding options and return recommendations that could include staged projects or grant encumbrances to avoid losing state funds.
