Committee adopts amended ordinance to implement Measure HLA; clarifies restriping does not trigger HLA

At a joint meeting of the Los Angeles City Transportation Committee and the Board of Public Works, members voted to adopt the city attorney's report and a draft ordinance implementing Measure HLA as amended by committee chairs and the public works chair.

The committee's action, adopted by roll call, included a package of amendments that clarify what constitutes a "mobility plan project," add administrative steps for implementing the mobility plan dashboard, extend some appeal and processing time limits, and direct departments to report back with implementation flowcharts and timelines.

The changes aim to speed deployment of safety improvements while establishing procedures for coordination among the Department of Transportation (LADOT), the Bureau of Engineering (BOE) and the Bureau of Street Services (BSS). The amended ordinance language explicitly states that "restriping of the road to be consistent with the mobility plan enhanced street system designation without making other improvements is also not an improvement for the purposes of LAMC 85.11(a)," and the city attorney told the committee that Measure HLA "does have a carve out for restriping without making other improvements."

Why it matters: Measure HLA creates a legal framework and voter-backed requirements for installing mobility-plan street improvements when the city repaves or otherwise makes certain roadway alterations. The committee's clarifications are intended to allow quicker deployment of relatively low-cost safety measures (for example, bus lanes, striping changes, speed humps) without triggering the full set of HLA procedures that apply when the city performs major resurfacing or other alterations.

Key changes and clarifications - Restriping and routine maintenance: The adopted text clarifies that basic restriping, slurry seal followed by restriping, and similar routine maintenance treatments generally do not trigger the HLA obligations in Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) section 85.11(a). The city attorney explained this follows the ballot language and the voter information pamphlet describing when HLA applies. - Traffic calming and speed humps: The city attorney said installing traffic calming such as a speed hump or speed table "in and of itself does not trigger Measure HLA," although specialized striping tied to those elements may be required for safety and design. - Third-party projects (Metro and others): The city attorney said HLA's private right of action and strict HLA obligations apply when the city itself makes the improvement; projects led by third parties such as Metro do not "strictly" trigger HLA. However, Metro projects are reviewed under the city's master cooperative agreement for consistency with the mobility plan and are subject to that review as negotiated in the agreement. - Administrative process, dashboard and appeals: The ordinance as amended adds required dashboard elements and allows certain estimates rather than precise data to avoid unnecessary delays. The appeal filing deadline for mobility plan project determinations was revised to 30 calendar days (up from 15); processing of appeals may continue the matter for up to 15 calendar days; and in one subsection an administrative limit changed from six months to 12 months. - Interagency coordination and reporting: The public works chair's amendment directs BSS and LADOT to report back to committee within 30 days with flowcharts showing responsibilities, approval processes and estimated timelines for the HLA-standard elements table. The amendment also clarified which bureaus serve as lead agencies for planning, scoping, outreach, scheduling and construction depending on the enhancement type and network designation.

Funding and delivery constraints discussed Committee members and bureau staff described resource and scheduling constraints that affect how quickly projects can be built, even where the ordinance permits them. BSS staff said resurfacing funding had been reduced and that the bureau currently has funding for roughly 200 access ramps this year, which limits how many mobility-plan projects can be implemented alongside resurfacing. BSS and BOE staff explained that DOT provides one-year and five-year work plans; BSS then tries to accommodate DOT's priorities into its resurfacing program subject to pavement condition, existing permit and utility holds, and available budget.

City staff and contractors'process recommendations LADOT and BOE described a need for earlier, sustained coordination, particularly for projects seeking grant funding. BOE said it expects to increasingly treat DOT as the project-initiating client for rights-of-way work under HLA. LADOT also described procurement and material-stock strategies intended to shorten construction lead times; staff said material yards are locked and gated and that yards subject to vandalism may use security services.

Public comment and urgency During public comment, speaker Josh Retevo urged the committee to maintain urgency in implementation, citing LAPD data he said showed "more than 260 people have been killed in crashes on LA streets" since HLA passed and adding that "the status quo kills someone every 2 days and severely injures someone every 5 hours on our streets." He asked the city to avoid shifting treatments off major arterials to quieter side streets in ways that would reduce protection where most deaths occur.

Votes at a glance - Item 1 (Council File 25-0156, motion on posting traffic restriction signs at South Sycamore Avenue and related corridors): approved (roll call: Council member Hutt yes; Council member Hernandez yes; Council member Park absent). Outcome: approved. - Item 2 (Council File 25-0141, feasibility of an air complaint program modeled on New York City): approved (same roll call). Outcome: approved. - Item 3 (Council File 204-0173, city attorney report and draft ordinance to implement Measure HLA, as amended by the chairs): adopted (roll call: Council member Hutt yes; Council member Hernandez yes; Council members Spark and Padilla not present). Outcome: approved. - Item 4 (budget recommendation for developing an implementation plan for HLA): received and filed. - Item 5 (LADOT report on streamlining project design and construction): noted and filed; DOT instructed to report back with a budget recommendation for FY 2025-26.

What the ordinance does not do The city attorney and department staff emphasized that the ordinance provides implementation procedures and assigns responsibilities but does not change the underlying scope of Measure HLA as set by the ballot language and the voter information pamphlet.

Next steps The committees directed LADOT, BSS and BOE to provide follow-up materials as specified in the public works chair's amendment, including flowcharts and timelines within 30 days, and the draft mobility dashboard is expected to be online in April (per staff comment). The ordinance and accompanying administrative steps will govern how departments plan, design and deliver mobility-plan projects under Measure HLA going forward.

Ending The committees adopted the amended ordinance and directed staff reports and budget recommendations; departments told the committee they will need additional staff and funding and that multiyear capital planning would help align resurfacing, curb-ramp and mobility-plan delivery.