Weekly News Roundup – Feb. 17, 2014
Gaffey Gets Two New Traffic Lights
Two new traffic lights were activated on Gaffey Street last week. The signals on 11th and 15th Streets have been long-in-the-making, and are intended to help make conditions safer for pedestrians, especially students walking home from school. Councilman Joe Buscaino spoke at a light activation ceremony on Thursday in front of the Omelette and Waffle Shop, where owners Mona Sutton and Leslie Jones, who lobbied for a traffic light for more than 10 years, were on hand to flip the power switch. Buscaino also shared his experience nearly getting hit by drivers who blew through the crosswalk when he would cross the street as a decoy dressed as Santa Claus when he was a senior lead officer.
Sharrow Bike Lanes Coming to San Pedro
San Pedro will be getting almost five miles of new bike lanes, but don’t panic — they’re sharrow lanes, not the confusing, lane-reducing bike lanes that caused a stir on Capitol and Westmont Drives last year. The Department of Transportation will be painting markings on sections of 19th, 13th, Ninth, 26th and Alma Streets as well as Patton and Cabrillo Avenues. Unlike separate bike lanes, sharrow lanes are designated with markings reminding drivers they are shared lanes.
Residents Concerned with Roaming Homeless Encampments
Homeless encampments have been cropping up around San Pedro, catching the attention of residents and the media. In recent months, the City and police have been responding to complaints about encampments near Paseo del Mar, Leland Park, the Gaffey Street Bridge and Western Avenue. The Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council, which recently saw debate over the proposed homeless service center on Ninth Street, will be holding a forum with Marymount California University on homelessness on April 2 at the Grand Annex.
Panelists Talk Port Energy Solutions
Officials from the Port of Los Angeles participated in a forum on port energy solutions last week at Harbor College. Dozens of entrepreneurs attended the Feb. 13 event hosted by PortTechLA, which helps clean energy start-ups. The discussion focused on finding innovative ways to address energy issues at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which both spend tens of millions of dollars on electricity annually, according to a recent study by UCLA’s Luskin Center for Innovation.
