The City of West Hollywood invites community members to attend an upcoming community meeting to review parking considerations along Vista/Gardner as part of the Willoughby, Vista/Gardner, and Kings - Street Design Concept Plan.

The community meeting and parking-focused discussion will take place on Thursday, August 22, 2024, at 6 p.m. at the Plummer Park Community Center in Rooms 5 & 6, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard. The meeting is drop-in; no advance RSVP is needed.

The purpose of this in-person discussion is to provide community members with information regarding the proposed parking reconfiguration along Vista/Gardner outlined in the Street Design Concept Plan and to receive feedback on proposed changes. City staff will provide a brief presentation on design alternatives being considered and will request feedback from the community.

The City of West Hollywood’s mobility projects are guided by the adopted Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Plan, launched in 2019, which advocates for comfortable, safe, healthy, and convenient places to walk and bicycle in the context of a balanced, multimodal transportation network serving pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and motorists of all ages and abilities.

The Street Design Concept Plan was identified as a priority project in the Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Plan. The project’s primary objective is to enhance the neighborhood and protect the safety of both pedestrians and cyclists through strategic street improvements across the corridor. This comprehensive streetscape initiative aims to create safer, more accessible routes for walking and biking while effectively reducing cut-through traffic. By transforming Kings Road and Vista/Gardner Streets into key connecting corridors, the Street Design Concept Plan facilitates a seamless link between residential and commercial areas and east-west routes such as Santa Monica Boulevard and Fountain Avenue. This connectivity not only supports a healthier, more active community but also promotes environmental sustainability and enriches local quality of life.

The Street Design Concept Plan is the first project stage in the development of the Willoughby, Vista/Gardner, and Kings - Street Design Capital Improvement Project. With the recent approval of the Street Design Concept Plan by the West Hollywood City Council, the Plan now moves forward to the Design & Engineering Phase, where concepts will be developed in much more detail. This includes the development and incorporation of detailed engineering plans, specifications, and cost estimates that will serve as the blueprint for project construction. The next stage of the project will determine the feasibility of the conceptual project elements from the Street Design Concept Plan and allow for additional insight into any refinements that may need to be incorporated into the project’s final design.

The Community Engagement and Plan Development Process to date has included:

• The Willoughby, Vista/Gardner, and Kings project was identified in the Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Plan adopted in 2017, and outreach on the Concept Plan for these streets began with a visioning workshop in Summer 2019.

• The project was delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, but in August 2022 the City hosted two community virtual workshops. Feedback and survey responses guided recommendations.

• In 2022, demonstration projects were installed along Willoughby as an alternative way to share ideas and provide community input.

• In addition to the community workshops, staff also met with residents to share information about the project. City staff attended multiple update meetings with the City of Los Angeles, including Council District 5 and the Mid-City West Neighborhood Council.

• As part of the demonstration project and community workshops in 2022, Here LA and the City’s WeHoTV collaborated to put together an engagement video to help community members envision potential street changes and improvements.

• In April 2023, City staff finalized the report and recommendations to include protected bike lanes along Vista/Gardner.

• Staff presented these recommendations to the Transportation & Mobility Commission in June 2023, and the Commission expressed its support.

• In November 2023, the West Hollywood City Council directed staff to develop a policy to include protected bike lanes on all roadway projects. Following this directive, staff developed a protected bike lane option for Gardner between Fountain and Lexington.

• In March 2024, City staff presented the Street Design Concept Plan to the West Hollywood City Council, which included two options for Gardner between Fountain and Lexington, including one with the addition of protected bike lanes.

• In April 2024, City staff held an Informational Open House to provide community members with detailed information regarding the Street Design Concept Plan and share an overview of the steps taken to date and the next steps moving forward.

The City of West Hollywood will continue to provide additional feedback opportunities to refine concepts as part of the upcoming Design & Engineering Phase. In particular, the City will look for ways to address issues of concern, including minimizing impacts to on-street parking.

For up-to-date information about the Willoughby, Vista/Gardner, and Kings – Street Design Concept Plan, please visit the City’s Engage WeHo information and feedback page, which is located at engage.weho.org/willoughby. For additional information, visit go.weho.org/willoughby.

For more information, please contact Bob Cheung, City of West Hollywood Senior Transportation Planner, at (323) 848-6346 or at bcheung@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. West Hollywood City Hall is open for walk-in services at public counters or by appointment by visiting www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services are accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via website at www.weho.org. Receive text updates by texting “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.