Hollywood residents saw a fresh painted crosswalk appear Saturday morning at the intersection of Sycamore and Lexington avenues. The markings were laid down by traffic‑safety advocate Jonathan Hale and his volunteer group People’s Vision Zero, which has a history of installing unpermitted pedestrian crossings throughout Los Angeles.
Why the crosswalk was added
Hale explained that his team selects locations based on collision data compiled by researchers at UC Berkeley. “We focus primarily on residential corners, where there is a four‑way stop in the neighborhood,” he told NBC Los Angeles. “There’s curb cuts. It’s a clear place for people to cross. The idea is that we’re not adding anything. We’re not changing the law because a crosswalk already exists.”
City response
Mayor Karen Bass’s office issued a statement affirming the city’s commitment to safe streets for all Angelenos. The mayor highlighted a nearly $8 million investment in pedestrian and street safety along the Alameda and Spring Street corridors, funded through her Capital Infrastructure Program. The plan includes protected bike lanes, new pedestrian crossings, curb‑ramp improvements, and street resurfacing for downtown and Chinatown neighborhoods.
Mayor Bass also noted that the city will continue to install crosswalks that comply with federal, state, and local regulations, underscoring the importance of following proper procedures.
Law‑enforcement perspective
According to Hale, the Los Angeles Police Department did not appear on the scene while the volunteers painted the crossing. The group’s previous unpermitted crosswalk in Sawtelle led to Hale’s arrest on suspicion of vandalism last December.
Community impact
Supporters of People’s Vision Zero argue that such grassroots actions draw attention to dangerous intersections that may be overlooked by municipal planning. Critics, however, contend that unauthorized markings could create confusion for drivers and undermine the city’s orderly process for installing pedestrian infrastructure.
As the city moves forward with its multi‑million‑dollar safety upgrades, the debate over citizen‑initiated crosswalks highlights the ongoing tension between community activism and municipal oversight in Los Angeles.
Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.
