HELP KEEP FLETCHER DRIVE MOVING…

A "walk audit" to supposedly identify pedestrian and bicycle hazard conditions on Fletcher Dr is happening on Friday, January 24th. AVNC's Transportation Committee has organized the walk audit, and participation is open to everyone. It will start at 3:30 pm, and those seeking to participate should meet outside at the northwest corner of La Clede Ave and Fletcher Dr next to the stoplight.

The walk audit is happening three years after LADOT's first attempt to force a road diet on Atwater's section Fletcher Drive. They sought to reduce vehicular traffic lanes from the current four lanes to a two-lane configuration and add dedicated bike lanes. Unable to do a road diet due to community opposition LADOT opted to implement less controversial safety improvements, such as upgraded/painted crosswalks and speed feedback signs.

Those improvements have enhanced the overall safety of Fletcher Dr. Since then, there have only been ten minor traffic collisions in a 2-year period from 01/01/2017 to 12/31/2018 (data from 2019 is currently not available). More importantly, unsafe vehicle speed was not a factor in any crashes in this period, and no collisions resulted in a fatality or severe injury. (Click here for the Fletcher Dr. Collision Factsheet – PDF file)

Despite these safety improvements, road diet supporters are expected to attend the walk audit. The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is proactively promoting the walk audit to its members and is encouraging them to attend. If you're interested in keeping Fletcher Drive moving with its current four traffic lane configuration and help identify additional safety solutions that don't involve reducing traffic lanes, please attend. Your presence and input are genuinely needed. See the meeting information below.

AVNC Transportation Committee Meeting
When: Friday, January 24, 2020, at 3:30 pm
Where: 3099 La Clede Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 9009
Note: We will meet outside at the northwest corner of La Clede Avenue and Fletcher Dr. next to the stoplight.
Why: Walk audit of pedestrian and bicycle hazard conditions on Fletcher Dr

Fletcher Drive Traffic Collisions – FACTSHEET

Fletcher Drive Traffic Collisions – FACTSHEET
Atwater Village
(Fletcher Drive, from La Clede Avenue to Los Angeles River/Fletcher Drive Bridge)
Period: 01/1/2017 through 12/31/2018 (2019 data currently unavailable)
Source: UC Berkeley Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS)

Summary: There has been a total of 10 traffic collisions on Atwater’s section of Fletcher Drive in 2 year period from 01/01/2017 to 12/31/2018. One accident involved a vehicle-on-pedestrian collision, in which the pedestrian was at fault, one accident involved a vehicle-on-bicycle collision, in which the cyclist was at fault, and eight accidents involved vehicle-on-vehicle collisions. Unsafe speed was not a factor in any crashes in this period, and no collisions resulted in a fatality or severe injury.

TIMS_Query_TYPE_OF_COLLISION_20200118.png

  • Ten traffic collisions were reported in 2 years from 01/01/2017 through 12/31/2018. The type of accidents was: seven broadside collisions involving two or more vehicles, one head-on collision involving two motor vehicles, one sideswipe collision involving one motor vehicle and one bicycle, and one vehicle/pedestrian collision involving one motor vehicle and one pedestrian.

  • The collision involving the pedestrian occurred as a result of the pedestrian’s failure to yield the right-of-way to vehicles when crossing outside of a marked or unmarked crosswalk (jaywalking). The pedestrian was deemed at fault and cited.

  • The collision involving the bicycle occurred as a result of the cyclist’s failure to yield right of way to oncoming traffic while making a left turn. The cyclist was deemed at fault and cited.

  • Unsafe speed was not cited as a factor in any collisions in this period, and no accidents resulted in a fatality or severe injury.

TIMS_Query_COLLISION_SEVERITY_20200118.png

  • No collisions during this period resulted in a fatality or severe injury. 30% (3) of the accidents resulted in minor but visible injuries while the majority, 70% (7), of the collisions resulted in minor injuries accompanied by a complaint of pain.

TIMS_Query_DAY_OF_WEEK_20200118.png

  • Most collisions occurred on a Saturday during the daylight hours, while nearly all weekday collisions occurred after 6 PM, well after the period when school children walk home from school.

Click here to download Fletcher Drive Collision Factsheet (PDF file)

UPDATE: FLETCHER DRIVE STILL ON LADOT’S ROAD DIET RADAR

Flush with new funding L.A.’s Department of Transportation (LADOT) is still eyeing Fletcher Drive, between San Fernando Road and Riverside Drive, for pedestrian/bicycle safety improvements via it’s “Vision Zero” program. As part of it’s “Phase 1 Implementation” LADOT seeks to increase safety along Fletcher Drive with such low-cost measures like roadway re-striping, lane tightening or lane reductions, painted intersection tightening and the addition of buffered bike lanes; all collectively known as a road diet.

Back in 2017 LADOT attempted to force a road diet on Fletcher Drive despite widespread community opposition. LADOT’s 2017 road diet plans were drafted without any community input and failed to take into account that Fletcher Drive is major vehicular artery for local drivers and far-flung commuters and a vital access route to geographically isolated residential areas. (Click here for more information on LADOT's 2017 plans).

This time around LADOT has promised a “robust” community engagement strategy for 2019 so that all members of the community are aware of a project’s safety benefits and tradeoffs. Despite this promise LADOT has not engaged Atwater Village thus far and has provided no public updates beyond a January 2019 interdepartmental memorandum.

Vision Zero Website

http://visionzero.lacity.org/

POSTPONED - August 2nd Vision Zero Mtg. for Fletcher Drive

UPDATE ON AUGUST 2ND ROAD DIET MEETING, SEE EMAIL BELOW

"Hi there,

My name is Brian Oh and I am the Dept of Transportation's project manager for the city's Vision Zero Priority Corridor on Fletcher Dr. Thank you so much for the great input and comments at our meeting on July 20th. Given all the great feedback, we are postponing the planned August 2nd meeting in Elysian Valley. I will make sure to reach out once a new date and time is set. 

Brian Oh
Transportation Planning Associate II
Active Transportation Division
Los Angeles Department of Transportation
213.928.9622
brian.oh@lacity.org"