Environmental lawsuit to block Los Angeles bike path

A group of homeowners in West Los Angeles are fighting planned construction of a bike path across their backyards with an environmental lawsuit.

The Los Angeles Expo Line Phase 2 construction between Culver City and Santa Monica includes four miles of bike path. A handful of residents on Northvale Road in West Los Angeles have filed suit against the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Caltrans, the City of Los Angeles and its Metropolitan Transit Authority to block this bike path. Their backyards adjoin the light right and bike path right of way.



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The homeowners claim in their suit that the bike path has “several adverse and potentially adverse impacts.” They seek an immediate injunction against work on the bike path because “possible traffic congestion and other environmental impacts were disregarded when the project received funding.” Ted (and others) suggest the homeowners don’t want a bike path because they fear the intrusion of sweaty bike hippies, outsiders, and other assorted undesirables into their demesne.

More at Courthouse News and Curbed LA.

5 Comments

  1. And as soon as the path gets built, they’ll be asking for a gate so they can use it.

  2. This group first starting complaining a few years back when the Expo Line and the adjoining bike path were still being discussed in the local neighborhood councils. The fear then, before they hid behind environmental law, was that criminal types would ride up, burglarize their homes and pedal away with their flat screens and other assorted booty.

  3. I’m surprised people still oppose bike lanes because of crime or property value fears.

    Roads, however, are fine, because criminals never drive cars, no sir!

  4. i can’t find a map of the bike path anywhere. if it were to actually run next to the Expo line, it doesn’t seem there would be a problem, but it looks like they’re trying to run it through some other parallel field, former rail ROW. LA needs on-street facilities.

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