The timing of doing a video of the Yucca Bike Boulevard isn’t a coincidence.

Currently, the local neighborhood council is considering to ask for it’s removal, but seven years later, this three-quarter mile stretch has become more important.

On the surface, Yucca provides a safer passage east-west through Hollywood better than any nearby street can provide.

 

Yucca St. Bike Boulevard Island

 

The main feature are the three traffic islands which allow cyclists to pass through while forcing drivers to turn.

Since 2012, it’s hard to gauge how many more people cycle through the area, but clearly a large number of people on e-scooters has emerged that hadn’t existed before.

Yucca St. Bike Boulevard

 

A bigger development since these added improvements has been the recent advent of Waze and Google Maps shuffling drivers through neighborhoods.

These apps have not only changed the way we’ve used our streets, but have also encouraged more congestion on our side streets.

 

Yucca St. Bike Boulevard Map

 

Needless to say, the Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council has an agenda item to request the removal of these diverters which is not only backward, but be careful for what you ask for. 

Whenever you open up the streets for more movement, it’s the people going through your neighborhood that take advantage, not the ones living there.

In fact, there are instances of more recent traffic mitigation in HHWNC including blocking turns into El Cerrito Place off of Outpost and turning a portion of La Cuesta into one way near Runyon Canyon.

 

Yucca St. Bike Boulevard Map

 

As someone who has been a frequent runner (and now cyclist) in the area, it’s clear how drastically Waze has affected the neighborhoods for people driving over the hills and adding capacity is just adding problems.

If you’re able this Wednesday night, make it out to the HHWNC meeting at the Will and Ariel Durant Library (7140 Sunset Blvd.) and make your voice heard.

The Yucca Bike Boulevard set an example for the rest of the City that has yet to be followed.

Eliminating it would erase hope of any more.