Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has paused a planned safety overhaul on Forest Lawn Drive, drawing sharp criticism from Councilwoman Nithya Raman. the delay comes amid an upcoming election and allegations of cemetery-led lobbying to preserve vehicle lanes.
95 crashes and a stalled safety mandate
The Forest Lawn Drive Safety and Mobility Project was designed to overhaul a dangerous corridor that connects Griffith Park, Glendale, Hollywood, and the San Fernando Valley. According to the nonprofit Streets Are For Everyone,this specific stretch of road has been the site of 95 crashes between 2013 and 2023, including three incidents that resulted in serious injury or death. the proposed redesign aimed to calm traffic and add separated bicycle facilities to protect the diverse range of commuters using the route.
While the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) reported that the redesign would have minimal impact on travel times for motorists, the project was halted just weeks before work was scheduled to begin. This intervention has turned a localized infrastructure project into a broader debate about the city's commitment to urbanist safety measures versus traditional automotive access.
Why 53% of drivers are exceeding the 45 mph limit
Speeding and poor infrastructure have long plagued the approximately one mile of Forest Lawn Drive that currently lacks sidewalks or dedicated bicycle lanes. As the report from Streets Are For Everyone details, the area is characterized by a badly damaged shoulder and a posted speed limit of 45 mph that is frequently ignored. Independent speed surveys conducted by SAFE volunteers revealed that 53% of drivers exceeded this limit, with one in five motorists traveling at speeds between 51 and 75 mph.
These drivers often pass dangerously close to people walking, running, or bicycling, highlighting the urgent need for the infrastructure that was recently paused. The lack of connectivity for cyclists between the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood makes the safety of this specific corridor a high-stakes issue for the city's non-motorized commuters.
Did cemetery lobbying influence the May 7 directive?
The decision to pause construction has sparked intense debate over whether institutional interests have overridden public safety goals. Damian Kevitt, Executive Director of Streets Are For Everyone,alleged that Mayor Karen Bass' decision to delay the project followed lobbying efforts by Forest Lawn Cemetery and Mount Sinai Memorial Park, both of which opposed the planned lane reductions. In a May 7 letter, Mayor Bass directed LADOT and StreetsLA to explore an alternative plan that preserves all existing traffic lanes while still protecting cyclists.
However, several critical points regarding this pivot remain unverified. It is still unclear how much influence the cemeteries exerted on the Mayor's office, what the specific parameters of the proposed "alternative plan" will be, and what exactly caused the recent fatal single-vehicle crash near Mount Sinai Drive. The source notes that the cause of that recent crash remains unknown, leaving a gap in the understanding of the immediate dangers on the road.
The political stakes of the November 3 election
The conflict over Forest Lawn Drive has evolved into a significant political battleground for the November 3 election. Councilwoman Nithya Raman has joined street safety advocates to criticize the Mayor’s delay, framing it as a failure to prioritize vulnerable road users. Raman is currently challenging Bass for the mayoralty, making every infrastructure decision a potential campaign issue.
Conversely, the Bass campaign has dismissed these criticisms, stating that Raman is attempting to distract from her own performance as a Councilmember .. The campaign maintains that the Mayor is simply seeking a compromise that improves safety without disrupting the ability of community members to attend church or funeral services. as the election approaches, the Forest Lawn Drive project serves as a proxy for the larger fight over the future of Los Angeles transit policy.
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