A Los Angeles pedestrian-safety activist has carried out another unauthorized street project, painting a crosswalk at a heavily traveled Hollywood intersection.
Jonathan Hale, joined by members of his group People’s Vision Zero, painted the markings at Sycamore and Lexington avenues on Saturday morning, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Hale has drawn attention across Los Angeles for creating unofficial crosswalks in areas where he says pedestrians urgently need safer places to cross.
He told NBC Los Angeles that the group relies on statewide crash data collected by UC Berkeley researchers when deciding where to focus its crosswalk campaign.
“We focus primarily on residential corners, where there is a four-way stop in the neighborhood,” Hale told the outlet. “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.”
The DIY traffic-safety effort has previously brought Hale into contact with law enforcement. In December, he was arrested on suspicion of vandalism after painting a separate crosswalk at Kelton and Wilkins avenues in Sawtelle.
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This time, Hale said, LAPD officers did not arrive as the group painted the Hollywood intersection on Saturday.
After NBC asked about the citizen-led crosswalk effort, Mayor Karen Bass’ office defended the city’s ongoing pedestrian-safety strategy.
“Mayor Bass believes that streets and sidewalks should be safe and accessible for all Angelenos, no matter how they travel. The City will continue to install crosswalks that comply with federal, state, and local regulations,” her office said.
The mayor’s office also highlighted Bass’ recent announcement of nearly $8 million for pedestrian and street-safety upgrades along the Alameda and Spring Street corridors.
The project will bring protected bike lanes, new pedestrian crossings, curb ramp improvements and street resurfacing to parts of Downtown Los Angeles and Chinatown.
“Mayor Bass is tackling LA’s aging infrastructure by creating the long-term planning that the city had lacked for decades,” her office said.