Dubious Distinction

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - Three pedestrians and one cyclist lost their lives in the month of September as a result of being hit by cars in the City of Beverly Hills.

Last week Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mike Hines informed the BH Transportation Commission that the city is #1 in California for pedestrian deaths for a city of its size.

Tuesday night Mr. and Mrs. SoapBoxLA spoke at the BH City Council meeting and urged them to act aggressively to mitigate the congestion and transportation conflict in the city.

Beverly Hills currently has no Bicycle Master Plan, no Pedestrian Master Plan, does not participate in the Metro’s Strategic Planning Program and is responsible for some abysmally maintained stretches of roadway such as Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny and Beverly.

Repeating the testimony offered last week at the Transportation Commission, SoapBoxLA urged the Council to consider pedestrian and cyclist activity part of the traffic congestion reduction solution and suggested that education, communication and cooperation would go a long way to providing safe travel for all through the City of Beverly Hills.

Twice the population of Beverly Hills drive on Santa Monica Boulevard every day causing asphalt drift and potholes that have rendered this street "non-shareable"

SoapBoxLA concluded by urging the Council to make a serious commitment to multi-modal transportation pointing out that every time they see a pedestrian or a cyclist traveling through Beverly Hills, they should give a thumbs up and be thankful, for that means another car that is NOT in their way.