I decided to reexamine my entry for the Sci-Arc-sponsored transit competition "A New Infrastructure: Innovating Transit Solutions for Los Angeles." Having learned more about urban design during the two intervening years, I felt the need to put my newfound knowledge to use. Unlike the competition entry that was focused primarily on just bus rapid transit, this "complete streets" proposal reexamines the boulevards of Los Angeles and proposes solutions to make them more amenable to transit users, cyclists, pedestrians and even drivers.

Like my earlier competition entry, this proposal is largely based-off the (seemingly now dead) idea of turning Pico & Olympic Boulevards into a pair of one-way streets. The idea is extended to also include Washington and Venice Boulevards, which also run parallel and are within walking distance of each other from Downtown to Venice. (Unlike the earlier competition entry, I did not include parts of Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards).

I believe the the city's Pico & Olympic proposal failed because it did not offer any quality of life improvements for residents. It was narrowly focused on increasing traffic throughput (for both riders and drivers), and showed little regard to the effect it had on the effected communities. This complete streets proposal improves quality of life with generous landscaping, street furniture, wide sidewalks and frequent street crossings.

The drawings show a basic template for the boulevards based on a 100' width. Obviously, the boulevards are not all uniform in width throughout their lengths, nor is the density and their use uniform throughout. Perhaps I will add to this project over time to address specific conditions such as surface parking lots, unusual intersections, and narrower rights-of-way...