The $29.4 million toe in the water

The Long Beach city council has approved the next phase of an 8.28-mile bike route along Orange Avenue, a busy north-south thoroughfare. The project, which began in 2017, is more than halfway finished and will cover roughly another third of Orange Avenue from 52nd Street to Wardlow Road and Hill Street to Pacific Coast Highway.

The project, which began in 2017 , is more than halfway finished and will cover roughly another third of Orange Avenue from 52nd Street to Wardlow Road and Hill Street to Pacific Coast Highway.

The Long Beach city council has approved the next phase of an 8.28-mile bike route along Orange Avenue, a busy north-south thoroughfare.

Why 4 ,000 unsod units became the prize

Long Beach has yet to see success on reshaping streets to reduce crashes, city experts say. Despite a goal of eliminating traffic deaths by 2026, there were 53 deadly car collisions last year, the highest in a decade.

Last year, 32 people were killed while walking, biking, or riding an e-scooter in Long Beach - more than the 29 people murdered that year. Orange Avenue is flagged as one of the city's most dangerous streets.

Reducing all types of crashes, city experts say, is possible if Long Beach is willing to dramatically reshape streets by adding medians,widening sidewalks, and putting in dedicated bus and bike lanes, at the expense of car lanes.

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

Marked as a project the city wants finished by the 2028 Olympics, the bikeway is meant to alleviate a sense of dread and discomfort faced by cyclists and pedestrians zigzagging the street each day.

Councilmember Megan Kerr said her office has heard from multiple residents who feel unsafe crossing roads, adding she hopes the plan will 'make Orange Avenue a safe street for all.'

The next phase of the bike route will bring 2.66 miles of upgraded bike lanes, some parts divided by a sharrow, other parts with a barrier, as well as five protected intersections at major cross streets, 10 upgraded crosswalks with flashing beacons, 15 new or relocated bus stops, and 2.5 miles of sidewalk addition or repairs.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

There was urgency to get this section of the project approved, considering nearly half of the $29.4 million budget - a $13.2 million Caltrans grant - expires next month if it's not allocated.

Tara Riggi, president of the California Heights Neighborhood Association, asked that the project minimize the amount of green paint used in striping between Bixby Avenue and Wardlow Road, and that spot repairs use concrete and not asphalt slurry seal, to preserve the neighborhood's original aesthetic.

The World Cup kicked off Thursday, and so does a four-day fan festival at L.A. Memorial Coliseum.. The festival features live broadcasts of the games, music, and food, and provides a place for fans to celebrate as Team USA plays its first game against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Friday.

A familiar pattern from the 2019 crash

Gaby Cardona lives in Los Angeles and came to the Fan Festival to root for Mexico.

'My family is from Michoacan so we're here to support Mexico and you know I'm just so excited to be part of this culture and to be able to represented here in L.A.,' Cardona said.

Other fans rooting for Mexico said they think the team could make it all the way and win the World Cup.

Tehran's two-track response

The festival features live broadcasts of the games, music, and food, and provides a place for fans to celebrate as Team USA plays its first game against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Friday.

Long Beach has yet to see success on reshaping streets to reduce crshes, city expets say. Despite a goal of eliminating traffic deaths by 2026,there were 53 deadly car collisions last year, the highest in a decade.

Last year,32 people were killed while walking, biking, or riding an e-scooter in Long Beach - more than the 29 people murdered that year. Orange Avenue is flagged as one of the city's most dangerous streets.