The two-page ruling by Superior Court Judge John Torribio sets the stage for a hearing today in Norwalk where oral arguments will be heard. A business group and a homeowners group have each filed lawsuits over the proposed project.

The controversial plan is being pushed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Councilman Jack Weiss. The project would initially change the signal timing so that eastbound traffic on Pico and westbound on Olympic are given speedier commutes. Some street parking also would be removed to add a lane of traffic during rush hour.

The city has argued that the modifications to roadways and traffic operations are exempt from more study under the California Environmental Quality Act. Torribio ruled otherwise, writing, "The very purpose of the project is to expand the use of the existing streets."

-end 

*Editor's Note: Although this issue as reported above would appear to serve the greater good by relieving traffic congestion, the argument posed by Pico Olympic Solutions is that it would potentially harm over 1,100 local business, increase traffic and congestion in neighborhoods and decrease the local business tax base by over $350 million dollars. (see Transportation Chronology for in depth information).

[Editor’s Note: Representing the Greater West L.A. Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Handal, a former Culver City business owner, responds to the latest developments in Mayor Villaragosa’s revolutionary plan to loosen Westside traffic. Essentially, he proposes turning Olympic and Pico boulevards into one-way streets at peak hours by banning curbside parking. The scheme is widely deemed damaging to business owners along both corridors.]

Los Angeles City Councilman Jack Weiss’s office just released a new Pico/Olympic frequently-asked-questions sheet.

As has been the past practice with this project, the information coming from the Mayor and Jack Weiss is replete with half-truths, errors of omission and in some cases, outright lies.

The table below illustrates the chronology of the Pico-East Olympic-West Traffic Initiative. As FixTheCity was changed from a blog to a full featured website, presenting the matrix below is exactly the same as before to maintain continuity. Future items will be added as separate items in keeping with the new website.