Pacific Palisades Community Council and Palisades PRIDE send joint letter in opposition to proposal
By Toi Creel
Local stakeholders are expressing opposition to a proposal to bring digital bus signs to Los Angeles.
The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services recently discussed the potential of putting out a Request for Proposals (RFP) to put in digital signs in bus shelters throughout Los Angeles.
The Pacific Palisades Community Council (PPCC) and beautification group Palisades PRIDE have written to City officials asking them to hold off on submitting an RFP before receiving letters from the community.
“PPCC and PRIDE strongly object to the City Bureau of Street Services (BSS) issuing an RFP for the Project or making decisions as to the specifications of street furniture or scope of the Project without first obtaining input from the public and local communities,” the letter reads.
The letter went on to say while the groups recognize the importance of digital advertising as a way to bring in funds, they “oppose, in the strongest possible terms, the placement of digital advertising signage (screens with illuminated moving images) anywhere in the PROW [local public right-of-way] in Pacific Palisades, including in bus shelters, on or near street furniture, along scenic highways such as Sunset Blvd., in our coastal neighborhoods and in our Specific Plan and other commercial areas of the Palisades. “
PPCC and Palisades PRIDE went onto argue that the signs would cause blight, could be a public safety hazard for pedestrians and would negatively impact the city’s creative aesthetic.
“Principles of open government require that sufficient notice and an adequate opportunity for comment must be provided to local communities, including neighborhood and community councils, before such a widespread and impactful program is initiated. Clearly, outreach to the wider public (non-business community) by BSS/StreetsLA to date has been inadequate, if not non-existent,” the letter reads.
A letter was also submitted to the Board of Public Works Commissioners on November 21. Commissioners were set to have a tentative meeting about the issue on November 24, 2020.
In a recent newsletter, the Brentwood Community Council (BCC) said that “It is likely that the BCC and Pacific Palisades Community Council will combine forces against this RFP, as we have in the past on this issue.”
“It would impact bus stops along Sunset Boulevard where there are existing shelters (such as Mandeville @ Sunset) or add shelters with digital video signage at stops where there are no shelters today,” the BCC added.
To comment directly to the Department of Public Works, please use the following link and use “0” as the Agenda item number. Please refer to the “BSS Digital Signage RFP” https://bit.ly/DPWCommentForm.
