LOS ANGELES — Hollywood Boulevard, known for its star-studded Walk of Fame and open-air bus tours, now has another eye-catching feature — a pair of protected bike lanes spanning 2.1 miles between Gower Street and Hillhurst Avenue.

What You Need To Know

  • New protected bike lanes are drawing mixed reactions. The lanes, which span 2.1 miles along Hollywood Boulevard, are being praised by cyclists but criticized by some residents and business owners

  • Lawmakers said this is part of their Vision Zero plan, a city-wide effort to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe, healthy and equitable mobility for all

  • According to the LA Department of Transportation, Hollywood Boulevard is among LA’s high-injury network

  • The high-injury network makes up only 6% of city streets in LA, but accounts for nearly 70% of all traffic-related deaths and severe injuries for pedestrians

The lanes are a welcome change for cyclists like Matt Utsunomiya, who commutes daily through the area. 

“I work as a tour guide, so I’m going all over this area,” he said.

“I’m biking to Griffith Park observatory, I’m biking to Hollywood Boulevard, and I’m biking to the Farmer’s Market, which is 11 miles, and after I’ve passed across the LA River, there are very few east and west connections that are truly safe,” except this new corridor, he said.

Experts said the new lanes are slowing down the street, making cycling safer in one of LA’s busiest areas.

Matt’s partner, Alex Thomas, who also rides, said he’s grateful for the change because he’s been hit by a car before and even caught it on video.

“Two years ago, I was riding my electric longboard on Los Feliz coming back from the Griffith Park Observatory and I was actually hit by a driver on his cellphone,” said Thomas.

“Since then, I’ve had about $80,000 of medical expenses and about a year of chronic pain.”

That’s why he’s relieved to see these new plastic bollards on the road. But not everyone is thrilled. Some longtime residents and small business owners, including Armenoui Boiadjian, say the new infrastructure is causing confusion, making parking more difficult, and even driving away customers.

In Armenian, she said, “When customers come in, they’re very upset. They tell me they don’t feel safe parking in these new spaces and it’s taking a toll on my business.”

Boiadjian’s Dry Cleaning and Alterations shop has been on Hollywood Blvd. for nearly 30 years. She said this business is her livelihood, and if she keeps losing customers, she will be worried about her long-term retirement goals.

City officials, however, are standing by the changes. Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, representing the 13th District, said the slowdown is part of a broader initiative to reduce accidents and save lives.

“We know there’s going to be an adjustment to, you know, folks finding their routes to get to work or doing their chores, but hopefully now people have more options. They can feel safer walking, they can feel safer maybe biking down the street.”

Lawmakers said this is part of their “vision-zero” plan, a city-wide effort to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe, healthy and equitable mobility for all.

Vision Zero targets LA’s high-injury network, which spans 450 miles across the city.

According to the LA Department of Transportation, the high-injury network makes up only 6% of city streets but accounts for nearly 70% of all traffic-related deaths and severe injuries for pedestrians.

This stretch of Hollywood Boulevard is among the network.

It’s a reality that Utsunomiya knows all too well as an avid cyclist. 

But he’s hoping projects like these will change people’s behavior.

“I’ve become a bike evangelist at this point. I tell my friends I try and tell people about the benefits, but the biggest refrain I hear from everybody is just safety.”

As the city continues to balance safety with accessibility, officials said they’ll monitor the impact of these bike lanes closely and consider adjustments if necessary. But for now, the protected bike lanes are here to stay, symbolizing a shift in how Los Angeles envisions its streets.