Wind Advisory

Communities in the First District were hit hard by winds overnight and the situation continues with power outages, fallen trees and downed power lines. We have received the most recent reports of number of customers without power:

·Highland Park - 13,000

·Chinatown - 1,700

·Cypress Park – 9,300

·Lincoln Heights – 3,000

At the direction of my Chief of Staff Jose Gardea, we have dispatched our field deputies to survey the damage and have thus far reported more than 200 downed trees. We continue to assess damages and have sent City crews to respond to any danger from continuing gusts.

If you smell gas, or have another emergency, please call 9-1-1 immediately. Call 1-800-DIAL-DWP(800-342-5397) to report downed power lines and power outages. To report non-emergency wind-related problems, call the City’s 3-1-1 call center, which will be open 24 hours during the wind event.

Earlier in the day, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) had urged Northeast Los Angeles residents to conserve water after a power outage had affected water pumping infrastructure that supplies water to the following communities: Mt. Washington, Mt. Hermon, Monterey Hills, Cypress Park, Glassell Park, Montecito Heights. Thankfully, the LADWP announced this late afternoon that this water conservation alert has been lifted.

Thank you for your patience.

Reyes, City Leaders, Cyclists Celebrate L.A. Bike Plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Monica Valencia
March 2, 2011 (213)473-7001, monica.valencia@lacity.org

LISTEN to Councilmember Reyes' remarks from this morning's press conference at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZzFgFUMwIM

LOS ANGELES, March 2, 2011 -- Councilmember Ed P. Reyes gathered with City leaders and bicyclists at the City Hall south steps today to celebrate the adoption of the City's Bicycle Master Plan.
"With this Bike Plan, we're paving the way for a more bike-friendly L.A.," said Reyes, who has spearheaded bike projects along the Los Angeles River. "Approval of the City's Bicycle Plan is a critical milestone to support bicycling as a viable and safe transportation alternative. It's a cultural shift on how we view transportation, and opens up more opportunities for bicyclists, of all levels of ability and comfort, to ride in an urban environment."

Reyes was joined by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Councilmembers Bill Rosendahl, Eric Garcetti, Tom LaBonge, Jose Huizar, Controller Wendy Greuel, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and dozens of bicyclists who pedaled from communities throughout L.A. to City Hall for this morning's press event.

The City's Bicycle Plan, approved unanimously(12-0) yesterday by the City Council, lays the framework for a Citywide 1,680-mile bikeway system. The plan calls for 200 miles of new bikeways every five years. The plan can be viewed at www.labikeplan.org.

“The City’s New Master Bicycle Plan is another great example of Measure R funds at work—we are investing in bicycling as a viable transportation option and in the process encouraging Angelenos to lead healthy, active lifestyles,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “With the addition of over 1,600 miles of bikeways, Los Angeles is on the path to becoming a world-class city for bicycling.”

The City originally adopted a plan in 1977 that envisioned a 600-mile Citywide bikeway network. A second plan in 1996 designed a 673-mile network. The new Bicycle Master Plan designates a Citywide network of 1,680 miles—673 miles from the 1996 plan plus an additional 1,007 miles.

The plan includes three main bikeway networks—the Backbone Network, the Neighborhood Network and the Green Network. When completed, the three networks will give a vast majority of Angelenos access to a City bikeway within one mile of their home.

The 707-mile Backbone Network, comprised primarily of bicycle lanes, will enable access to major employment centers, transit stations and stops, and educational, retail, entertainment, and recreational resources.

The 834-mile Neighborhood Network includes local streets with low traffic volumes and slower speeds where bicyclists of all experience levels can feel comfortable. The Neighborhood Network will enable all bicycle riders, including children, families, young adults, and seniors, to access neighborhood facilities including schools, libraries, shopping districts, parks and open space.

The 139-mile Green Network enhances access with bicycle paths and shared use paths to the City’s green open spaces, particularly river channels like the Los Angeles River.

The Bike Plan will be funded by Measure R Local Return Funds, local funds from the Transportation Development Act, Federal grant funds from the MTA’s Call for Projects, the State’s Bicycle Transportation Account and Federal and State Safe Routes to Schools.

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Reyes Paves Way for a Bike-Friendly L.A.

Photo by George Magallanes, Office of Councilmember Ed P. Reyes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Monica Valencia, monica.valencia@lacity.org
March 1, 2011 (213)473-7001


WHAT: Councilmember Ed P. Reyes will join City leaders and bicyclists to celebrate the City's Bicycle Master Plan, adopted by the City Council today by a unanimous(12-0) vote. The Plan lays out 1,680 miles of interconnected bikeways and calls for more than 200 miles of new bicycle routes every five years Citywide, including along the Los Angeles River. There are currently about 375 miles of segmented bikeways Citywide.

”We've always given the automobile the priority, and the bicycles were secondary," said Councilmember Ed P. Reyes, one of the Plan's leading advocates. “But now we're changing and we're having a cultural shift toward different types of transportation. We're even looking at certain corridors where we can eliminate a lane for a car, and add a lane for a bicycle.''

WHEN: Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: South steps of Los Angeles City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
WHO: Councilmember Ed P. Reyes
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Councilmember Bill Rosendahl
Jay Slater, Chairman, Bicycle Advisory Committee
Jennifer Klausner, Executive Director, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

Details: The Bicycle Master Plan was developed by the City's Transportation and Planning departments in collaboration with the City's bicycle groups. The Plan will be implemented in part using funds from Measure R, a half-cent sales tax increase approved by voters in 2008 to fund transportation projects. The Plan was developed to encourage alternative transportation options and promote safe and healthy living, especially in Los Angeles' urban neighborhoods.

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Leaders Pave Way For L.A. River Bike Path

Councilmember Reyes joined Council President Eric Garcetti this morning to break ground on a new Los Angeles River bike path in the 13th District. The Elysian Valley Bike Path will extend the existing bikeway by 2.5 miles from its current end at Fletcher Drive to Barclay Street. The $2.8 million project will include a new layer of asphalt, lane striping, a barrier along the river, landscaping and two pocket parks.

“We’re just waiting for the day when we can have a greenway from the mountains to the sea. A day when we can have a bike path that connects all these great parks, and this is an instrumental step,” said Reyes at the ground breaking.

The Councilmembers were joined by the Los Angeles River Keepers, Elysian Valley community members, Los Angeles Department of Transportation and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority.

Reyes, Dodgers and Supermarkets Team Up to Help More Than 600 Families For Thanksgiving

Many families experience hardships through the holidays, especially now during these difficult economic times. But thanks to the generosity of local businesses and volunteers, their holidays will be a little brighter this year.

I recently joined more than 40 volunteers, the Los Angeles Dodgers and local businesses at Dodger Stadium to hand out all the fixings for 600 Thanksgiving dinners to needy families. A special thank you to Ralphs and Food 4 Less who generously donated the food to families in my district, Council District 13, and those qualified through nonprofit groups throughout the City.

Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier, Hall of Fame manager and special advisor to the chairman Tommy Lasorda, Dodgers legends “Sweet” Lou Johnson and Bobby Castillo, the Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council and the Echo Park Improvement Association all volunteered their time for the Nov. 20 event.

Having grown up in many of the neighborhood I represent, giving back to the community is something that has always been very important to me. I wish you, your family and friends a loving and safe Thanksgiving Day.