You don’t get to declare a moral emergency and then do nothing for five years.
West Hollywood’s political class has spent the last year diagnosing Fountain Avenue as a public safety catastrophe—a road so dangerous, so fatal, so structurally unjust, it demands a complete redesign.
We agree. It is dangerous.
So why are all the lanes still open?
Councilmembers Danny Hang, John Erickson, and Mayor Chelsea Byers have all publicly stated that something must be done. They’ve backed studies, surveys, community workshops, PowerPoints, and pilot programs. The implication is clear: driving on Fountain Avenue is a blood sport.
But if that’s true, then explain this:
Why are we waiting until 2027 or 2028 to fix it?
If you truly believe that Fountain is a deadly corridor, then keeping it open as-is—day after day, year after year—makes you complicit in every crash that happens next.
If we’re in a crisis, act like it
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about bike lanes. It’s not about parking. It’s about logic.
If the road is that dangerous, then close one lane in each direction now. Temporary barriers. Jersey walls. Cones. Whatever it takes.
We’ve done it before. We closed bars overnight for COVID. We shut down entire economies for public health. Don’t tell us you can’t reroute a few thousand vehicles a day when lives are allegedly at stake.
Because if you claim the road is deadly but keep it wide open, the message isn’t “we’re working on it.” The message is:
“We’re fine with a few more casualties as long as the process feels inclusive.”
The crash stats are in—and getting worse
According to the city’s own mobility plan, Fountain is one of the most dangerous stretches of pavement in the city. Killed or Severely Injured (KSI) rates remain high. The pilot program showed marginal improvements, but traffic volumes rebounded. And now we’re back to the status quo—with full knowledge that people will be maimed or killed until the permanent fix is installed.
This isn’t just negligence. It’s premeditated inertia.
When politicians announce that something is deadly, then delay the response for half a decade, they’re not solving the problem—they’re managing it.
You said it was urgent. Prove it.
Mayor Byers has declared a “culture of care.” Councilmember Hang says safety is a top priority. Erickson wants a “progressive, data-driven mobility strategy.” Great.
You’ve done the moral branding.
Now do the governing.
Close a lane. Narrow the corridor. Install concrete. Remove temptation.
Because every day you don’t, you’re telling the city that some level of harm is acceptable—as long as you’re still holding community feedback sessions and publishing glossy PDFs.
We don’t need more meetings.
We need less road.
