Recent Streetsblog LA posts about South LA

In an effort to show how transportation, open space, planning and other issues impact the health and character of a community, Streetsblog and The California Endowment teamed to bring Streetsblog’s coverage to a hyper-local level in Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles. Sahra Sulaiman is the Communities Editor for Streetsblog Los Angeles and is leading our coverage efforts in these communities. This page serves as a place to read Sahra’s and all of Streetsblog’s coverage of issues in South L.A. Contact Sahra at sahra[at]streetsblog.org or on twitter: @sahrasulaiman.

Gardena PD Ticket, Harass United Riders of South Los Angeles for Taking Lane while the Case of the Hit-and-Run Victim They Were Honoring Remains Unsolved

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jul 12, 2013 | 36 Comments

The United Riders of South Los Angeles had just left the memorial site for Benjamin Torres, killed last October in Gardena in a hit-and-run, when they were pulled over by the Gardena Police Department. They had stopped at the site to replace Torres’ original ghost bike, which had recently been removed by the city. They […]

Visit a New Grocery Stand, Help Build Bikes for Kids, Participate in a Vacant Lots Project, or Help Recode L.A.

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jul 11, 2013 | No Comments

There are several things afoot in South L.A. this weekend that will essentially cover the four food groups of livability: fresh food stands, bicycle building (and donating), recoding the city’s outdated zoning codes (OK, that’s a stretch), and vacant lot identification. The best thing? They’re spaced out well enough that you can check out all […]

Assessing the Momentum of the Bike Movement in South L.A., a Year and a Half On

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jul 10, 2013 | 11 Comments

We’ve known for a while what NPR and the League of American Bicyclists appear to just be figuring out: namely, that people of color ride bikes and are doing so in ever-increasing numbers. In fact, people of color have been on bikes for years, especially in lower-income communities. Spend a day touring South L.A. and […]

After the Fireworks, There is Still Fun to Be Had on Bikes This Weekend

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jul 3, 2013 | No Comments

Last July, the Peace, Love and Family ride took a couple hundred riders on a tour through some of the major corridors of South L.A. before returning to a festival at Manchester and Vermont to show people that the streets could be sites for recreation. The ride was a lot of fun, both for those […]

Transforming “Summer Night Lights” to “Year-Round Lights” Could Work Wonders for Communities Where Access to Public Space is Limited

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jun 28, 2013 | 4 Comments

Since we’re in the mood to talk transitioning this week, I’d like to put in a plug for Eric Garcetti to continue to support and significantly expand one of the most important community efforts to reclaim public space for recreation. No, not CicLAvia (although it is indeed amazing). I’m referring to the Summer Night Lights […]

And So It Gets Put on Hold… Co-op at Watts Cyclery Postponed Until After Owner’s Tour of Duty

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jun 21, 2013 | No Comments

“Stalin tells me you have helped him cut costs,” I said to the brother of Stalin Medina, owner of the Watts Cyclery. He has been helping manage the shop for the past several months because Medina has been tied up with Army trainings in preparation for a tour in Afghanistan that begins in July. “Nah,” […]

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