Members of the Los Angeles City Council Transportation Committee today approved the proposed Bicyclist Anti-Harassment Ordinance, passing consideration of the motion to the city's Public Safety Committee. The motion will not become law unless passed by the full City Council. The issue will likely be taken up in January next year. The next council transit committee meeting will take place on January 13th, when sharrows and bike sharing will be discussed. more ›

As protests and arrests take place outside, a UC Board of Regents' committee approved a large tuition increase at UCLA today, reports KNX1070. The move sends a two-tiered tuition increase proposal to the full board of regents, which meets tomorrow. If approved, students will see a 32 percent increase at UC campuses by next fall. Why is this all happening? The state budget blows, read background here. more ›

William Bratton, the soon-to-be retired Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, was in Washington D.C. today, urging members of congress to make a wireless public safety broadband network a reality nationwide. In his testimony to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, he talks how such a network could help the development of predictive policing: more ›

In light of the dirty/naughty/sexual bragging video featuring Orange County Republican Assemblymember Michael Duvall talking about an affair or two, possibly one of them with a lobbyist, Speaker Karen Bass this morning announced his removal from two committees. “I am saddened and disappointed in the recent comments made by Assemblymember Mike Duvall," she said in a statement. "There is no question his comments were inappropriate. In consultation with Minority Leader Sam Blakeslee, I have removed Assemblymember Duvall from the Assembly’s Utilities and Commerce and Rules Committees and I have directed our Ethics Committee to look into this matter. The Assembly has some very important policy work to complete in the next couple of days and we will not allow this situation to become a distraction.” The alleged lobbyist worked for a major utility. more ›

For the fourth time in recent months, the City Council's Transportation Committee tomorrow will take on a handful of bicycle issues continued on from last week's meeting. Consultants from Alta Planning are slated to speak about the bicycle plan, which has recently become an unpopular subject with many cyclists. The LAPD will also be present to talk about their relationship with the bicycling community. Also on the dock is the continuing look at reviving a version of the defunct bicycle licensing program, which many believe should be left to the private sector. more ›

At the Transportation Committee yesterday, the city presented its Bicycle Plan proposal, which maps potential fixes to L.A.’s streets to make riding easier and safer for cyclists. The verdict? “Flawed,” pretty embarrassing” and an “egregious waste of money” were among some of the comments from bike and community advocates, Sierra Club members and neighborhood councilmembers. “No matter what people tell you, we are not involved in the process,” said bike activist Stephen Box, who also commented on several other items discussed at the meeting. “I’m calling on you to…call it dead,” he told Transportation Committee Councilmembers Wendy Greuel and Bill Rosendahl. more ›

Tomorrow's City Council Transportation Committee meeting has an agenda full of bicycle (.pdf) issues including the master plan, LAPD and a revival of the bicycle license. The latter is one of the more peculiar items because city council just recently squashed its existence. Now a new motion is trying to have it come back. Vaguely written, it goes like this: more ›

Henry Waxman, the congressman who represents the Westside, was voted today as the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the most important House committees with "sweeping jurisdiction over energy, the environment, consumer protection and health care programs," the Associated Press says. He had chaired the committee for 16 years, but most recently was the Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee that investigated the White House, among other tasks. more ›