Cyclist Activist Stephen Box Announces Candidacy for L.A. City Council

Surprised? We're not. The seemingly omnipresent Los Angeles community activist Stephen Box has announced his candidacy for the city's fourth district, which includes Silver Lake, Hollywood, the Miracle Mile, Griffith Park, Toluca Lake and the NoHo Arts District (see map). It is currently held by Councilmember Tom LaBonge.

"I believe in Los Angeles and I love Hollywood, but these are challenging times," he said in his inaugural press release. "We must learn from the past, not hope for its return. We must pursue L.A.'s destiny as a 'City of the Future' and I'm here to move Los Angeles forward."

Although he's Australian (he became a U.S. citizen earlier this year), Box is no stranger to politics and community organizing in Los Angeles. He's a name known throughout city hall, transportation agencies, neighborhood councils and the cycling community (he used to write for LAist).