Zach Behrens

Photo by GarySe7en via the LAist Feathred Photos pool on Flickr 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: I MOVE that...

An annual $15 vehicle fee proposed by a state budget committee yesterday could save 80% of state parks currently threatened to be closed amidst the budget crisis. The Ventura County Star explains: Under the plan, all motorists would pay a $15 surcharge on the license fees they pay each year to register their vehicles. The surcharge would yield about $220 million — enough to keep parks open, allow anyone with a California license to enter and park for free at state parks and leave enough left over to make some debt payments on outstanding park bonds.

If you've ever driven the 2.1 mile canyon-to-valley-floor stretch of Beverly Glen Boulevard, you probably have noticed that it changes throughout, telling you to go 25 mph, now 35, oh wait, now 30. The city's Department of Transportation now wants to change the sporadic nature by splitting the baby with a uniform 30 mph from Mulholland to Moorpark in Sherman Oaks. "It will be easier for motorists to monitor their speed as well as...

The official Lakers parade on Wednesday will cost $2 million, split evenly between the city and the Lakers. Of course, with the city scrapping every nickel and dime to save the city budget, the politicians are coming under fire. The LA Police Protective League is not happy and rightfully so considering employees citywide are being forced on furloughs and some will be laid off. "At a time of financial crisis, when the public expects...

We've heard about the Lakers badness that went down last night. Sometimes it's the worst of the group that makes up the most of the news coverage. Good news doesn't bleed, but it's still good news. One project the city runs that we would like to highlight is the Community Beautification Grants program (they have a blog, too) Over 930 projects have been completed in partnership with the community across the city since 1998. 540 of those projects can be seen on an interactive Google map (it's a big web page, we warn thee). Projects range from murals to gardens to playgrounds.

Prince William and his girlfriend Kate Middleton were apparently spotted touring a "privately-sited $8 million 4-bed, 4.5-bath compound with a detached guest house, 4-car garage and beautiful ocean view." That particular home has already been sold, but there are plenty of other high class homes fit for a Prince in town. Before her death, his mother Princess Diana reportedly paid a deposit on a home in Paradise Cove....

If you can't seem to understand that you shouldn't drink and drive, this weekend you might learn your lesson. In fact the LAPD is conducting a DUI checkpoint in such a high traffic and popular spot tomorrow evening, we're sure it's going to end with a lot of people in jail for the evening (hint: take the Red Line). And tonight in two South LA and in the Harbor area, the LAPD will be...

Via dbking on Flickr This summer marks the 40th anniversary of Woodstock and across the nation, museums will be opening exhibits about the famous event. The Grammy Museum downtown is taking a new twist and when their exhibit opens this August, it will be through the eyes of festival goers--the people's history of Woodstock, in a sense. "We’re asking people who attended Woodstock or were involved in any way to help us put the...

It's been a long five year process--sometimes nasty--but yesterday marked the beginning steps in transforming a former blighted Metro bus yard into the South Los Angeles Wetlands Park, located on Avalon Blvd north of Slauson. Expected to be completed by 2011, the first phase of the wetland park will feature the passive park elements followed a rail museum and community meeting space in phase two. The space will also act as an outdoor classroom.

Last night's win already caused people to run amok in East LA. And even though Sunday night's game is in Orlando, should the Lakers win the Championship, the LAPD and LA County Sheriff's say they are prepared, citing the win 2000 when 11 people were arrested and close to a million dollars in damage was caused on downtown streets. Yeah, police cars were torched....

Smac & Cheese from the Nickel Diner | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist Heaven comes in the form of oooey, gooey, and slightly crunchy with a spicy kick. Meet Nickel Diner's appropriately named Smac and Cheese ($7.50). Large macaronis are smothered with four cheeses--cheddar, fontina, pepper jack and mozzarella--mixed with a few roasted tomatoes and topped with baked breadcrumbs and herbs. Wowee. Downtown has reached a trifecta of the most pleasurable mac and cheese recipes...

A tofu taco from Don Chow Tacos | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist It's safe to say that Kogi BBQ has started a trend: fusion, Twitter and deliberate locations. Don Chow Tacos, obviously inspired by Kogi, has been around for about two months and last night they were found at the Downtown Art Walk. A taste of their tofu taco, glazed in sesame ginger, topped with hot sauce with chopped onions, tomatoes and cilantro, was...