CA now has 39.6 million residents—300,000 more than last year, the biggest transportation stories affecting SoCal in 2017, shipping containers as a housing solution.
Here are all the new driving laws taking effect in 2018
The new year ushers in a handful of new laws for California motorists. The following laws take effect January 1, 2018, unless otherwise noted:
Cannabis Use in Vehicles: Prohibits smoking or ingesting marijuana or marijuana products while driving or riding as a passenger in a vehicle.
Disabled Person Parking Placards and Plates: Changes the Disabled Person Parking Placard and Disabled Person License Plate Program by requiring applicants to provide proof of true full name and birth date. It also limits the number of replacement disabled person parking placards an applicant can request without obtaining a medical certification to four in two years.
Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program: Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to begin collecting a Transportation Improvement Fee ranging from $25 to $175 depending on a vehicle's current value at the time of the vehicle's registration or renewal.
Motorcycle Training Courses: Authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to accept a certificate of satisfactory completion of any motorcycle-training program approved by the California Highway Patrol in lieu of the required motorcycle skills test.
Buses and Seat Belts (effective July 1, 2018): Requires a passenger on a bus equipped with seat belts to be properly restrained by a safety belt.
DUI-Passenger for Hire (effective July 1, 2018): Makes it unlawful for a person to operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 percent or more when a passenger for hire is in the vehicle at the time of the offense.
HOV Decal Program (effective January 1, 2019): Creates a new decal program to allow certain low-emission vehicles to access high-occupancy vehicle lanes, regardless of vehicle occupancy level, for a four-year term. Access to high-occupancy vehicle lanes for vehicles with green and white decals will expire January 1, 2019. Vehicles issued a green or white decal in 2017 or 2018 will be eligible to reapply for a decal in 2019.
LA Transportation in 2017: a year-end recap
From worsening traffic to Measure M and Vision Zero, there's been a lot going on in 2017 when it comes to L.A. transportation. KPCC's commuting and mobility reporter Meghan McCarty Carino recapped the year's highlights with Take Two's A Martinez. She started by comparing 2017 with 2016.
"Every year is pretty much a big year for transportation in Southern California but 2017 didn't have the big blockbuster headlines that 2016 did. That's when the Gold Line the Expo Line opened, we had the Measure M campaign, a $120 billion ballot measure that was being voted on. But that does set us up for one of my top stories of 2017. When Measure M passed last November, it set L.A. County up to position itself in very stark relief to the new administration, the new political landscape at the federal level in terms of transportation issues."
Just as California has become this symbolic force of resistance on issues of environment and climate change and immigration, L.A. -- with this massive vote to tax itself to pay for transportation solutions -- is poising itself at the forefront of an emerging model, which McCarty Carino says had been brewing long before President Trump took over. But it's taken on more symbolic importance in an era of federal cutbacks.
"The fact that L.A. is charging ahead on its own to massively invest in these big visionary transportation projects with little or no help from the federal government – it's certainly something that's been touted by folks like L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti as being a beacon for the nation as a way forward on these issues."
McCarty Carino also talked about the seemingly unsuccessful Vision Zero, the road diet madness which resulted in a recall effort and what to look forward to in the world of transportation in 2018.
How retailers will brave the post-Christmas return craze
As relaxing or spirited as Christmas can be, the day after often has an entirely different vibe. Many of us will spend the day taking advantage of holiday deals or making returns and exchanges. So, with apologies to Clement Moore, we bring you this poem:
Twas the day after Christmas, when all through the house
Every creature was stirring... except for uncle Mike, that old louse.
The stockings had been emptied by the chimney with glee
Now that St. Nicholas had snuck past the tree.
The children had run through the house from their beds
Ripping open presents and throwing wrapping over their heads.
With mamma in her hoodie, and I in my hat
We'd barely settled our brains for a long sip of a Keurig cap.
When all through the house there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my couch to see what was the matter.
The children were screaming, so I flew like a flash,
To ask them to quiet so I could finally take a nap.
I tripped over the toys and slipped on the wrapping
Which got me thinking about waste.... and all of the holiday trashing.
With broken boxes and ripped bags to the bins I did go.
Though I could not figure out in which bin they should all flow.
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a child of mine asking to exchange what I'd bought in good cheer.
So I jumped in our car, so lively and quick,
Only to be stuck in LA traffic. Curse you St. Nick!
Slower than eagles to the destination I came
As I whistled, and shouted and called my fellow Angelenos foul names.
Now (beep), now (beep), and (beep) ...really ... where?
Get moving! Come on! You're going to stop ... there?
But I finally arrived. It's amazing but I did.
And I even managed to do it without blowing my lid.
To the top of the Target! to the top of the mall!
If only all the shoppers would dash out of my way all!
To the front of the return line I crept super slow
Only to realize once I got there I'd forgotten my receipt - No!
So back in my Prius I went to drive home.
When suddenly I realized: What a treat to be alone!
I turned up the NPR, all nice and loud.
And diverted my eco-steed away from the crowd.
To the desert ...or to the mountains ....or should it be the coast?
There's really nothing better than all the options of which we boast.
So here in Southern California, even in the post-Christmas rush,
Remember to enjoy our good fortune to live here. There's so much.
Now that we've covered the customer viewpoint, here's some insight on the the craze experienced on the retail side.
Darin Skinner is vice president of the luxury accessory store Madaluxe Vault at Citadel outlet mall. Skinner spoke to A Martínez about how the store prepares for the crush.
Cargo containers are the new trend in affordable housing
Cargo containers are no longer just for cargo. They're part of an architectural phenomenon that's being used to build affordable housing, including for the homeless. The concept is simple: renovate shipping containers into living spaces and stack them like Legos.
It's called cargotecture. And developers throughout Southern California have plans to use them, including in downtown Los Angeles.
"The idea is that they're modular. They can be, kind of, changed in and out over time in different ways. But they're not without challenges," said Gary Painter, director of the University of Southern California Sol Price Center for Social Innovation.
Painter and his team researched the effectiveness of cargotecture in San Diego.
"In some circumstances, the cost to retrofit these cargo containers can actually start to approach regular construction modalities. If that's the case, you're not really saving a lot of money," Painter said.
But even if the containers do not represent an immediately affordable space that will solve the housing crisis, Painter said cargo containers, and other small housing projects, are worth exploring.
"Cargo containers shouldn't be thought of as a silver bullet by any means. But we should be thinking about lots of different ways to provide housing. We've heard about economy housing where you have small micro-units for folks. Cargo containers are part of that continuum of housing those who are perhaps the most vulnerable. But it isn't just a simple thing like drop a bunch of cargo containers in an empty lot and we're ready to go with affordable housing."
The Golden State's population is growing — mostly in SoCal
California's population is growing. There are 39.6 million people living in the state, according to new data from the state's Department of Finance. That's 301,000 more people than the year prior, and most of the growth is happening right here in Southern California.
Take Two's A Martinez spoke with California Department of Finance researcher Ethan Sharygin to find out more about what's behind the population change.
Foreign migration is driving the increase
It's been an important source of growth for our population for at least ten years. It hasn't been trailing off as much as you might think because the state continues to attract a lot of skilled migration from countries, increasingly from Asia, that are not as affected by some of the immigration debate as Mexico.
So Cal is outpacing Northern California
So Cal is still an attractive area. The economy is doing well. People are trying to locate near job centers. The largest percentage growth is in the central valley and some of the peripheral areas, but the largest absolute numbers of increase are all in L.A. and neighboring counties. We see Riverside and San Bernardino growing very quickly. Riverside is notable because it was one county that had positive net migration from other states.
Growth rate is positive but slowing
We're seeing a slowing of the growth rate. We're remaining positive, and we expect it to continue to grow. All western states are growing by half a percent to two percent. A big news item was Idaho leading the growth rate by two percent in the western region. It was the fastest growth rate, but parts of California are reaching that rate too.
California population projections for the future
We expect the growth rate to continue declining but remaining positive because we still have strong foreign migration. Over half of our in-migrants have a college degree or higher whereas 55 percent of out-migrants have a high school degree or less. We see a lot of population exchange. On the net, we think we'll continue to have slow growth.
Affordable housing's role in population changes
Housing is a big concern of ours. It's a big risk. That's why we see more growth in counties neighboring L.A. rather than L.A. itself.
Where people go when they leave California
A lot of them are going nearby. The main states we send people to are Arizona and Nevada. Also Texas. We tend to attract people from those states, too. It's a process of exchange.
In light of #MeToo, how teenagers are talking about consent and harassment
A new project spearheaded by the National Council of Jewish Women’s Los Angeles chapter is inspiring conversations among teenagers in Los Angeles to talk about sexual harassment and consent.
Guest host Libby Denkmann speaks with KPCC reporter Michelle Faust and others about “The Talk Project.”
You can read Michelle’s story about “The Talk Project” here.
With guest host Libby Denkmann.
Guests:
Michelle Faust, KPCC health care reporter whose latest piece looks at “The Talk Project”
Ashley Cooper, community and school programs coordinator with the National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles, which is behind “The Talk Project”
Danielle Keenan-Miller, director of the UCLA Psychology Clinic; assistant adjunct professor at UCLA
World Health Organization will recognize video game addiction as mental illness
Video games can provide hours of entertainment to players, but mental health professionals caution they should be played in moderation. Too much gaming can lead to destructive behavior and a lack of properly connecting with the real world, which is why the World Health Organization announced it will recognize gaming addiction as a mental health disorder next year.
"Gaming addiction, and addiction to media in general, has been overlooked for too long," said Nega Khaefi, an LA-based therapist with experiencing treating gaming addicts. "Playing video games in and of itself is not dysfunctional. It becomes an issue when it begins to impair their ability to function and take care of their sometimes very basic needs."
What causes video game addiction
For some people, the addiction stems from a need to escape -- to not have to be present in their lives because there's just too much pain and chaos. They're basically using the game to numb them and check out.
Video games are very stimulating, and life can rarely provide that level of stimulation. There's lots of dopamine being released when a person is playing video games. Games give people a sense of control and agency that they may struggle to have in their real lives. They can be whatever they want to be. They can live their fantasies in a sense. They can have super powers, their ideal body type, their ideal car. Some people are just really bored in their lives. Their careers or interpersonal relationships are not satisfying.
What gaming addiction can lead to
It can be that the person isn't eating, that they're not sleeping. It can really adversely affect their health if they're sitting sedentary for long periods of time. Some people get dehydrated. If you go on Wikipedia, you can actually see a list of people that have died from video game addiction, if you can believe it.
How video game addiction can be treated
I'll say "Do you feel like you play a lot of video games?" or "How much are you playing? Do you feel like it gets in the way of things for you?" It's kind of a weird subject because it hasn't really been labeled a problem until recently, so people are not recognizing it as such.
We would first examine how much they want to change. And then we would examine the reasons why they're seeking escape maybe or their circumstances that can be worked on and changed. Should there be couples therapy involved in the treatment or families involved in the treatment or family therapy? What are they lacking in their lives? What void are they filling?
Tuesday Reviewsday: Malia, Billie Eilish, Dan Auerbach
Tuesday Reviewsday is our weekly new music segment, and this week music supervisor, Morgan Rhodes, joins A Martinez to talk about the latest releases.
Billie Eilish, Vince Staples - Burn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbQlBOHwZz8
Morgan Rhodes says:
If you have not heard of Billie Eilish yet, where have you been? She's had a huge year on the strength of an album called "Don't Smile At Me" and a huge single called "Ocean Eyes," which got something like 14 million streams on Spotify.
This new single with Vince Staples is the culmination of a great number of great moves that she made sonically this year. She's a fan of Vince Staples and wanted to work with him and I think the collaboration works really, really well.
Her success sort of makes you rethink your own youth. At 15, I wasn't killing like this. People want to categorize her and you really can't. She's in her own space, her own lane.
Malia - Simple Things
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbqI02K2bwQ
A MARTINEZ: Some people are comparing her to Lauryn Hill. Is that oversimplifying who she is?
I think they're different. I think if there's a comparison, [it] might just be in the tone of voice. Singing in the low register. She's got range. It was a collaborative effort. Her friends just happen to be Syd, from The Internet and Matt Martian from right here in LA. She is from LA by way of Seattle. Decided to pursue singing, came out here, and they helped her build and embellish her sound.
I think fans of Syd and fans of the soul sound - right here in Los Angeles - will recognize the sound and love this album.
Bonus Track: Malia - Dirty Laundry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t46UXwhLloU
Dan Auerbach - Cellophane Angel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boQ7C1S1aRM
Morgan Rhodes says:
It's featured on a project called "Good Sound Comes Back Around." I love it because it reminds me of New Orleans. He recorded this song with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, named after Preservation Hall. It's Dixieland; it's cool. It is a departure from what we know — fans of The Black Keys. This is not El Camino, and this is not Brothers, but I think it's cool. Slow-paced.
Fans of Dan Auerbach will know that his sound is completely different than what he's giving here. He's a little bit country, he's a little bit rock-and-roll, he's a little bit bluesy, but we can all change.