LA residents tried painting their own crosswalks - here's why

Fed up LA residents paint their own crosswalks

Residents in Sawtelle decided to paint their own crosswalks after they said complaints to the city about speeding drivers went unanswered.

LOS ANGELES - In a West Los Angeles neighborhood, residents have taken traffic safety into their own hands by painting their own crosswalks near a busy park, citing frustration with speeding drivers and the city's alleged inaction.

What we know:

Residents in a West Los Angeles neighborhood became fed up with speeding drivers, particularly near Stoner Park, where kids play and people walk. 

The park is reportedly always busy at night, with lit tennis courts and a busy skate park that also hosts summer camps. 

Cars frequently cut through Nebraska Avenue, which residents describe as a fast shortcut. 

The city had previously installed makeshift rotaries to try and slow traffic, but neighbors report these have not been effective.

By Friday, the city had removed the residents' crosswalks.

Resident-made crosswalks in West LA painted over

Residents in West LA were tired of waiting for the city, so they painted their own crosswalks. Those crosswalks were just painted over again.

What they're saying:

A resident, "Johnny," decided to take action himself because, as he put it, the city was not helping. Volunteers have been coming out every Saturday since late May to paint crosswalks. 

One resident remarked about the effect of the painted crosswalks, stating, "It changes the behavior of the cars even when there's not pedestrians because there's more awareness of the fact that people are walking around in the neighborhood." 

Another resident noted the danger, saying, "The speed limit. Yeah, no, it's dangerous. Um. I'm not going to try to guess how fast they're going. But there's people that go a whole lot faster than the speed limits."

Johnny's stance is firm: "He's gonna buy more paint and do it all over again because he says how can you argue with? Safety."

The backstory:

The city previously implemented makeshift rotaries in the middle of intersections, intended to prevent cars from going straight through and encourage slowing down. 

However, the reporter observed that cars still "zip around, make that quick curve and just hit the gas and go down," suggesting they are not all that effective.

Neighbors, including Johnny, have been vocal about needing assistance and have engaged with the city association and city council.

It appears that after months, they became frustrated with the long, bureaucratic process for official crosswalks, which involves putting projects out for bidding.

What's next:

After the city painted back over the crosswalks between Thursday night and Friday, organizers said they plan to remake them.