Those who arrive at UCLA on wheels are rolling with a little more ease following much-needed repairs and enhancements to Westwood Plaza between Le Conte Avenue to Charles E. Young Drive South.
This busy stretch of road, used by roughly 13,000 drivers and 100 bicycles, e-bikes and scooter-users each day, is the primary artery into the UCLA campus from the south, making it an important pathway to upgrade, said project manager Kirk Findley from the Facilities Management design and project management team.
The road has been resurfaced and painted, and repairs to the concrete curbs and gutters have been made, including about 60 feet on the southbound side of the street. Damage caused by winter storms exacerbated the need for action, said Findley, noting that a large manhole had become dislodged in the intersection front of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center during the recent winter storms, which was particularly concerning.
In addition, lanes used by those who use human or electric-powered transportation such as bicycles, scooter, e-bikes and skateboards have been enhanced with additional roadway markings, reflectors and lane delineators to improve commuter safety.
“We didn’t change things, but we added some really nice details… We raised that entire road markings to a higher standard that we have on the campus,” he said.
This project, which was part of the campus’ fiscal year 2020-2021 deferred maintenance program, was completed in close collaboration with UCLA Transportation’s planning group, most notably Director David Karwaski, and KOA, a traffic engineering firm, in stages over the course of three individual weekends. Findley also credits Emily Han, UCLA's active transportation planner, for her work liaising and communicating these upgrades to UCLA’s cycling community.
