By Christopher Weber
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Frustrated by the city’s slow progress in painting crosswalks at intersections they believe are unsafe, activists in Los Angeles have been picking up paint rollers and doing it themselves. Now one of them has been arrested on a vandalism charge.
In a video posted online, Jonathan Hale wears a bright yellow safety vest as he’s handcuffed by a police officer Sunday. His group, People’s Vision Zero, had organized a guerrilla “paint party” at a four-way crossing in a leafy residential neighborhood of west LA.
“You’re vandalizing city property without a permit,” the officer says.
A woman out of frame can be heard saying, “Leave him alone. He’s not doing anything wrong.”
Hale and his allies have organized stealth painting operations across the city at intersections they deem dangerous to pedestrians. They set up barricades and yellow tape and swiftly use rollers to paint the street with bright white markers that they say are code compliant. The group is expanding on work done for years by a similar advocacy organization, the Crosswalk Collective.
“Now, the city will have to spend taxpayer dollars removing our half-finished crosswalk when this whole situation could have been avoided if the mayor’s office didn’t choose to ignore an issue where people’s lives are at stake,” Hale said in a statement following his arrest.
He said he’s been in touch with the office of Mayor Karen Bass and the city’s Department of Transportation, or LADOT, but there has been little response.
“Since then I’ve made it clear to them that we won’t stop unless they publicly condemn us, or take tangible steps to make our streets safer,” Hale said.
The mayor’s office said in a statement on Tuesday that it has offered to collaborate with Hale and “any Angeleno who wants to make our streets safer” to develop solutions to expedite the installation of crosswalks.
“Despite communication about City, State, and Federal laws and parameters, Jonathan has chosen to continue to pursue his own course of action,” the statement said. “Mayor Bass is determined to ensure the safety and accessibility of streets and sidewalks for Angelenos, no matter how they bike, roll, walk or ride.”
Messages were sent to LADOT seeking comment on Hale’s actions.
The name of Hale’s group is a take on the city’s “Vision Zero” plan to reduce traffic-related pedestrian deaths, which was instituted a decade ago under Bass’ predecessor.
Alex Ramirez, executive director of the pro-pedestrian nonprofit Los Angeles Walks, said LA needs a formal program — similar to one in Oakland, California — that provides resources for residents to help make streets safer.
Her group is not connected with Hale’s, but Ramirez said Tuesday that she understands his frustration. “When communities flag dangerous intersections and see no response, people take action out of necessity,” Ramirez said.
Hale was cited for misdemeanor vandalism. He has a court date scheduled for Jan. 5.