Have you hiked the hikes?
Have you “skooted” the streets?
Have you biked the boulevard?
What about horsing around in the hills?
I’m currently working on a show for National Geographic that has taken me far and wide, from Cleveland to Portland, from Baltimore to Vermont and Vegas. It’s finally nice to spend some time at home. And inbetween chores, a bundle of washing and paying those pesky bills, I recently got to spend a little time up in the hills by the Hollywood sign on a horse.
There’s something about being high up surrounded by nature, helmet on and breathing in some of LA’s finest air. (hmmm!) Well, it was a clear day and according to Mayor Garcetti’s recent green bill and promise it seems our air is about to get cleaner thanks to his initiative, in which he unveiled a sweeping plan for a more sustainable Los Angeles, calling for dramatic changes to the car culture, buildings and air quality.
Taking to Facebook Live, the mayor’s plan imagines a city where, by the mid-2030s, that 80% of the cars run on electricity or zero-emission fuel, 80% of the electricity comes from renewable sources and we all drive 2,000 fewer miles each year than we do now. It’s a far cry from today’s L.A., where gridlock, tailpipe pollution and smoggy air have come to define a way of life.
Reducing the number of miles people drive could be especially challenging. Garcetti’s plan envisions making it possible largely through initiatives already underway, including a build-out of public transit and a proposed congestion charge, not dissimilar to London’s city center, that would make driving more expensive in some major traffic areas. Living in Hollywood I can attest that traffic has gotten out of hand, especially in the summer months when the Hollywood Bowl is in play, there’s a hit show at the Pantages and they’ve blocked off part of Hollywood Boulevard for the next major premiere. On some nights it can take me an hour from WEHO to Hollywood. I think ride-sharing apps have a lot to answer for as more cars from out of the city come in and lie in wait for job opportunities. I’m not blaming the drivers, but maybe like the system in place at LAX could work for the congested parts of the city. Building out waiting areas for the cars, wherein they can turn their engines off for a while and wait in turn for their rides. “Bird” scooters” and “Wheels” bikes are definitely helping.
Garcetti sets a target of 28,000 publicly available electric-vehicle chargers by 2028 with the city streamlining permitting for chargers, expanding rebate programs and requiring more chargers through the building code. As someone who has driven electric for the past 4 years can tell you how nice it is to not have to stop at gas stations every 200 miles or so.
But Garcetti said he’s hopeful because fighting climate change, expanding the economy and improving people’s quality of life “go hand in hand.” The city’s sustainability plan estimates the creation of 300,000 “green jobs” by 2035, on top of the 35,000 green jobs Garcetti says have already been created since he took office.
But I’m left wondering does ‘going green’ really mean there will be fewer jobs for “real people” in the future? Machines are already taking over, I see banks have ATM machines, supermarkets have more and more self-checkout tills. Self-driving cars have now arrived. The future is definitely here and I’m excited about it, but what about the people who are put out of a job, and can’t afford the ever-increasing rents? The latter has been worsened in part to Airbnb, where landlords can earn more money renting their places for shorter periods of time, putting long term properties more in demand and low inventories sending monthly rentals sky-high. Good for realtors, not so good for Joe Bloggs, who just lost his job to a machine. Some food for thought. Mayor Garcetti answered one of my comments on his Facebook Live, addressing this affordable housing problem.
“Los Angeles is facing an unprecedented housing crisis, which threatens our legacy as a city of economic opportunity. Our county has one of the nation’s greatest disparities when it comes to what people pay in rent, and what they take home in wages. According to the California Housing Partnership, we need to build 568,255 affordable homes across L.A. County to meet the needs of low-income Angelenos. To combat this crisis, Mayor Garcetti set an ambitious agenda that focuses on expanding the supply of housing, strengthening rent stabilization, making development more equitable, and keeping Angelenos from falling into homelessness.”
I have to say I like Garcetti as mayor and he’s heading in the right direction and has some good plans in place. We just have to make sure that we and our children are prepared to train for those jobs that will be with us in the not too distant future.
Craig Young
