>> Free the staircase! Dan Koeppel, author of Banana and Big Parade LA founder, reports that the Effie/Mohawk stairs in Echo Park have been suddenly gated:

There are over 20 closed stairways in Los Angeles; a few may have been legitimately shuttered, but others have clearly been appropriated by private individuals….

I’ve been asked – several times – why simply going up to one of these stairways and opening it DIY-style isn’t an option. The answer is simple: legally, stairs are public streets in Los Angeles. They should be maintained and respected the same as any street. The city has a responsibility to keep these thoroughfares open, and prevent them from being taken private, just as it does any residential street that happens – by quirk of fate and history – to also accommodate non-pedestrian traffic.

L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti’s office is investigating this gate issue; contact his office to press the case to free the staircase for the public.

>> Silver Lake Neighborhood Council’s taking on the draft L.A. Bicycle Master Plan, discussing a motion to ask for a more bike-friendly bike plan. Get the details at LAist, then get to the meeting TONIGHT at 7 pm at the Micheltorena School Auditorium, 1511 Micheltorena St., Los Angeles. Earlier: L.A. Bicycle Master Plan.

>> You now have until January to submit your comments about the L.A. Bicycle Plan, BTW. Not sure where to start? Here’s what the L.A. County Bicycle Coalition had to say about the plan.

Photo by Dan Koeppel

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