Traffic Pact With UCLA Approved by City Council
The Los Angeles City Council on Friday approved a landmark agreement with UCLA that requires the university to limit traffic during its major expansion plan. If UCLA exceeds the agreed-upon 139,500 trips, construction will be halted on its projects.
The plan, which includes joint monitoring of traffic and binding arbitration, is unprecedented because the university as a state entity is not subject to local control. “It’s the first time in 125 years the regents have ceded their authority to anyone,” said UCLA Vice Chancellor Alan Charles, who testified before the council.
City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, who represents Westwood, negotiated the deal with UCLA after an announcement last year that the campus was planning to add about 40% more square footage to its buildings by the year 2010. Yaroslavsky and local residents expressed incredulity when the university claimed it would accomplish the expansion without increasing traffic.
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