Nithya Raman reveals strategy to tackle LAs $3B bike lane and street repair plan on day 1 as mayor

Costly bike lane mandates have stalled street repairs across Los Angeles, leaving Mayor-elect Nithya Raman grappling with how to fix the city’s crumbling roads on her very first day in office while complying with a voter-approved law she championed.At her first City Hall press conference since winning the election Tuesday, Raman acknowledged to the California Post that soaring costs tied to Measure HLA have forced the city to scale back road repairs.The law requires Los Angeles to add planned bike lanes, bus lanes and pedestrian safety upgrades during major roadwork, driving up the cost of once-routine repaving projects.“The city has not been doing some of the street repair that it has been doing in the past, because of HLA and some of the cost increases that come from adding bike lanes and other kinds of safety investments,” Raman told The Post.“We are at a tough moment,” the incoming mayor said.When voters approved Measure HLA in 2024, they provided no new funding to pay for the upgrades, leaving City Hall struggling to cover the costs while keeping up with basic road maintenance.That dilemma now falls squarely on Raman, who supported the measure and must find a way to deliver the safer streets voters demanded without allowing the city’s battered roads to deteriorate further.Still, Raman made clear she has no intention of backing away from the mandate.“The voters passed HLA.They are asking for safer streets.

They are asking for protected bike lanes.They’re asking for us to implement our mobility plan,” Raman told The Post.“I take that responsibility and mandate from the voters very seriously.

But I also know our fiscal constraints.”Raman pledged to begin examining what the city can realistically afford on her first day in office and make those findings public.City officials have estimated that implementing the required street improvements could cost a staggering $3.1 billion.Los Angeles’ Mobility Plan calls for roughly 300 miles of protec...