I TRANSPORTATION

In 2015, the mayor announced a data?sharing partnership with mapping apps to provide
real?time information about planned impacts to city streets to make apps, Waze, Google
Maps, and Apple Maps, more effective and efficient. Subsequent to the announcement, a
council motion was introduced to instruct the Department of Transportation to report on
the feasibility of expanding that partnership to implement steps to reduce the volume of
cut-through vehicle traffic diverted onto residential streets. That motion was referred to
the Transportation Committee, but it was not placed on an agenda for hearing and
subsequently expired pursuant to the Council?s policy in 2017.

The real-world neighborhood impacts of sending distracted, stressed, and/ or lost drivers
down unfamiliar streets remain. And while there are certainly other factors that contribute
to the overwhelming amount of traffic in narrow, neighborhood feeder streets, mapping
app makers like Google, Apple and Waze have shown little interest in helping
neighborhoods reduce the hazards on their streets.

I THEREFORE MOVE that the Council IN STRUCT the Department of Transportation to
report with answers to the following questions:
1. What City data is made available to makers of mapping apps or software?
2. What data does the City receive from mapping app makers?
3. What benefits, if any, does the City receive from its previously announced
partnership with these companies?
4. What efforts has the City made to engage mapping app makers to address
neighborhood concerns and what has been the response from that engagement?

I FURTHER MOVE that the Council INSTRUCT the Department of Transportation to begin
publishing the coordinates for ?Impacted Street Segments," based on data from Vision Zero,
engineering studies, other accident data or any other relevant factors, for use by mapping
apps to avoid further negative neighborhood impacts.

I FURTHER MOVE that the Council REQUEST that the City Attorney?s office begin analyzing
the risk and liability associated with accidents where drivers following the directions of a
mapping app are a contributing factor - whether from unsafe routing, distracted driving or
other app?related factors and determine whether the parent companies of the involved
mapping apps share liability for damages in any matter where litigation is initiated.

I FURTHER MOVE that the Council REQUEST that Google, Apple, and Waze make informed
representatives available to the Council or its Committees for a public dialog about the
impacts that their products have on neighborhoods in Los Angeles and work in greater
partnership with the City Council at reducing those impacts.

 

 

Presented by:
PAUL KREKORIAN
Councilmember, 2nd District

APR 1 0 2313 Seconded by: