Westside L.A. Neighbors Network v. City of L.A.

INTRODUCTION

Westside Los Angeles Neighbors Network (appellant) filed a petition for writ of mandate in the Superior Court. The petition challenged several actions taken in March 2018 by the Los Angeles City Planning Commission (CPC) to facilitate and implement three components of the Westside Mobility Plan, a comprehensive study undertaken to develop short-term solutions and long-term plans for addressing congestion and mobility challenges in the western portion of the City of Los Angeles. 1 Appellant alleged the CPC’s actions did not comply with the California Environmental Quality Act, Public Resources Code 2 section 21000 et seq. (CEQA), and sought an order directing the City to invalidate them. The trial court rejected most of appellant’s contentions and denied the petition. For the reasons discussed below, we affirm.

BACKGROUND

I. Project Overview

The Westside is an urban area experiencing significant traffic congestion due to many factors, including historical over- reliance on cars as the primary mode of transportation. To address transportation issues on the Westside, the Los Angeles City Council (City Council) directed the Department of Transportation and the…