LOS ANGELES (AP) — Activists in Los Angeles, frustrated by the city’s slow progress in painting crosswalks at intersections they consider unsafe, have been grabbing paint rollers and taking matters into their own hands. Currently, one of the men has been arrested on suspicion of vandalism.
In a video posted online, Jonathan Hale was wearing a bright yellow safety vest while being handcuffed by a police officer on Sunday. His organization, People’s Vision Zero, organized a guerrilla “paint party” at a four-way intersection in a tree-lined residential neighborhood in west Los Angeles.
“You were damaging city property without a permit,” the official said.
A woman off-screen can be heard saying: “Leave him alone. He didn’t do anything wrong.”
Hale and his allies organized secret painting operations at intersections across the city that they believed posed a danger to pedestrians. They set up barricades and yellow tape and quickly used rollers to paint the streets with bright white markings they said were up to code. The group is expanding on work similar advocacy group Crosswalk Collective has done for years.
“Now, the city will have to spend taxpayer dollars to remove a half-finished crosswalk, an entire situation that could have been avoided if the mayor’s office had not chosen to ignore this life-threatening issue,” Hale said in a statement after his arrest.
He said he has been in contact with Mayor Karen Bass’ office and the city’s Department of Transportation (LADOT) but has received little response.
“Since then, I’ve made it clear to them that we will not stop until they publicly denounce us or take real steps to make our streets safer,” Hale said.
The mayor’s office said in a statement Tuesday that it has offered to work with Hale and “any Angelenos who want to make our streets safer” to develop solutions to speed up the installation of crosswalks.
“Despite communication regarding city, state and federal laws and parameters, Jonathan has chosen to proceed with his course of action,” the statement said. “Mayor Bass is determined to ensure the safety and accessibility of streets and sidewalks for Angelenos, no matter how they bike, roll, walk or ride.”
A message was sent to LaDotte seeking comment on Hale’s conduct.
Hale’s organization takes its name from the city’s Vision Zero plan to reduce traffic-related pedestrian deaths, which was developed by Bass’s predecessor a decade ago.
Hale was cited for misdemeanor vandalism. His court date is scheduled for January 5.
