(Los Angeles, CA) The nation’s top thought leader on walkability, Jeff Speck, AICP, Urban Planner and author of Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time, is putting his faith in Josh Post for a brighter, safer and more environmentally friendly Los Angeles.

“I am honored to support Josh Post in his run for LA City Council,” says Speck. “Once the poster child for anti-pedestrian urbanism, Los Angeles is finally making real progress towards becoming a more walkable and bikeable city. A vote for Josh Post is a vote for continued evolution, healing, and better design in a city that is ready for a change.”

Tackling our city’s transportation challenges will be one of Josh’s top priorities once elected to City Council. “We must become more bicycle and pedestrian friendly,” says Josh. “And we must improve our public transportation to reduce traffic, parking problems and environmental harm. This is one of the most important things we can do for our city.”

Josh says one of the ways to do this is to integrate city planning and policy to create more walkable, self-sustained neighborhoods, especially near transit hubs. “Walkable neighborhoods will improve traffic and parking concerns. We also need to consider alternative uses of our roadways through strategically placed ‘road diets’ to mitigate traffic, increase bicycle and pedestrian safety, and encourage alternative forms of transportation,” says Josh. “We also have to make Los Angeles more bike friendly. That means creating more bike lines and bicycle parking, better educating our LAPD in dealing with bicycle traffic, and supporting the implementation of the bicycle master plan.

Finally, Josh says we need to expedite completion of Measure R transit projects within the City. “Specifically, I want to bring Measure R projects to CD13,” notes Josh. “For example, let’s create a Sunset Streetcar line to connect Hollywood, East Hollywood, Silver Lake, Echo Park, and downtown via Sunset Boulevard. Let’s also explore possible streetcar systems through dense neighborhoods, working with local business along potential routes.”

For more, visit joshpost.com, or facebook.com/joshpostforla or on Twitter at @JoshPostLA.

Below is a letter I sent to neighbors this week regarding the journey of this campaign.

Dear Neighbor,

This past year has been an exciting journey. I walked every neighborhood in the district, knocked on thousands of doors and had countless conversations. The diversity of people, culture, language, and ideas makes our city great and inspired my campaign.

First and foremost I want to thank you. As I walked door to door, many of you invited me into your living rooms to share ideas. We spoke of the critical need to focus on quality-of-life issues like broken sidewalks and public safety. We also spoke about the potential to use technology to create jobs in our district and accountability in City Hall.

During this campaign I have also seen that voters in this district yearn for a better way forward. We are looking for a viable, grassroots candidate who is truly independent of outside interests. My opponents tout their experience as City Hall staffers and aides to other politicians. But it’s time for new leadership and new ideas. Let’s think outside the box of City Hall and outside of politics as usual.

As a Deputy Attorney General, community leader, and advocate for after school programs, I offer the experience needed to fight for your interests.

It would be an honor to work for and with you in the coming years. We will put our creative
ideas to work, and we will bring innovation and accountability to City Hall. In doing so, we will create a better Los Angeles for all of us.

I hope to earn your vote on March 5.

Josh Post

COMMUNICATION, AS THEY SAY, IS KEY

(Los Angeles, CA) Far too many residents of Los Angeles, and Council District 13, feel a widening void between themselves and City Hall. This is a key message they’re delivering to City Council Candidate Josh Post, as he goes door to door, engaging with voters. “One of the main reasons for this,” recounts Josh, “is they don’t entirely trust the powers that be right now. To me, this is abysmal. Public servants are just that, servants. They should work for the people who elect them.”

It begins, for Josh, by listening. “Voters have more power than they realize. I want to hear from residents of CD13. We have the technology to engage virtually, be it through email, social media sites or a simple phone call. I am and always will be accessible to the voters of this district.”

But, Josh says, he can’t do it alone. “I’m going to look to the voters of this district to actively participate beside me. I want them to be civically engaged. We need to increase citizen involvement in government affairs.”

While that is happening within CD13, Josh also contends there is much work to do at City Hall in order to restore public trust. “City government needs to be completely transparent in all of its actions,” says Josh. “I’ll look at creating a website that shows residents exactly how their tax dollars are being spent, in easy to understand graphics. This is your money, our money. We all deserve to know where every cent is being spent.”

By involving more local residents and creating a more transparent government, Josh hopes to restore the faith that has eroded in recent years. “There will be no back-room deals. And if I am elected,” says Josh, “I will bring __________________________writers block. ______________thoughts how to end??

–After we put up this blog post, we got some feedback from LA Weekly about how we should end our post on transparency.  Here is how LA Weekly suggested we end this:

“And if I am elected,” says Josh, “I will bring all stakeholders together and ensure that all voices are heard. Because it’s not about what I can do as a councilman. It’s about what we can do together for our city.”

Thank you LA Weekly for the feedback. Let’s continue this open dialogue. And in the spirit of transparency, we welcome everyone’s feedback on how we, as a city, can be more transparent and accountable.

For more, visit joshpost.com, or facebook.com/joshpostla or on Twitter at @JoshPostLA.