Risking arrest, he paints illicit crosswalks across L.A. ‘We can’t wait any longer’

UCLA law student Jonathan Hale and about 150 volunteers have painted unauthorized crosswalks at dangerous Los Angeles intersections, saying residents cannot wait for city action.

Advocates say traffic deaths rose 56% from 2015 to 2025 as the city’s Vision Zero effort faltered; officials say they maintain or add more than 1,000 crosswalks annually.

Hale, arrested while painting in Westwood before his case was dismissed, wants the city to legalize the work and recommit to Vision Zero. LADOT says it has met its commitments to him.

Archive link: https://web.archive.org/web/20261016121334/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-16/risking-arrest-he-paints-illicit-crosswalks-in-la-we-cant-wait

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motionofethre

piefed.social

The volunteers painted yellow-striped crosswalks on “every corner adjacent to the park,” said Hale, who paid about $200 to cover the cost of the paint. He noted neighbors said that several calls to the city’s 311 service to request such a retouching had gone unfulfilled.

....

His apprehension turned into anger when the city’s Department of Transportation erased the DIY crosswalks two months later.

The remarkable disregard for safety. Crosswalks need retouching, citizens do it themselves, city erases them...