Sahra Sulaiman

Sahra is Communities Editor for Streetsblog L.A., covering the intersection of mobility with race, class, history, representation, policing, housing, health, culture, community, and access to the public space in Boyle Heights and South Central Los Angeles.

Equity in Infrastructure in the Trump Era: A Conversation Hosted by ACT-L.A. and PERE

By Sahra Sulaiman | Sep 25, 2017 | No Comments

We are not having some of the larger, city-wide conversations we need to be having about what development should look like going forward or what it will take to ensure that it is inclusive, holistic, and just.

A rendering of the splash pad planned for PARC - the 12-acre park space planned for underneath the Sixth Street Viaduct. All renderings courtesy of Tetra Tech, Hargreaves Associates, and Michael Maltzan Architecture.

Project Team Secures Funding, Presents Three Options for Boyle Heights PARC

By Sahra Sulaiman | Sep 22, 2017 | No Comments

When attendees finally had the chance to weigh in on the plans for east side, most voted for the "balanced" design, preferring the mix of natural elements and spaces for activities. The only consistent complaint about all three designs was the lack of planning for a skate park.

Evelia Granados holds a photo of her brother, Cesar Rodriguez, who was killed by a train while interacting with the Long Beach Police regarding fare evasion. Rodriguez' mother, Rosa Moreno (seated, in the black shirt), looks on as her daughter speaks. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog L.A.

Family of Man Crushed by Train During Altercation with Police over Fare Seeks Answers, Justice

By Sahra Sulaiman | Sep 18, 2017 | No Comments

The family is afraid that a full accounting is a long ways off. Detectives told them that they may not have an answer or see the video of the incident until the investigation is complete - six months to a year from now.

The newly paved-over transit island is clean and accessible, but could really use some shade. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog L.A.

The Hoover Triangle: Effort to Do Bus Riders a Solid Takes Away their Shade

By Sahra Sulaiman | Sep 12, 2017 | No Comments

Deeply imperfect as Triangle 1.0 was, it had shade in its favor.

Monique López, Deputy Executive Director of Advocacy at the LACBC, tells her story at BUSted. (Screenshot of video)

What LACBC’s Monique López Thinks About When She Rides Her Bike

By Sahra Sulaiman | Sep 6, 2017 | No Comments

What do you think about when you ride your bike? When you pound the pavement and engage area residents? When you have the privilege to sit in rarefied spaces discussing transportation?

The plans for the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza include 961 residential units (in green and orange), a hotel (purple), new retail (blue and under the green residences), an office tower (pink), and 7 acres of open space and walking paths. Numbers on the buildings indicate heights. Rendering source: RAW International

Mall Offers Window into History of Redevelopment, Legacy of White Flight

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jul 31, 2017 | No Comments

The new complex would be a far cry from the open-air mall first built there in 1947. But this is not the first major intervention at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, nor the first time the city has looked to the mall for an economic boost.

At Figueroa and Expo, a bus island takes shape. Sahra Sulaiman/ Streetsblog L.A.

Eyes on the Street: MyFig Slowly Coming to Fruition

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jul 21, 2017 | No Comments

The effort to create better multimodal connections between Exposition Park and Downtown L.A. via streetscape improvements, safety upgrades, and a mix of standard, buffered, and protected bike lanes has been in the works since 2008.

Segment A of the Rail-to-River bike and pedestrian path runs along Slauson, Segment B runs along Randolph. Source: Metro

Metro Offers Update on Rail-to-River Bike/Ped Path Design

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jul 10, 2017 | No Comments

Metro expects to see the preliminary (30 percent) design completed shortly and to hire a design/build construction contractor to finish the plans and break ground by mid-2018. The project would be completed in late 2019, around the time that the Crenshaw/LAX Line would be opening.

We Don’t Appreciate the Vulnerability of Pedestrians Until It’s Too Late

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jul 6, 2017 | No Comments

Data suggests we generally don't appreciate how vulnerable others are or how much power we have to hurt each other until it's too late - and pedestrians and cyclists tend to pay the steepest price for that.

The section of Crenshaw between Florence and 79th will see pedestrian enhancements and safety improvements. But Florence will unfortunately remain relatively unchanged. Source: Great Streets

Great Streets Releases Plans for Crenshaw; No Real Solutions for Florence

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jul 3, 2017 | No Comments

Florence – the most dangerous intersection of the bunch by miles – won’t see too much in the way of upgrades, it appears. While the proposed signal modification might help control traffic there and give pedestrians a head start, it is genuinely surprising that more is not in the works.

Beauty, grace, power, and spirituality led the way in celebration of the ancestors in Leimert Park Village this past Sunday. Sahra Sulaiman/ Streetsblog L.A.

Ancestors v. Polka Dots: Some Thoughts on Approaches to “Place-Making”

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jun 28, 2017 | No Comments

In many historically marginalized urban neighborhoods, decades of disenfranchisement and the repressive policing that accompanied it created great insecurity in the public space and, over time, eroded bonds of social trust between neighbors. With the public space essentially rendered off limits for too many, community had to be nurtured in private spaces.

Tamika Butler, Executive Director of the LACBC, in a photo she shared of herself during her powerful NACTO talk last fall.

Tamika Butler to Step Down as Head of LACBC; Leaves Behind Strong Legacy of Inclusion in Transportation

By Sahra Sulaiman | Jun 16, 2017 | No Comments

Perhaps the most powerful thing Butler did during her tenure was to consistently give of herself to create space for others on the margins in a field where there is currently precious little.

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