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EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
SEPTEMBER 17, 2026
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Motion by:
DIRECTORS BASS, YAROSLAVSKY, PADILLA, BUTTS, AND SOLIS
Open Streets - Criteria for 2027 Request for Proposals Motion
Since the first Open Streets event in 2010 organized and created by CicLAvia, Los Angeles County residents have embraced the benefits of closing down streets to motorized vehicles, creating miles of community space for neighbors throughout LA County to explore, play, and experience Los Angeles in a new way. Open Streets events allow communities to safely walk, cycle, skate, and stay active, while bringing foot traffic and benefits to local businesses.
Since that first groundbreaking event in 2010, Metro's Open and Slow Streets grant program has awarded funding to support 84 events, spanning 328 miles, across 39 different jurisdictions in Los Angeles County.
In the last funding cycle for FY 2026-2028, Open Streets events were awarded $10 Million to complement and bookend the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics/Paralympics Games. No funding was made available for Open Streets events during 2027. The Board took action in July requesting that Metro identify a minimum of $1M to fund Open Streets events in FY 2027. It is important the Board establish a set of criteria to maximize the number of events held in FY 2027, which reach the most communities and the largest number of Los Angeles County residents.
In November of 2025, the Board directed Metro to report back to make Metro’s Open and Slow Streets pilot program permanent, including soliciting input from community stakeholders, previous event organizers, and partnering agencies to identify recommendations to transition the Metro Open and Slow Streets Program from a pilot to a permanent program. It is time to finalize this plan to allow the county to execute these events on a more consistent basis.
Subject
SUBJECT: OPEN STREETS - CRITERIA FOR 2027 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS MOTION
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RECOMMENDATION
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APPROVE Motion by Bass, Yaroslavsky, Padilla, Butts, and Solis to direct the CEO to:
A. Ensure the following criteria will be applied when evaluating the grant applications for Open Streets events held in FY 2027;
1. Establish a maximum grant amount of $250,000, while maintaining the existing minimum local match requirement;
2. A minimum of 3 consecutive miles of street closure per event;
3. Applications should prioritize events that bring multiple communities and local businesses together around a unifying theme; and
B. Report back to the Board within 120 days to formalize the request made in Board Report - 2025-0854, with alternatives that identify funding to support Open Streets programming and events beginning in FY 2028 and continuing thereafter.