Los Angeles mayor-elect Raman's win cheers transit advocates as she pledges road repairs in her first 100 days

Los Angeles mayor-elect Nithya Raman's victory has public transit and safe-streets advocates cheering. Raman made improving transportation and mobility a centerpiece of her campaign, and since the Associated Press called the race for her, supporters say Los Angeles finally has a mayor who believes in pedestrians, cyclists and people who take public transit. She takes office in December. (Photo: file photo of Raman. Photo: AP.)

A debate exchange over bike lanes

The campaign's only televised debate, in the home stretch of the race, foreshadowed what the election meant for transit advocates. On October 13, Mayor Karen Bass chided Raman for her support from bike lane advocates, saying: “There's very influential people who are supporting your campaign who are very, very much advocates for bike lanes.” Raman could be heard quietly replying: “Um, yes.” Bass conceded the race on Thursday. Raman has said she used trains and buses to commute to work in the past; on election eve, while riding the L.A. Metro B Line with supporters, she said the region can buck its car-centric reputation and be home to a fast, safe and connected transit system. “That vision is totally achievable, if you have the will. I have the will,” she said.

The will of the people meets political will

For years, L.A. voters have signalled their support for better public transit and improved mobility. More than 70% of L.A. city residents voted in favour of countywide sales tax measures in 2008 and 2016 to fund transportation projects, which have resulted in transit projects like the first section of the D Line extension. In 2024, two-thirds of voters passed Measure HLA, requiring bike, pedestrian and transit improvements throughout L.A. Streets for All, the influential transportation advocacy group that put up Measure HLA, has supported Raman throughout her political career. Its political action committee buoyed the mayor-elect's run with nearly $1.7 million in ad spending opposing Bass, according to campaign finance filings. In her policy platform, Raman promised to “fast track safety improvements by delivering on HLA.” Progress on the voter-approved initiative has been slow and the subject of ongoing legal battles.

Traffic deaths outnumber homicides

Damian Kevitt, executive director of the street safety nonprofit Streets Are For Everyone, said traffic violence has killed more Angelenos than homicides in recent years. He said the nonprofit tried its best to engage Bass and “multiple council members” on the issue. “Raman's office was one of the few that engaged,” Kevitt said. “Time will tell, but we think that the future looks brighter.” Raman has said she wants to create a Vision Zero director in the mayor's office to “make safety the governing lens for every decision made related to our streets.” In 2015, then-Mayor Eric Garcetti adopted a policy framework known as Vision Zero to zero out traffic deaths by 2025.

A contentious road project near Griffith Park could shift

Now that Raman has been elected mayor, the future of a contentious road project near Griffith Park could shift. Raman had pushed for a long-studied lane reduction plan along Forest Lawn Drive. Bass canned that proposal just a few months before the project's groundbreaking and adopted a design to widen the roadway's lanes instead. Reinstating her vision for Forest Lawn Drive will require Raman to work with her colleagues on L.A. City Council, nearly all of whom endorsed Bass in the mayoral election. Most have said they are ready to work with her.

A powerful voice on the Metro board

The mayor of L.A. has a dedicated seat on the 13-person Metro Board and can appoint three of its members, accounting for roughly a third of the voting power on the powerful body that makes countywide transportation planning decisions. Bass's current appointments include Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, the founding member of a faith-based development group in South L.A., as well as L.A. City Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky and Imelda Padilla. When Raman joins the board in December, she will have the power to change those appointments. L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who endorsed Raman in October, said the mayor's appointees often vote as a bloc. She pointed to Raman's support of projects like the Sepulveda Transit Corridor and the K-Line Northern Extension, and making day-to-day operations of the transit system more reliable.

First 100 days: road repairs, potholes and streetlights

As the incoming mayor, Raman will lead city departments that impact transportation and mobility. In her first 100 days in office, she has pledged to begin addressing urgent road repairs and potholes. She also said she will make public when broken streetlights in the city will be fixed. The mayor-elect has signalled her support for extending Metro's operations later into the night, a proposal that Cassy Horton, co-founder of the Downtown L.A. Residents Association, hopes materialises. “Downtown is a nightlife hub,” Horton said. “It would be a huge game changer, probably reviving nightlife, if trains were running until bars and restaurants close.” In a statement, Metro congratulated Raman on her victory. “We look forward to welcoming her to the Board,” Metro said, adding its gratitude to Bass for making Metro a “safer, more welcoming and equitable agency.”