1,250+ Angelenos Have Spoken. Now We’re Taking the Demand to City Hall.
More than 1,250 people have signed our open letter calling on Los Angeles to declare a State of Emergency on Traffic Violence. On Tuesday, September 15, we’re bringing that demand directly to City Hall, and we’re asking you to come stand with us, give public comment, and help show City leaders that Angelenos want traffic violence to end.
Why are we Calling for an Emergency Declaration?
In 2015, Los Angeles committed to Vision Zero, with the goal of eliminating all traffic deaths by 2025.
A decade later, traffic fatalities were 56% higher than in 2015.
For the past three years, there have been more traffic fatalities than homicides.
Traffic violence is the leading cause of death for children ages 4-14 in LA County.
People are being killed or seriously injured on the streets of Los Angeles, and many are walking or biking.
Car on fire after a fatal collision on Forest Lawn Drive in August 2026
So far this year, 200 people have been killed by traffic violence in Los Angeles. That is 8% more deaths than at this point last year. The crisis is getting worse, not better, and our local leaders cannot afford to wait any longer to act.
These aren't simply numbers, they are our neighbors who were loved. Every death represents a person who left home and never came back, and a family and community whose lives changed forever.
We have spent years demanding for streets to be designed to protect the people who use them, better coordination between City departments, faster implementation of proven safety projects, and greater urgency from our elected leaders.
An emergency declaration would require our local leaders to treat traffic violence with the urgency it demands and take immediate action to save lives.
What Would Declaring an Emergency Actually do?
A declaration by itself will not make our streets safe overnight. But it can change how the City responds to the crisis.
Under Los Angeles' emergency framework, a local emergency can allow the City to activate its Emergency Operations Organization and coordinate departments and resources around an urgent threat to life and safety.
We want that kind of urgency applied to traffic violence.
Instead of treating each fatal crash as an isolated event, an emergency response could help City departments and elected leaders work together around one clear objective: be proactive in preventing people from being killed on our streets.
An emergency declaration is not a substitute for safer street design, enforcement of dangerous driving behavior, effective policy, or investment in proven safety measures. It is a tool for the City to coordinate proactively.
Vigil for 3 people killed by a driver at 99 Ranch Market in February 2026.
Vigil for a mother and her daughter, killed by a driver in January 2026.
Now We’re Asking You to Show up.
On Tuesday, September 15, we will take more than 1,250 signatures to Los Angeles City Hall and bring this demand directly to the City Council.
We need you to join us.
You do not need to be an expert on transportation policy or City government. If you care about making Los Angeles streets safer, your voice belongs in the room.
Come to City Hall. Stand with us. And, if you are comfortable doing so, give public comment.
Instructions and Talking Points for Public Comment.
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Los Angeles City Council Meeting – 10:00 AM
Los Angeles City Hall
John Ferraro Council Chamber, Room 340
200 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Entrance on Main Street
A press conference will follow public comment.
City Council can feel intimidating if you've never attended a meeting before. Don't let that stop you. This is your City Hall, and public comment exists so the people affected by City decisions can be heard.
More than 1,250 Angelenos have already put their names behind this demand. On Tuesday, we need to put faces and voices behind those signatures.
If you haven't already signed the open letter, you can still, before we take the signatures to City Hall.
Thank you for your support, and see you there!