Fountain Ave Streetscape Project - Phase 1
Summary
SCH Number
2025110151
Public Agency
City of West Hollywood
Document Title
Fountain Ave Streetscape Project - Phase 1
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
11/5/2025
Document Description
The City is planning a reconfiguration of Fountain Avenue that will occur in two phases. This Notice of Exemption applies to Phase 1 of the Project, which eliminates a travel lane in each direction, adds protected bikeways, and eliminates parking from the north side of the street to create space for protected bike lanes in each direction. The Project will eliminate peak-hour parking restrictions, add high-visibility crosswalks, add in-street planters, and include speed wedges within painted curb extensions throughout the corridor. Phase 2 would widen sidewalks, rebuild curb ramps, add landscaping, street lighting, and other amenities, and underground utility lines if feasible. Phase 1 is intended to calm traffic conditions, create a safe east/west bicycle corridor, improve pedestrian safety, and make Fountain function more as a collector street, which is the roadway classification in the West Hollywood General Plan.
Contact Information
Name
Christopher Corrao
Agency Name
City of West Hollywood
Job Title
Senior Transportation Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Los Angeles
Regions
Southern California
Cross Streets
Fountain Ave between La Cienega Blvd and La Brea Ave
Zip
90069
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
21080.25 (bicycle facilities and removal of parking),
Reasons for Exemption
Phase 1 of the Fountain Avenue Streetscape Project is statutorily exempt from CEQA pursuant to Public Resources Code §21080.25, which exempts bicycle facilities that improve safety, access or mobility, including new facilities within the public right-of-way. Public Resources Code §21080.25 also exempts planning decisions carried out by local agencies to remove or restrict parking. Phase 1 is carried out by the City, does not induce single-vehicle occupancy trips, or add any auxiliary lanes. The
physical infrastructure added in Phase 1 is minor, within the existing right-of-way, and is needed for the safe movement of bicycles. Construction of Phase 1 would not remove any affordable housing units. Additionally, Phase 1 is exempt from CEQA under CEQA Guidelines §15301(c) (Class 1 - Existing Facilities) and §15304(h) (Class 4 - Minor Alterations to Land: creation of bicycle lanes on existing rights-of-way). Phase 1 re-stripes the existing corridor to one travel lane per direction, installs
protected bikeways separated by surface-mounted, reversible elements (e.g., extruded curbs/planters), adds paint/markings, curb extensions, and high-visibility crossings, adjusts curbside parking, and repaves-all within the existing public right-of-way and without adding automobile lanes. The exceptions to categorical exemptions (Guidelines §15300.2) do not apply: the project area is urbanized; there is no work on a state scenic highway, no listed hazardous waste sites, and no substantial adverse change to historical resources; and there is no unusual circumstance creating a
reasonable possibility of significant effects. Consistent with SB 743, transportation effects are evaluated in terms of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) rather than delay or parking availability; the curbside reallocation to bikeways does not constitute a CEQA impact.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15301 (c) Class 1 - existing rights of way). And section 15304(h)
Reasons for Exemption
Phase 1 of the Fountain Avenue Streetscape Project is statutorily exempt from CEQA pursuant to Public Resources Code §21080.25, which exempts bicycle facilities that improve safety, access or mobility, including new facilities within the public right-of-way. Public Resources Code §21080.25 also exempts planning decisions carried out by local agencies to remove or restrict parking. Phase 1 is carried out by the City, does not induce single-vehicle occupancy trips, or add any auxiliary lanes. The
physical infrastructure added in Phase 1 is minor, within the existing right-of-way, and is needed for the safe movement of bicycles. Construction of Phase 1 would not remove any affordable housing units. Additionally, Phase 1 is exempt from CEQA under CEQA Guidelines §15301(c) (Class 1 - Existing Facilities) and §15304(h) (Class 4 - Minor Alterations to Land: creation of bicycle lanes on existing rights-of-way). Phase 1 re-stripes the existing corridor to one travel lane per direction, installs
protected bikeways separated by surface-mounted, reversible elements (e.g., extruded curbs/planters), adds paint/markings, curb extensions, and high-visibility crossings, adjusts curbside parking, and repaves-all within the existing public right-of-way and without adding automobile lanes. The exceptions to categorical exemptions (Guidelines §15300.2) do not apply: the project area is urbanized; there is no work on a state scenic highway, no listed hazardous waste sites, and no substantial adverse change to historical resources; and there is no unusual circumstance creating a
reasonable possibility of significant effects. Consistent with SB 743, transportation effects are evaluated in terms of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) rather than delay or parking availability; the curbside reallocation to bikeways does not constitute a CEQA impact.
County Clerk
Los Angeles
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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