Los Angeles’ recently opened 6th Street Viaduct now has speed bumps to prevent illegal street racing on the bridge.
The viaduct has attracted several takeovers — illegal gatherings for street racing.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore said that the Bureau of Street Services started laying down the speed bumps on July 24.
“The 6th Street bridge offered [the] type of opportunity for Los Angeles to be proud of a historic L.A. River, the origins of the city, as well as the viaduct,” Moore said at a recent Police Commission meeting. “Unfortunately, since its opening, it has also served, or become known as, a place where people are going to gather and conduct exhibitions.”
The city also discussed whether to install other inventions such as center median dividers and more fencing to prevent people from climbing up the arches of the bridge.
Moore said that the bridge has been a hotspot for people looking for “15 minutes” of social media fame, especially for dangerous driving-related stunts.
Indeed, the bridge was shut down for the fourth time on the night of July 26 because of a takeover. The LAPD has issued 57 traffic citations for dangerous driving on the bridge, and six cars have been impounded.
The viaduct, which connects Boyle Heights to downtown L.A., was recently pasted with homemade signs calling for an end to takeovers and driving stunts.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, underground street racing has become more prevalent in the city, LAPD officials say.
Investigators say that street takeovers jumped 27% in 2021, with three deaths attributed to the gatherings.
Several attempts to discourage the gatherings have been made, with Governor Gavin Newsom signing a law to suspend the driver’s licenses of those involved in the dangerous activity.
Others have proposed cracking down on users of social media who promote the events.
It’s not just California that is dealing with deadly street racing. The pandemic and budget cuts that hit police agencies in 2020 have also led to an increase in takeovers in other states across the country.
