OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

From our beginnings in the late 1990's our sole purpose has been very simple. As a community volunteer organization our mission is to work cooperatively and interactively with the community, elected officials, and state, federal, and local agencies to enhance, and improve local streetscapes, which resulted in a better environment for both the commercial and the residential areas of Westchester. You may have seen our work throughout the community for the past two decades, and as a result, your quality of life here has been enhanced...greatly!

 
Lincoln Boulevard Project
The Lincoln Boulevard Streetscape Project began more than a decade ago.

A threat was turned into an opportunity when the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced plans to widen State Road 1 (Lincoln Boulevard) through the business district of Loyola Village. The state's specified goal was to improve traffic flow through our community. The task for Caltrans engineers and planners was to clear a projected traffic bottleneck north of LAX. Their plan called for the addition of a new lane of traffic, several turn lanes and the initiation of restricted parking. To accomplish these objectives the project called for the removal of the boulevard's median strip and a portion of the sidewalks.

Unfortunately, the plan's objectives showed little regard for neither the Westchester/Playa community nor our locally oriented businesses.

In 1999, a newly formed WSIA, with the endorsement of a newly formed neighborhood council, represented our community in Caltrans' design workshops. WSIA was successful in redrawing plans to include landscaped medians and the replacement of street trees.
New Growing Trees
















The recently completed Lincoln Boulevard/SR1 street-widening project benefited from WSIA's active coordination of the work of LADOT, Caltrans, Otis College and other project developers and property owners. Today Lincoln Boulevard is more pedestrian friendly and features a consistent streetscape theme throughout the Loyola Village business district.