Safer Fountain Avenue Now: Call for the Resignation of Councilmember Lauren Meister due to her ongoing opposition to critical street safety improvements.

On July 11, 2025, a tragic hit-and-run on Fountain Avenue claimed the life of Blake Ackerman, a 26-year-old Beverly Hills resident and second-year associate at Morgan Lewis, a leading Los Angeles law firm. This heartbreaking incident is only the latest in a long series of preventable crashes on Fountain Avenue—a corridor that has seen well over 100 traffic collisions over the past five years.

Deadly and disfiguring crashes on Fountain Avenue have become a regular part of life in West Hollywood in recent years, creating fear and tragedy for residents and families who use this corridor every day.

Despite clear data and overwhelming community support for change, Councilmember Lauren Meister has repeatedly opposed improvements to Fountain Avenue that would save lives and promote safety. Without her continued efforts to block and delay safety improvements to this dangerous street, Fountain Avenue would likely already have protected bike lanes.

Meister’s opposition to safer streets extends beyond the council chambers. On October 18, 2024, she supported the “Stop the Fountain Jam” rally—which was attended and endorsed by 2024 council candidate George Nickle—where participants chanted, “Stop the madness, re-think bike lanes.”

That same day, across the street, the West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition held a counter-protest and vigil titled “Rally for Safer Streets and Vigil for Victims of Traffic Violence,” mourning the lives lost and demanding action.

A Pattern of Resistance to Safety:
Councilmember Lauren Meister has consistently opposed the city’s mobility, climate, and safety goals, including:

• Voting against the West Hollywood Climate Action Plan (adopted December 2021), which prioritizes sustainable transportation like biking and walking.
• Opposing the March 2021 directive to study the feasibility of protected bike lanes on Fountain Avenue.
• Dismissing the 2022 community survey showing that 72% of respondents supported bike lanes and wider sidewalks.
• Ignoring city data revealing that 64% of Fountain Avenue traffic is from non-local drivers using it as a commuter cut-through.

At a public council meeting, she stated:

“I don’t care if it’s $8.2 million or $82 million—deception is deception.”

This comment reflects a troubling disregard for public safety and evidence-based planning.

At the April 2025 Council meeting, Meister again voted against bike lanes on Beverly Boulevard, continuing her pattern of obstruction. And in the February 2025 Council meeting, she suggested that staff study whether bicyclists could be rerouted through back alleys instead of using city streets—a comment that was largely unnoticed at the time, but widely viewed as absurd and dismissive of basic cyclist safety.

Our Vision:
West Hollywood adopted the Target Vision Action Plan in December 2023, with a commitment to building a safer, greener, and more accessible city. Yet Fountain Avenue remains one of our most dangerous corridors—a high-speed cut-through that endangers residents, cyclists, and pedestrians while failing to meet ADA standards.

Councilmember Lauren Meister has not only blocked progress—she has actively undermined the city’s vision and the will of its people.

Therefore, we call for:
The immediate resignation of Councilmember Lauren Meister.

West Hollywood deserves leadership that values safety, data-driven planning, and community well-being. By signing this petition, you join the call for accountability—and send a clear message that safe streets cannot wait.

References:
Fountain Avenue Streetscape Project (City Public Engagement Hub)
 https://engage.weho.org/fountain

Council Narrowly Approves Fountain Avenue Grant (September 2024)
 Beverly Press
 https://beverlypress.com/2024/09/weho-narrowly-approves-fountain-avenue-grant/

Council Approves Fountain Bike Lanes (November 2022)
 Beverly Press
 https://beverlypress.com/2022/11/weho-council-approves-fountain-bike-lanes/

Council Meeting Agenda & Staff Report (March 2021 – Feasibility Study Directive)
 https://weho.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=22&clip_id=3972&meta_id=259569

"WeHo For The People" Rally Coverage (October 2024)
 WEHO Times https://wehotimes.com/weho-for-the-people-rallies-against-proposed-bike-lanes-on-fountain-avenue/

WeHo Approves Pilot Program for Bike Lanes (April 2025)
 KTLA
 https://ktla.com/news/local-news/west-hollywood-approves-pilot-program-for-bike-lanes/amp/

Council Meeting Minutes (February 2025 – Back Alley Comment)
 https://weho.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=16&clip_id=4123&meta_id=282146

Council Approves Pilot Test Project for Bike Lanes (April 2025)
 WeHo Online
 https://wehoonline.com/council-oks-test-project-to-add-bike-lanes-on-fountain-ave/

Council Meeting Agenda & Staff Report (April 2025 – Beverly Blvd Vote)
 https://weho.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=22&clip_id=4223&meta_id=297102