Part 4: Proposed Initiatives

West Hollywood has developed a wide array of innovative public programs and is inspiring other cities to replicate some of its signature public initiatives. The following proposed initiatives from the WeHoX Team tackle important challenges facing the community, promote the goals of the City’s General Plan and Strategic Plan, and continue the City’s leadership in civic innovation. Each initiative contains recommended policies or programs that can be implemented independently or in concert with other strategies to meet the primary goals in each topic area. For more in-depth information on these ideas, visit WeHoX.org.

Transportation, Pedestrian Safety, and Parking

Goals for this topic area include: * Improving pedestrian safety * Reducing alcohol-related vehicle incidents * Promoting alternative mobility - including reducing the number of cars per household and increasing the number of residents living without a car in West Hollywood

The following recommendations will move the City towards improving outcomes on these important goals:

Launch WeHo Vision Zero Campaign

“Vision Zero” is an open source initiative that puts the responsibility of safety on the transit system design, not the transit system users. The campaign sets goals within City departments and with the public to reduce negative outcomes to zero. Vision Zero initiatives often include education, infrastructure, enforcement to achieve safer streets, zero deaths, zero injuries, zero fear of traffic. Components of a “Vision Zero” campaign could include: * Traffic challenge - use open traffic volume data as basis for a traffic/ biking/ pedestrian safety data mapping or app challenge. * See what additional open data sets might be useful, release additional data. Involve the community in awareness of highest-risk intersections. * Continue implementing and testing new traffic-calming strategies. (e.g. more lighted crosswalks, new signage) * Crosswalk enforcement. Create new community- or technology-driven strategies for crosswalk enforcement. Employ data gathered from the Community Development Department’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Plan open maps (map) to identify and track strategic location enforcement.

Increase Number of Shared Bicycles Per Capita

Re-energize the “Walk Bike WeHo” program around events and new strategic partnerships and a bike-sharing program. Walk Bike WeHo could be a powerful force to garner support for WeHo’s “Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Plan” and to drive quick adaptation of a new bikeshare program. * Consistent and calendared “Walkabout” and “Bikeabout” events and community metro bike rides encourage safe routes and offer opportunities for City officials to interact directly with users. * Public-private or public/nonprofit partnerships that encourage alternative transportation including Bikes & Hikes, CicLAvia, and LA Walks. Strategic alliances with these organizations and organizations like these would enhance public event awareness and attendance. Recommend potentially applying with other cities for a CicLAvia route for 2016 Metro Funding cycle. * A public bike share program would be a monumental step towards advocacy of alternative transportation, and would also require greater efforts of public safety education along the lines discussed above. In 2014, the City Council called for a citywide bike sharing system implementation plan that would be consistent with the City of Santa Monica’s bike share program and coordinate with the principles, goals, and objectives for a larger, regional bike share network as put forth by the WSCCOG (Westside Cities Council of Governments). Proposed partnerships with Metro and Cyclehop would assist with program funding and implementation. (The City is currently exploring bikeshare opportunities and studying feasibility.) * A city employee bike share program would serve as an additional transportation option to mitigate employee displacement during the construction of the automated parking garage. There is a request for an agreement for services to launch a one-year pilot employee bicycle share program that will add bicycles to the available transportation options for employees conducting business and traveling throughout the city. This bike share program augments the City’s current Alternate Mode Incentive Program which encourages employees to use alternate modes of transportation (walking, biking, carpool, transit). The program would further reduce the City’s reliance on automobile travel by promoting bicycles as a convenient, efficient, and cost- effective alternative means of travel. A partnership with local business “Bikes and Hikes LA” would assist with implementation and management of the pilot program. (The employee bike share program launched in 2015 during the final development of this report.) * A resource page on the Walk Bike WeHo site that lists places for bicycle repair, maintenance, and riding skills classes encourages safer users and promotes community businesses. * Continuation and expansion of the pedestrian safety awareness campaign that brought the “Wink, Then Walk”, “Look, Don’t Like” public advertising and the “Alice In WeHoLand” PSA-style video. In addition to placement in transit-shelter ads located throughout the city, large electronic and traditional billboards, and social media/web-based placements in online publications and mobile apps are successful platforms to continue reaching WeHo residents and visitors alike.

Increase number of shared vehicles per capita, reducing overall traffic volume

• Partner with Uber and/or Lyft on a WeHo-specific Uber/ Lyft Line campaign.
• Work with Zipcar or similar company to create more locations for shared vehicle parking.
• Examine use data for The PickUp and other transit circulators to explore additional routes and understand user needs and demographics, to potentially increase the frequency and options for shared vehicle connections to transit (Hollywood and Highland Metro).
• Explore regional taxi system cooperation to reduce “deadheading” and underutilized taxi capacity.

Increase number of EV charging stations within the City

• Partner with Volta or other charging station network (could be combined with the shared-vehicle initiative above) to expand electric vehicle charging stations.

Provide real-time public transit service information to the public

• Deploy digital hubs in transit shelters, old phone booths, and public spaces.
• Convert transit data into formats suitable for public use (such as the GTFS data standard for schedules and routes, and a real-time feed accessible through an agency’s API).
• Showcase third-party applications for innovation. This might mean adding a page to City’s website to showcase the customer-facing applications built with transit data by independent developers.
• Establish channels of communication with data-user communities. Engaging users around interactive maps and social media to refine and inform future innovation.

Introduce WalkWeHo, an interactive citywide wayfinding system

• Create free app or web-based audio tours of parks, art, and landmarks across the City focused on walking and biking.
• Expand community art walks and walking neighborhood home tours.

Beautify crosswalks and sidewalks

• Evaluate the impact of the rainbow crosswalks to determine if the program should be expanded to other crosswalks.
• Continue with planned sidewalk chalk art programming to attract pedestrian traffic, spark engagement, and promote pedestrian safety awareness initiatives.

Introduce Smart Street Furniture within the City’s public right-of-way

• Street signs, bus benches, post boxes, phone booths, streetlamps, traffic signals, even waste containers can “communicate” with passers-by and become digital information hubs.
• Smart street furniture can enhance West Hollywood’s streetscape and urban experience by providing important public messaging and wifi services.

Redesign parking signs across the City to be more user friendly and help motorists

• Signs with visual/graphic representation of parking schedules that show the whole 24 hours for every day of the week.
• Unified format, fonts, and color coding would also assist in redesigning City signs for increased efficiency and understanding.
• Explore developing a parking info app to augment physical signage.

Introduce and publicize Smart Parking technologies throughout the City

• Explore additional app-based, potentially gamified parking applications for use in minimizing “circling” and traffic caused by cars looking for parking.
• Explore more dynamic pricing and other strategies to manage scarce parking resources.

Explore new forms of shared alternative transportation platforms

• Explore a scooter share service (or similar services) that will create an additional transportation mode to service users that have a need for short to medium distance travel.

Explore creating new on-street parking options for shared transportation

• West Hollywood is a nightlife hotspot for the Southern California region. Increasing the use of taxis and shared- ride vehicles may contribute to reductions in alcohol- related vehicular incidents. Encourage the use of these services by creating designated pickup/drop-off spots to reduce circling and traffic (similar to taxi zones, but without the standing lines of cars, just a single spot).

Recreation, health, and wellness

The City recognizes that its public safety initiatives and history of partnering with health and wellness providers that deliver resources for underserved populations have provided the impetus for innovation that transcends the City’s borders.

In addition, West Hollywood’s unique population demographics (a growing number of young people and seniors, with fewer families) provide some unique opportunities to expand on the City’s health and wellness offerings.

Goals for this area include:

• Improving older residents’ ability to “age in place”
• Establishing programs to encourage residents to exercise 2+ times per week
• Promoting greater use of social services
• Establishing increased awareness and programming around alcohol abuse

Implement robust Aging in Place Strategy

• As the City’s population ages, many older adults will need support to maintain active, social, and healthy lifestyles in our community. Components of a successful “aging in place” strategy (many already in development by the City) could include virtual retirement communities, in-home technology to facilitate remote monitoring of medication compliance and health, and new volunteer programs to connect younger and older residents.

Provide digital training for Generation WH

• As West Hollywood’s population ages, and more of the City’s services and programs move into paperless processes, provide additional support to older residents who are not “digital natives.” This program could be sponsored by local technology companies and could also involve upgrading senior community centers with electronic games, computers, and tablets.
• Develop a volunteer “tech corps” who can train WeHo’s seniors on the use of new technology.

Develop WeHo Senior Stories program

• Use a team of volunteers to capture video and other content from WeHo’s senior population (potentially with a focus on gay oral history of Southern California.) The project could engage young creatives as volunteers and build community connections with seniors.

Enhance WeHo Wellness with data and mapping

• Partner with UCLA and Cedars Sinai to create WeHo Wellness indicators linking public health, land use, economics, education, crime and housing. West Hollywood’s proximity to Cedars Sinai and UCLA would make partnerships between these medical institutions and the West Hollywood Library meaningful and convenient to residents.
• Well-being/emotional mapping of the city using social media - using new social media “listening” techniques to create an innovative program focused on reducing HIV risk, promoting use of new HIV prophylactic drugs, or other key health goals (reducing smoking).

Catalogue, share publicly, and understand the benefits of the City’s Sustainability assets

• Launch “City Gardens” program to create a network of public and private drought-tolerant gardens.
• Create new challenges for young landscape designers to create beautiful, sustainable public spaces.
• Create a database of sustainably-certified buildings in the City. Showcase WeHo’s leadership in sustainable development and encourage property owners to retrofit existing buildings.
• Map out the City’s Urban Forest and measure yearly eco- benefits and encourage community members to adopt and support their local trees. “Gamify” this process to reward residents who are “WeHo Forest Rangers” and support volunteering.

Launch FitWeHo - the Fittest City in the Country campaign

• Creating a city-wide fitness initiative, with goals, milestones, and incentives, could increase park usage, increase biking and walking, and promote community members to connect with each other at events and online.
• Continue to digitize all walking and marathon routes in the City for use in fitness apps and fitness applications.

Establish West Hollywood League of Mixologists

• Create a program for bartenders, wait staff, and other hospitality industry workers to reduce alcohol-related incidents, potentially in collaboration with the Sheriff’s Department. Explore sponsorship of the program and incentives through partnership with shared-ride companies.

Develop Smart Homes Pilot Program

• Wire affordable and public housing units for connectivity and safety.

Civic Engagement and Public Participation

Volunteerism and voting are two key metrics for civic engagement and participation. West Hollywood also values and encourages public participation in key community planning and development decisions. Increasing participation online and at in-person City events is an important goal.

Goals for this area include:

• Increasing voter turnout in local elections
• Increasing number of local volunteers at WeHo nonprofits
• Increasing number of people interacting with the City online and through social media

Increase voter participation in municipal elections

• Create PSA/public campaign to combat common myth that voter registration triggers jury duty
• Conduct a viability study of transition to all vote-by- mail process
• Create a custom “I Voted in West Hollywood” sticker to promote local voter participation
• Clear and visible online voter registration information on weho.org
• Provide platforms for easily digestible voter information
• Increase promotion of civic tech apps and platforms, including Mindmixer, Thunderclap, BuyPartisan, SeePolitical, and Votr.
• Social media, PSA, and local advertising campaigns to promote voter turnout
• Create a campaign dashboard “takeover” on main weho.org with information visualizations for real-time election results, campaign contributions, and voter information.

Establish a WeHo Volunteer Corps

• Partner with a locally-lead nonprofit to support an on- demand corps of volunteers that could participate in projects, City events, and senior programs.

Expand city services through West Hollywood smartphone application.

• Build on existing smart phone app to provide enhanced, additional services.

Integrate crowdsourcing tools for emergency situations

• Introduce Loqi.me, a cellular phone driven app for “Cross-Platform Group Messaging And Location Beaconing For Disaster Relief”, or similar service. Features of this platform include: emergency GPS beaconing, multi-platform access and user subscriptions (SMS, AIM, Jabber, or Twitter), and Smartphone accessible maps for citizens and emergency response ground teams. Loqi.me and apps like it are a powerful resource that provide the community with the agency and ability to spontaneously respond to crisis.

Take City Hall meetings outside of City Hall

• Introduce a “Civic Cocktails” event, similar to Minnesota’s “Policy and a Pint” event series that engages young people in important conversations about public policy in a casual setting outside of City Hall.
• Conduct more events in public spaces and use creative activation models (“pop-ups”) to generate interest and reach new stakeholders.
• Engage local businesses and arts programs to amplify community participation in public meetings.
• Engage City representative(s) to participate on NextDoor and Neighborland apps, community forums and social networks structured around local geography, to answer questions and provide insight to residents.

Introduce “Live Chat” on WeHo.org

• Deploy a “Live Chat” bubble on the West Hollywood website to assist people with advice, navigation, and form fields.

Creative Use of Public Spaces

• Introduce Urban Canvas Art Program for construction fencing and scaffolding. “Urban canvas” competitions invite the public to vote on design candidates to beautify scaffoldings. The winning designs are available to building owners, who can apply online to download the designs. This creates a sense of community between developers and residents, and encourages community art and cultural awareness.
• Continue and amplify efforts for creative, innovative billboard usage. Aim for the Sunset Strip to be the first “curated” collection of public billboard art in the country.

Partnerships, Efficiency and Transparency in Local Government

A city’s ability to generate innovative ideas that solve major challenges and improve city life depends on its ability to find innovative new ways to get work done. A citizenry that is inspired to imagine, collaborate, and create can develop breakthrough solutions together.

Goals for this area include:

• Replacing antiquated paper processes with digital options
• Increasing communications capacity across the City
• Reducing costs and increasing revenue for City operations

Create West Hollywood Innovation Fund

• Establish the WeHoX Innovation Fund to fund innovative ideas for delivery of city services. Many of the projects listed in this Report will require funding, and there are no doubt many more good ideas in the minds of City employees. An internal City innovation fund can provide small grants for pilot projects that can demonstrate the impact of new ideas, and provide justification for expansion and inclusion in ongoing budget processes. Create new ways to provide professional development for employees
• Introduce Innovation Education Program for Municipal Employees. In part to support a potential Innovation Fund application, as well as to provide support for new business process development, provide scalable education on the best in civic innovation and business process strategy.
• Provide more online training. In addition to internal City needs, explore becoming a training resource for other smaller cities, potentially developing a revenue stream for the City.
• Film and archive all training events, HR policies, managerial tips, and webinars conducted by HR in order to streamline on-boarding process and allow staff and new hires greater flexibility with scheduling mandatory procedures.

Introduce WeHo Wi-Fi

• Provide free municipal Wi-Fi in public places. Provide free wifi along the City’s commercial corridors, public buildings, and city parks as a service to the community.

Improve Employee work processes through technology and collaboration

• Introduce tablet “rentals” for city workers to check-out as needed and take into the field. Providing City workers with tablets will increase mobility and efficiency due to portable capacity.
• Identify and implement areas where EDEN payment platform, GIS database, agenda management software, TRAKiT, DocuSign, Planet Bids procurement software, and PublicStuff request systems can be used cross- functionally.
• Create project matrices, visualizations, and dynamic tools to help prioritize and optimize departmental efforts.

Improve West Hollywood Open Data platform and data accessibility

• Increase the number of data sets available, based on the City’s overall priorities. Allow for API’s (application programming interface) into City data.
• Introduce data visualization tools that make data more accessible to the public.
• Host hackathon-type events or online challenges dealing with issues important to West Hollywood (Sustainability, Aging in Place, etc.) when new and relevant data sets are released.
• Introduce real-time energy use visualizations at City Hall facilities.
• Increase the number of apps available based on Open Data.
• Consolidate resources for volunteering with web apps that “match” users with opportunities to volunteer.
• Increase the number of government services that can be accessed by citizens via the web or mobile phone.
• Introduce sensor technology to provide real-time traffic, public transit demand, parking, air quality, waste, H2O, public lighting data that can feed into open data platforms.

Create an official citywide privacy policy to protect confidential citizen data

• Implement a privacy policy to identify what data the City collects, why the City collects it, and what the City does with it.

Improve recruitment/onboarding/retention of new employees using technology

• Create a virtual tour of City Hall for new hires, candidates.
• Create video “ads” for recruitment to show the unique culture of working at City Hall to attract talent.

Establish cohesive branding and visual representation of City offerings

• Release city-wide Style Guide of uniform brand assets and usage rules.
• Centrally archive templates for internal and partner event flyers, press releases, etc.

Supporting the Innovation Economy

Cities with vibrant innovative industries (digital, tech, media, hospitality, lifestyle, fashion and design) benefit from economic opportunity, civic inclusion, and civic engagement. Attracting and retaining innovative companies is strategic boon for municipalities looking to expand innovation initiatives for all residents.

Goals for this area include:

• Increasing the number of new innovative businesses locating in West Hollywood
• Increasing the opportunities for Weho-based business owners to network and support each other
• Retaining existing WeHo businesses

Build WeHo Fiber utility

• Pursue the development of City’s own fiber utility to provide high-speed internet service to businesses.

Created a “Launched in WeHo” initiative

• Introduce “Launched in WeHo” service mark to promote innovative companies and services started or operating in West Hollywood

Establish an Innovation Lab at West Hollywood Library

• Leverage the City’s library system to support the business community. The West Hollywood Library could offer “co-working” space at designated times and locations within the Library’s meeting rooms and carrels. This creates a discovery space for business entrepreneurs, combining elements of a co-working space with expert library fact-finding services and resources.

Create a Tourism and Hospitality Incubator

• As a global tourist destination, West Hollywood is fortunate to attract world-class hospitality industry leaders. A technology incubator specifically tailored to WeHo tourism and hospitality would work closely with Visit West Hollywood and local BIDs to discover innovative solutions to common challenges within the industry, and provide ample opportunities to field-test new technology solutions.

Partner with educational and vocational organizations

• In partnership with educational and vocational organizations like Jewish Vocational Service (JVS), West Hollywood Library, and/or General Assembly, the City can encourage mentorship, entrepreneurial learning, and (in particular) high-tech and digital media growth within WeHo.

Develop “Business in a Box” toolkit for new West Hollywood businesses

• The “Business In A Box” tool is intended to streamline the permitting process for new businesses by consolidating all required applications and permits by industry in one place.

Introduce “Business Concierge” service at City Hall

• The Business Concierge service will assist businesses in finding solutions to common questions and facilitate connections to the right people, data and resources. A designated “concierge” within City Hall would be available to assist new business owners navigate their start-up process in West Hollywood.

Promote and celebrate West Hollywood’s innovation economy through events and awards

• In partnership with the Small Business Administration, Chamber of Commerce, and WHEST, run innovative, no-cost start-up and small business development programs with tracks for both emerging and existing entrepreneurs interested in launching and growing their ventures within WeHo.
• To encourage friendly competition and reward innovation, WeHo could host a business showcase and business plan contest as part of the “Launched In WeHo” campaign. This campaign would shine a spotlight on the many successful businesses that started in the City while encouraging other entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses to build their businesses in West Hollywood. A series of showcases, events, and/or innovation award contests offering grant money would demonstrate both a “business-friendly” WeHo and a supportive and engaged community of business leaders around a cohesive campaign. This campaign would fulfill multiple City goals by incentivizing developers with prizes to bring business to the City while also promoting its best “success stories.”