On Saturday, a line of white-painted "ghost" tires appeared outside the Westwood 99 Ranch Market, a stark memorial for the three people killed in a February crash and a not-so-subtle message to City Hall. Organizers said the makeshift shrine was meant to highlight what they describe as a pattern of dangerous street design and lax traffic enforcement along Westwood Boulevard.
Activists Turn Parking Lot Into White-Tire Memorial
Volunteers from local traffic-safety groups joined family members of victims to place the tires and hold a brief press event, calling on Los Angeles officials to install speed cameras, protected bike lanes, and other traffic-calming measures, according to CBS Los Angeles. Organizers said the white tires, modeled on the "ghost bikes" that mark cyclist fatalities, are meant to keep political pressure on leaders who are still weighing possible changes to Westwood Boulevard.
The Crash That Sparked the Push
The display follows a Feb. 5 collision in which a vehicle plowed into the market's bakery area, killing three people and injuring several others, according to the Los Angeles Times. Investigators told the AP that the vehicle first struck a bicyclist before continuing into the bakery, and officials have said they are treating the crash as an apparent accidental traffic collision.
What Activists Want: Cameras and Calmer Streets
Advocates said the ghost-tire memorial is aimed at building public support for policy tools, from automated speed-enforcement pilots to quick-build protected bike lanes, focused on streets the city itself has identified as among the most dangerous. Streets Are For Everyone runs the "ghost tire" program and has linked these installations to broader campaigns backing speed-camera pilots and other safety legislation. City transportation officials have pointed to state pilots and local Vision Zero efforts as options under review for high-injury corridors, and the department's recent reports note that tools authorized by state law are on the table as part of that evaluation, according to LADOT.
Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky and Mayor Karen Bass expressed sympathy after the February crash and said city teams were coordinating a response, according to the Los Angeles Times. Organizers who placed the ghost tires said they intend to keep public pressure on elected officials until clear, concrete safety projects, not just condolences, show up in the city's timelines.
