For years, the Angelino Heights area has been plagued by dangerous street racing and takeovers, leaving residents frustrated over the troubling rise in illegal activity.
Engineers with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) are now proposing new designs for intersections and busy roadways to combat unlawful drivers.
The Angelino Heights area has been prominently featured in the “Fast & Furious” films and remains a hotspot for drivers to perform dangerous stunts.
For years, residents have been asking for help from local officials and Universal Pictures to curb the illegal activity but feel their concerns haven’t been taken seriously.
Street racing fans visit the area year-round, with some hoping to live out their wildest stunt fantasies.
LADOT is now proposing a series of road design changes targeting the intersections most plagued by illegal driving activity.
Some new elements may include road barriers, roundabouts, narrowing sidewalks — anything to deter drivers from performing stunts, officials said.
“Because of the social media, it really blew up,” said resident Alan Lee. “Everybody’s doing this for ‘likes.’ I’ve seen this neighborhood go through stages and within the last 20 years, it’s actually become worse because of the racing. They’ll do doughnuts here or in the intersection. It’s very dangerous.”
“There was a period where they were talking about having a bigger police presence here and solving this through infrastructure instead which just seems like a win-win for everybody,” said resident Josh Weiss.
Since 2021, street racing has increased by 27%, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Officials are hoping the new street designs will serve as a successful example for other L.A. neighborhoods on how to deter illegal and potentially deadly stunts.