‘Really Bad Green’ – Newly Painted Bike Lanes in West Hollywood Get Mixed Reviews

West Hollywood is nearing completion of a project to paint existing bike lanes green along some of the city’s busiest corridors, a move officials say is intended to improve cyclist safety and increase visibility on roadways.

It’s an effort to enhance bicycle infrastructure, but the newly painted lanes have drawn mixed reactions from residents, cyclists and even city leaders over the shade of green selected.

“I love the green bike lanes,” Councilmember John Erickson said during a City Council meeting Monday. He added, however, that the color lacks the brightness seen in neighboring Beverly Hills and does not stand out as much as he had hoped.

“You can still see it, but the color green isn’t necessarily the color that pops in that way,” Erickson said, arguing that visibility is especially important because many of the lanes are not physically protected. He urged staff to consider a different shade in future updates, saying the current color appears dull, particularly at night.

Reaction on social media reflected a similar divide. Some residents praised the city for taking steps to protect cyclists, while others criticized the darker hue.

“I’m so excited!” wrote Instagram user @hellorio.

Others were less enthusiastic. “What’s with the dark, hard-to-see hue?” wrote @bikeshopla, comparing West Hollywood’s lanes to brighter green bike lanes in Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. Another commenter, @themarket, called the project “a step in the right direction,” but said the green should match Beverly Hills’ shade.

Additional concerns raised online included enforcement, with some cyclists urging the city to crack down on ride-hailing vehicles stopping in bike lanes.

City officials said the color choice was influenced in part by concerns raised by the film production industry. Representatives from FilmLA, the Motion Picture Association and Teamsters Local 399 have cautioned that bright green pavement can interfere with filming by creating reflective issues for cameras or limiting the city’s ability to serve as a stand-in for other locations.

As a compromise, some industry stakeholders suggested limiting green paint to high-conflict areas such as intersections. City officials said they worked closely with film representatives to select a shade intended to balance cyclist visibility with the city’s role as a major filming destination.

“I would urge us to tell film La to take a long walk off a very short cliff, because they are the reason why this has occurred,” said Erickson. “I don’t believe any of the excuses that they gave us. And I would urge our city staff, no one’s going to stop filming in the City of West Hollywood.”

City officials said green pavement markings are widely used nationwide and supported by studies showing they help alert drivers to the presence of cyclists and improve safety. While the current project focuses on repainting existing lanes, officials acknowledged that future adjustments, including color refreshes, could be considered.