Three years ago, Silver Lake residents were horrified by a traffic collision that claimed the life of a 24-year-old woman celebrating her birthday with her dad.
Ashley Sandau had emerged from a restaurant late one night and was crossing Rowena Avenue toward her father, who was waiting on the other side. As he watched, she was struck by a car and killed.
In the wake of that tragedy, then-City Councilman Tom LaBonge moved to make the street safer by slowing traffic. He backed a decision to put Rowena on a so-called road diet, reducing it from four vehicle lanes to two, and adding bicycle lanes on each side.