City Council Calls for Faster Response to Crumbling L.A. Sidewalks

Calling it a crisis to fix Los Angeles' more than 10,000 miles of crumbling sidewalks, a motion authored by councilmembers Bill Rosendahl and Eric Garcetti demands city staff start over and come up with a better way to provide a timely assessment rather than current estimates of a cost "well over $10 million." The original timeline for completion is three years.

The motion, available here, states "repairs should be dictated by need, not randomly or based on political influence."

"There has to be a much faster and much smarter way to catalog our crumbling and buckling sidewalks," said Rosendahl in a press release, who is chairman of the Transportation Committee. "Why not tap into the networks of thousands of community activists in the city? Why not use cutting-edge technology and smartphone apps? We have the energy and creativity to do this better and cheaper."

Last week, the Public Works Committee received a report from the Bureau of Street Services exploring various options for comprehensive sidewalk repair. The bureau also estimated that a comprehensive assessment of the city's sidewalks would cost "well over $10 million" and would take three years.  

"We can't afford to wait three years and spend $10 million on a study while our sidewalks are crumbling below our feet right now," said Councilman Garcetti, whose office every year executes a street-by-street graffiti assessment in a single day and who is a member of the Public Works Committee. 

The motion was seconded by Councilmember Joe Buscaino.

"Coming from the police department, I'm used to responding to critical situations immediately," Buscaino said, who is chairman of the Public Works Commitee and a leading voice for comprehensive sidewalk repair. "While broken sidewalks may not require flashing lights and sirens, we must address the problem with a much greater sense of urgency, and a focus on efficiency and cost-effectiveness."

Councilmembers Tom LaBonge and Paul Koretz signed the motion on behalf of their colleagues Garcetti, who is currently serving on U.S. Navy duty, and Rosendahl, who is currently .