Councilman Parks Touts Sidewalk Repair Program

Less than a week before he’s set to leave office, Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks credited a program he said started repairs on its 280th sidewalk Thursday, and vowed that work would continue on nearly 200 more after he leaves office.

An 81-year-old woman in a walker who had trouble getting out of her South LA home because of a buckled sidewalk personified the the councilman’s sidewalk repair program in a city with aging pedestrian thoroughfares. He teamed up with the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative to repair city sidewalks.

"We wrote letters, letters and letters asking telling them the roots were uprooting the sidewalks," said Helen Young, a South LA resident.

Parks said he took on the partnership to jump-start a program with immediate impact. He said he was frustrated with the city's lack of action and bureaucracy.

"We found that it's far more successful than waiting for city employees and city staff because it seems to break down somewhere in that process," Parks said.

Work on Brighton Avenue began Thursday. Parks is using $350,000 in discretionary funds to not only repair the sidewalks, but also replace the trees which caused the damage.

Veronica Hahni, the executive director of LANI, a nonprofit which helps city government partner with private industry to complete community projects, applauded the progress.

"This work is being done at no cost to property owners, and it’s critical to quality of life for people who live in this district," she said.

Parks said the biggest complaint he gets is about bad sidewalks, twisted up from old tree roots.

Disabled residents sued the city of Los Angeles over lack of access. As a result, city officials agreed in April to pay about $1.4 million to improve access across the city over the next 30 years.

Crews will improve access at city offices and facilities first. Residential neighborhoods will come last.