Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Some Jerk(s) Tagged Angels Flight With Graffiti
What is that? A capybara? (Photo by Tim Loc/LAist)
()
Angels Flight, L.A.'s favorite funicular, has been tagged with graffiti.
The news first came to light when Downtown LA Walking Tours Tweeted on Wednesday a picture of graffiti on one of the cars. LAist went out there on Friday morning and saw that the graffiti is still there. It covers the side of the car that's closest to the stairway. There's also some tagging on the windows around the car:
()
More tagging. (Photo by Tim Loc/LAist)
The Office of Community Beautification, a sub-department in L.A.'s Department of Public Works, said that it wasn't until Friday morning that someone had called in to report the vandalism.
Support for LAist comes from
Paul Racs, director of the Office of Community Beautification, said that Angels Flight doesn't fall under the department's jurisdiction, as its run by the Angels Flight Railway Foundation, but there's a good chance that his department will end up cleaning the graffiti. The department sent out a contractor on Friday morning to assess the damage and to come up with a cost assessment.
Racs said that his department can't do anything without the foundation's consent. "It could be tricky, because any graffiti abatement may tamper with the paint on the car. We may have to use water blasters or chemicals. We may have to paint over it. But, before we do any of that, whoever's in charge will have to approve it first," said Racs.
Hal Bastian, president of the Angels Flight Railway Foundation, told Curbed LA that the vandalism is "a tragedy." LAist called the Angels Flight Railway Foundation but no one was immediately available for comment.
Angels Flight has been out of commission since a 2013 derailment. While the safety issues have been cleared up, the cars remain idle because of bureaucratic red tape, say L.A. historians Richard Schave and Kim Cooper. In the meanwhile, the foundation has been raising money to cover costs that include a hefty annual insurance premium.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The critical findings are part of long-awaited after-action report was released Thursday. It contains recommendations for increasing emergency staffing and updating old systems. -
Diving has changed, mountain biking has been added. Here's where to watch the Olympics in person in 2028. -
'A Great Day in the Stoke' is a free, daylong event in Orange County billed as 'the largest gathering of Black surfers in history.' The fourth annual festival is set for Saturday in Huntington Beach. -
Kimmel returned less than a week after ABC suspended his show over comments he made about the assassination of right wing activist Charlie Kirk. -
Southern California might see some light rain tonight into Wednesday morning. After that, cooler weather is on the way, but expect the humidity to remain. -
A gate tax at Disney? It's a possibility.
Best of LAist