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AirTalk

Bump in the road: Who should be responsible for the city’s sidewalks?

By AirTalk Staff
Published May 27, 2015
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 12: City of Los Angeles Public Works Department Street Services workers repair a sidewalk on August 12, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The state of California has been given over 3.7 billion in stimulus to address transportation and infrastructure problems. It's estimated that approximately $100 billion is needed to address current bridge deficiencies in the U.S. and of the $48 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding designated to the DOT, $27.6 billion, or 57 percent, has gone so far for highway and bridge infrastructure projects. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 12: City of Los Angeles Public Works Department Street Services workers repair a sidewalk on August 12, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.
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Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
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Bump in the road: Who should be responsible for the city’s sidewalks?

The City of Los Angeles is looking to pass the bill for its sidewalk repairs over to its commercial and residential property owners.

The proposal for the $1.4-billion, 30-year sidewalk rebuilding program states that neighborhood walkways damaged by trees would be repaired by the city, after which responsibility for upkeep and liability for injuries would be transferred to the property owners of the adjoining sidewalks.

Los Angeles landowners have long fronted the bill for sidewalk repairs and the practice is common in other cities in the state. However, opponents of the plan say the plan is unfair, leaving landowners with high repair costs and liability for sidewalks the city should have repaired years ago.

What are the costs for property owners? Should the city be responsible for its sidewalks?

The plan will be discussed in public hearings beginning next week.

20150526 CAO New Policy for Repair of Sidewalks Adjacent to Private Property

Guests:

Richard Close, Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association President

Paul Krekorian, Councilman for District 2