Why Los Angeles Stopped Repaving Its Streets
9 days ago
- #city planning
- #urban infrastructure
- #disability compliance
- Los Angeles has stopped repaving its streets due to federal disability rules that make fixing roads legally riskier than leaving them in disrepair.
- The city reclassified street work to 'large asphalt repairs' to avoid triggering costly ADA compliance requirements for curb ramps at intersections.
- Each curb ramp costs about $50,000, adding approximately $2 million per mile to repaving costs, often exceeding the cost of the asphalt itself.
- Federal guidelines updated in January 2023 forced the city to reconsider its noncompliance, leading to the cessation of repaving.
- Patching streets instead of resurfacing accelerates deterioration and increases future repair costs, as underlying problems are not addressed.
- Los Angeles faces a similar issue with sidewalks, having committed to a $1.4 billion, 30-year repair plan but making minimal progress, with wait times for repairs exceeding ten years.
- The neglect disproportionately affects people with disabilities, the elderly, and families with strollers, while the city pays millions in damage claims that could fund repairs.
- Policymakers need to create rules that incentivize progress rather than penalize imperfect compliance to improve urban quality of life.