To the editor: Los Angeles’ sidewalks are a symbol of the chronic and widespread lack of attention paid by the government to public safety. (Aug. 17 column: “Los Angeles’ Cracked and Broken Sidewalks Are a Scandal. Where’s City Hall?”)
The 2015 Willits sidewalk settlement regarding Americans with Disabilities Act compliance will never do what the city is supposed to do: enforce state law requiring property owners to maintain sidewalks on their properties, even when there is a public right-of-way on them.
Most cities hire part-time inspectors to inspect sidewalks, point out problems and notify property owners of a reasonable deadline to make repairs. If the deadline is missed, the city hires its own subcontractors to make the repairs and places a lien on the property title.
It was always that way until the 1970s, when the city began cutting services and the long decline in Los Angeles' quality of life began.
Why should we wait until the Olympics are just around the corner to do what should be done routinely for both residents and tourists?
Richard Stanley, Los Angeles
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To the editor: The sorry state of Los Angeles' sidewalks is a running joke among citizens around the world.
In March 2022, I submitted my own request for sidewalk repair, along with photographs of my North Hollywood apartment's sidewalk raised by nearly two feet. The city responded in October 2022 saying it was closing the investigation and would undertake “minor asphalt repair.”
I lived there for another year and the sidewalk was never repaired.
The lack of walkable sidewalks is a failure of enormous proportions. It is evident that it is cheaper for the city to settle injury cases than to invest in renovating its infrastructure, which is literally in ruins.
I'm originally from Los Angeles (a rare thing these days) and it's clear that our leaders talk a lot but sit in their ivory tower and don't do much. Unfortunately, big business pays the bills and poverty, inflation, homelessness and corruption run rampant.
Heather Benton, Los Angeles
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To the editor: I have a dead tree in front of my house that is creating a large pothole in the sidewalk. I called the city to have it removed. A tree surgeon they sent confirmed the tree was dead.
Then the city put me on a tree removal list. It's been over five years and I haven't heard anything else.
When some tree branches fell and blocked the street, the city sent people to clean it up. I told them that we had asked the city to remove the dead tree. One of the guys said he would “check that out.”
Andrew Saidi, Los Angeles
