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LA Seeks Funding Solutions For Road, Sidewalk Repairs Ahead Of 2028 Olympics

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – The L.A. City Council Wednesday unanimously approved a motion to actively explore ways to fund major repair work in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics.

The motion, which was proposed back in February 2018 by Councilmember Joe Buscaino and former councilmember Mitch Englander, directs L.A.'s Chief Legislative Analyst and City Administrative Officer to report back with options for how to fund "crucial street and sidewalk infrastructure improvements."

The motion cites recent statistics which found that nearly 40 percent of L.A.'s streets have a D or F rating, while 8,700 miles of streets need repairs.

Back in April of 2015, the city of L.A. settled a lawsuit from disabled residents and their advocates and agreed to spend $1.4 billion over the next 30 years to repair the city's sidewalks.

"These infrastructure improvements will cost tens of millions of dollars that the City does not currently have," the motion reads. "Meanwhile, the cost of labor and material continues to increase and the city continues to pay out millions in lawsuit settlements for injuries caused by poor streets and sidewalks."

The motion mentions the recent state gas tax and the Measure M sales tax -- which was approved by L.A. County voters in November 2016 -- as possible funding sources.

A report from the nonprofit transportation group TRIP last October found that 57 percent of all major roads in the combined L.A.-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area were in poor condition, which ranked third in the nation behind only San Jose (64 percent) and San Francisco (71 percent).

Furthermore, drivers in the L.A.-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area spend an average of $921 extra per year on repairs, maintenance and fuel consumption due to the bad road conditions. That ranked fourth in the country behind only San Francisco ($1,049), San Jose ($983) and Milwaukee ($944).

To report a pothole to the city, visit the MyLA 311 Service Request page or use the MyLA311 mobile phone app. Last month, the L.A. Bureau of Street Services went on a "pothole blitz," aimed at fixing some of the worst potholes that were created by the recent storms.

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