Ben Poston investigates Los Angeles's "60-year backlog of failed streets." A strategy designed to pave over the disparities between council districts means that the most damaged of the city's 6,500 miles of paved roadway get fixed last.
"A Times analysis of street inspection data found wide disparities in road quality among the city's 114 neighborhoods," says Poston. "The differences are not driven by wealth or political power. In fact, some of the poorest parts of the city have some of the best roads."
"The heart of the problem is aging streets, heavy traffic, undulating terrain and the sheer size of the network," he explains. "The streets in the poorest shape tend to be in hillside neighborhoods, such as the Hollywood Hills, Mount Washington, Los Feliz and Bel-Air."
"But layered on top of those problems is a street repair strategy that bypasses the worst streets in favor of preserving salvageable ones. Street officials have also made a political decision to bring the overall grade of roads in each City Council district to the same level."
FULL STORY: L.A. full of roads to ruin for cars
Portland Anarchists Illegally Repair Potholes
Saying that they believe in direct action and suspecting the motives of the State, a group of Portland anarchists are taking to the streets to fix potholes.
Congratulations L.A., You Have the Worst Roads in the U.S.
A new study by TRIP, the Washington, D.C.-based transportation nonprofit, has concluded that drivers in the Los Angeles region ply the most deteriorated roads in the country, based on 2011 data from the Federal Highway Administration.
Should L.A. Pursue Massive Street Repair Bond?
Two L.A. City Council members have floated an ambitious proposal to fund the city's backlog of needed road repairs. At a time when the city is expanding transit, and seeking other tax hikes, should $3 billion in street repairs be a top priority?
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie