Los Angeles City Council approves $1M for a dedicated street light repair crew in Hollywood to address long-standing outages and backlogs
Hollywood to Get Dedicated Street Light Repair Team
Neighborhoods in Hollywood will soon have a dedicated street light repair team to restore lighting in areas that have been dark for some time.
City Council Approves Funding
On Friday, the Los Angeles City Council voted 14-0 to approve $1 million for a street light repair team. This team will work exclusively in Council District 13, which includes the Hollywood area.
“Well-lit streets are safe streets, and our residents deserve this basic public amenity,” said Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez, who represents CD13 and introduced the motion last year.
“We will do whatever it takes to get the lights back on and eliminate the street light backlog in District 13,” he added.
Impact of the New Crew
The dedicated street light crew is expected to speed up repairs and reduce the backlog of street lights in the district.
Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado has established a similar crew in her Council District 14, which includes downtown and northeast Los Angeles neighborhoods like Boyle Heights.
Challenges with Street Lights
Los Angeles faces ongoing challenges with broken or damaged street lights. City officials report that it takes more than nine months on average to repair broken street lights.
According to Soto-Martinez’s office, the fee that funds 90% of street light maintenance in the city has not been adjusted for inflation for decades.
Additionally, the Bureau of Street Lighting had a city-high 32% vacancy rate until recent years, when those vacancies were eliminated. There has also been a rise in copper wire theft in recent years.
About 60% of broken street lights are down due to routine maintenance.
Future Improvements
City officials are taking other actions to address street light issues. They are “hardening” infrastructure by replacing copper wiring with solar-powered lights.
Officials are also exploring ways to improve repairs by changing funding models and examining staffing solutions.
Source of Information
The information for this story came from City News Service, which cited the LA City Council and Hugo Soto-Martinez.
| Action | Details |
|---|---|
| Funding Approved | $1 million for street light repair team |
| Vote Count | 14-0 by Los Angeles City Council |
| District | Council District 13 (Hollywood) |
| Average Repair Time | More than 9 months |
| Vacancy Rate | 32% in Bureau of Street Lighting |
| Routine Maintenance Issues | 60% of broken lights |
