URGENT UPDATE: An 85-year-old woman in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles has finally received confirmation that the broken sidewalk in front of her home will be repaired—after waiting an astonishing eight years.
Judy Burr has been living with a sidewalk plagued by severe cracks and uneven surfaces, making it hazardous for her to navigate with a walker. “I don’t wanna fall,” Burr expressed in a recent interview. Her interior designer, Holly Westoff, who filed a complaint with the city’s 311 service in 2017, described the ongoing situation as “nuts.”
In an email dated June 27, 2017, the city informed Westoff that the sidewalk repair request was deemed “eligible” and that the wait time for repairs would be approximately six months. However, eight years later, no action had been taken. Westoff remarked, “Then cut to COVID happens and then that’s the excuse for why it isn’t fixed.”
Burr and Westoff are not alone in their frustrations. Neighbors like Chris Bennet are also concerned about the state of sidewalks in the area, stating, “You will find on almost every block a rise on the sidewalk to where it’s actually become dangerous.”
According to the Los Angeles Public Works Department, the backlog of sidewalk repair requests has reached critical levels, with over 4,000 pending Access Requests. Authorities confirmed that some requests may take up to 10 years to resolve due to the overwhelming number of demands.
In a breakthrough for Burr and Westoff, Mary Nemick, the director of communications for the Bureau of Engineering, announced that Burr’s sidewalk is now at the top of the queue and on track for remediation within the current fiscal year. Immediately following this statement, Westoff received an updated email from 311 confirming that the request has moved to the “Design Phase.”
The financial implications of the city’s delayed repairs are significant. In the past five years alone, Los Angeles has paid out over $86 million in lawsuits related to sidewalk injuries and damages. This staggering amount highlights the urgent need for timely maintenance and repair of public walkways.
As the situation develops, Burr and Westoff remain hopeful that the long-awaited repairs will finally come to fruition. “I knew of 7 On Your Side and you guys have done so many great things for so many people,” Westoff said. “I was like, ‘If they can’t do it, nobody can.’”
This case underscores the critical importance of addressing infrastructure issues promptly, particularly as they affect vulnerable residents. Residents of Los Angeles are encouraged to stay informed about their local public works projects and advocate for necessary repairs in their communities.
