Street Talk

In June, BSS broke ground on an extensive Complete Streets project along Roscoe Boulevard.  The project has many components including new sidewalk and curb ramps.  (Photo: first portion of reconstructed sidewalk completed late June, 2018)

The gateway to Dodgers Stadium, Vin Scully Drive, was resurfaced by a BSS crew in June 2018

BSS provided multi-faceted support to the Los Angeles Marathon, including rapid cleanup and reopening of the road way

Councilmember Jose Huizar and BSS broke ground on a new 7,000 square foot pedestrian plaza along Cesar Chavez Ave.

Due to high winds, BSS received more than 1,500 tree emergency service requests in April.  Equipped with tablets to connect with MyLA311, our supervisors and crews were able to complete final pickup of April’s tree emergencies in an average of less than 3 working days!

BSS has launched a new bike lane resurfacing program thanks to new funding from Measure M.  From November 2017 through April 2018, more than 6 lane-miles of bike lanes have been resurfaced, and the program continues throughout the spring.

Residents can download the MyLA311 mobile app or go to the MyLA311 online portal to report potholes (and upload photos) or request other City services.

As part of the Bureau’s mission to provide quality street services in a timely and efficient manner, the Bureau partners with the General Services Department (GSD) Standards Division. The GSD quality control experts provide testing on asphalt materials used in the 2400 Lane Mile Pavement Preservation Program. Since the new fiscal year began, GSD has performed over 80,000 tests from samples and compaction readings taken directly from the field. The information provided by GSD ensures all newly paved streets meet quality standards and maximum life expectancy. 

On January 18th, the Fashion District Business Improvement District, Council District 14, the Bureau, and the community celebrated the long anticipated groundbreaking for the $1.9M Fashion District Phase 2 project. The project, designed in-house by the Engineering Division, includes the repair of 25,000 sq. ft. of sidewalk, 26 new street trees, bus stop lighting and curb ramp upgrades along Los Angeles Street from Olympic Boulevard to 7th Street. The Bureau’s Special Projects Division began the improvement project on January 23rd. The Bureau looks forward to enhancing the pedestrian-friendly nature of a continually improving downtown.

The Bureau of Street Services, Council District 2 and Bellingham Elementary School held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of State Safe Routes to School Cycle 10 Project on December 5th. Under the leadership of Councilmember Paul Krekorian, the Bureau completed this project for Bellingham Primary Center and Roy Romer Middle School which improved the area for pedestrians. These improvements include 37 parkway trees, 14 new access ramps and over 1,500 linear feet of new sidewalk. Completed with funds from the Safe Routes to School grant, the project is part of a consistent effort to enhance safety and promote walking and biking to school.

The 19th Annual Festival Navideno Calle Ocho was held in Council District 1 between Vermont Avenue and Irolo Street this month. Celebrating Latino traditions, culture and heritage in Los Angeles, the event provided live music, carnival rides, and Latin food. In addition to having entertainment, the festival held the largest Latino toy drive during the Christmas Season. As participants enjoyed the activities, the Bureau’s Investigation and Enforcement Division ensured public safety and enforced the festival’s permit requirements.

On December 7th, NASCAR Green invited the Bureau to participate in their beautification project for Esperanza Elementary School in Council District 1. Partnering with LA’s Best and the Bureau, NASCAR Green helped promote sustainability and constructed a new outdoor learning center for the students. One of the Bureau’s street sweepers that uses Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) was present to clean the students’ playground. Students cheered on the street sweeper and learned about the Bureau’s services.

In Los Angeles’ Urban Forest, many trees are deciduous, and shed their leaves throughout fall before becoming dormant in the winter season. This process is known as abscission. During this process, the trees decrease their production of chlorophyll, which is a vital compound for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll gives the leaves the green-colored pigments. Consequently, as chlorophyll recedes from the trees’ leaves, other pigments begin to show. These pigments include red, brown, yellow, orange and purple which give Angelenos fall leaf colors in the Urban Forest.

With a fleet of over 1,700 pieces of equipment, the Bureau of Street Services provides quality street services in an effective and efficient manner. In collaboration with the General Services Department, the Bureau staff recently traveled to the Elgin Sweeper Company in Illinois to inspect the new street sweepers that will soon replace the old equipment. These new motor sweepers use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for power, reducing the need for fossil fuels. The Bureau continues to be the nation’s leader in sustainable practices for street sweeping with 135 CNG sweepers.

On Saturday, November 23rd the Bureau’s Investigation and Enforcement Division helped with the permitting of USC’s last home football game. Held at the Los Angeles Coliseum, the USC Trojans beat Notre Dame during the rainy day. While the USC football season comes to an end at the Coliseum, the Division will still be present at permitted events near the college campus to ensure public safety and enforce permit requirements

The Bureau of Street Services has joined forces with Council District 11 and its community to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety. On September 19th, construction for the Entrada Drive Pedestrian Improvement Project began. Funded by the Highway Safety Improvement program, the project will create a six foot wide sidewalk along Entrada Drive from Almafi Drive to Adelaide Drive. Not only will the project include a new sidewalk, but also new curb ramps, a retaining wall and crosswalks. These new designated pedestrian crossings will further enhance the area’s safety. The Bureau’s Special Projects and Engineering Divisions are proud to be involved in the process for creating these improvements in Council District 11.

How are tree stumps removed from the ground? Before modern-day technology, street services would manually dig out the stumps from the ground with picks and shovels. While this was effective, it was time consuming and very labor intensive. Today, the Urban Forestry Division employs the use of the stump-removal machine. This machine grinds stumps into small wood chips and turns the soil. The area is then ready for a new tree to be planted.