Councilwoman Traci Park Looks To Protect City Underpasses And Other Critical Infrastructure

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 2023 
Contact: Jonathan Davila, jonathan.davila@lacity.org

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents the westside of Los Angeles, presented a motion on Tuesday calling for greater protections of citywide infrastructure following Saturday’s devastating fire under the 10 Freeway, a critical regional corridor for the movement of goods and people.

“This recent fire underscores the vulnerability of our city's infrastructure and the importance of protecting these vital systems against fire and other risks,” said Park. 

Among these risks, Park underscored the prevalence of encampment fires along freeway underpasses and over passes. Park noted that in a year’s time, at just one underpass in CD11,  more than ten encampment-related fires broke out. “When fires in and around our critical infrastructure occur, the lives, health and safety of those living in encampments at those locations, as well as the lives and safety of our city’s first responders, are significantly jeopardized.”

Park is asking City departments to prepare an inventory of the city’s critical infrastructure that is essential to public services including underpasses, overpasses, and bridges along with other sensitive transportation systems. Park is also instructing the Los Angeles Fire Department to report back on the number of encampment related fires that have happened along freeway underpasses, overpasses, and embankments so far this year.

The motion has been referred to the Los Angeles City Council’s Public Safety Committee for further consideration.