Garcetti Announces 2,400 Lane Miles Paved In The Last Year, But Repairs Still A Slow Process
HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — About a third of Los Angeles streets have a D or F grade, according to city officials.
City Hall is trying to get them up to standards, but it's a slow process.
Fashion photographer Robert Sanmartin says he has to navigate around a minefield of potholes everyday when he drives to work.
In fact, there are nearly half a dozen right in front of the Hollywood studio where he works.
"I did bust a tire twice ... once two years ago and once three months ago," he said.
On Tuesday, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the city paved 2,400 lane miles over the past year. He says that's the largest in L.A. history.
"It's almost like paving something all the way from Los Angeles to New York," he said at a news conference held in Highland Park on North Figueroa Street, which was graded F and underwent reconstruction to get up to an A.
Garcetti said L.A.'s drivers "deserve better than burst tires and cracked axles."
Council members say 10 percent of city streets have been repaved this year. The repairs are expected to last a decade as the city plays catch-up.
But Robert Sanmartin says the wait is just too costly.
"[It is] $600 for a brand new tire. It didn't just bust the tires, but, oh, yeah, the rim of the tire. It totally bent it," he said.