LA City Council Vows To Spend $27M For 40K Miles Of Needed Sidewalk Repairs

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — City Council has yet to spend $27 million set aside to fund the 40,000 miles of required citywide sidewalk repairs.

On a unanimous vote, the City Council agreed to spend that money in 2015 to fix the many sidewalks of Los Angeles that have been debated for 40 years and that are in need of attention.

"This is an important step forward," Councilman Paul Krekorian said. "But it is only a step."

First on the agenda for the repairs is not residential areas but sidewalks owned by the city, which are sidewalks that lead into and out of city-owned buildings.

However, residents who want to know how soon they may start seeing the repairs taking place may have to wait for an answer for some time.

"It's a good question. It's a question I asked yesterday in the budget finance hearing," Krekorian said. "I didn't get an answer to that question."

Krekorian says he intends to present these questions in the coming weeks to the Budget Finance Committee.

"How much money has been spent? How much concrete has been put in the ground," Krekorian said. "What obstacles are still out there?"

Krekorian expects some progress may be made within 60 days.