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L.A. Settles "Sidewalk Suit"??"Commits to $1.4 Billion in Upgrades04-08-15 | News

L.A. Settles "Sidewalk Suit"??"Commits to $1.4 Billion in Upgrades

"Instead of fighting against fixing our sidewalks, we came to the table to reach an agreement to invest more than a billion dollars in our sidewalk infrastructure ??" which will improve access and safety, and boost property values and neighborhood pride."??"L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti

On April 1, 2015, after five years of litigation, an agreement was reached by the city of Los Angeles in the class-action lawsuit Willits v. City of Los Angeles.

The suit was brought against the city by persons with mobility disabilities to force the city to repair broken down sidewalks and make other pedestrian improvements. The basis for the suit is in the language of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which "prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in ??_ transportation, public accommodation??_", among other areas.

The agreement, which is still pending a judge's approval, calls for the city of Los Angeles to commit $1.4 billion over the next 30 years to repair and upgrade its sidewalks, install curb ramps and ensure access to crosswalks.

Plaintiffs' lead counsel Guy Wallace asserted the $1.4 billion settlement was "the largest disability access class-action settlement in U.S. history."

"Today we make an ironclad long-term commitment to repair L.A.'s broken sidewalks," said city attorney Mike Feuer. "It's so much better to prevent residents from being injured in the first place than to react after the fact. This settlement directs taxpayer dollars to where they belong: solving one of our city's most longstanding problems."

L.A. Councilmember Joe Buscaino, who chairs the Public Works Committee, said he "looks forward to hearing from the public as we develop the details in the Public Works Committee on how residents can submit repair requests, which locations to prioritize and how quickly we can start the work."

The settlement proposal now goes to the supervising court for approval and ultimate implementation.