Yesterday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom thanked federal partners for their continued support to expedite the repair of the I-10 freeway, including by allocating $3 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief funding to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) as the work continues to get the freeway back up and running again. Mayor Bass also spoke with Vice President Kamala Harris about work to urgently repair the 10. The Mayor thanked the Vice President for her support in this effort.
Alleviating Traffic and Preparing for Rain
The Mayor announced yesterday that she has directed the Los Angeles City Department of Transportation to make CommuterExpress buses free of charge to encourage Angelenos to use public transportation on their commutes. She has also directed the Department to assist Metro in making trains along the routes of the freeway closures go faster for Angelenos taking the train.
In preparation for the anticipated rain, Mayor Bass has directed the Department of Transportation to increase the amount of white-glove traffic officers in the congested area to assist commuters to get through intersections faster. LAHSA’s augmented winter shelter program has also been activated by direction of the Mayor for the unhoused population to move inside and shelter from the rain. Angelenos can find more information at https://www.lahsa.org/winter-shelter.
Reducing Future Risk
The Mayor has directed Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley to immediately begin surveying similar areas under overpasses and identifying spots that may be of concern in order to take a proactive posture of prevention. That effort began earlier this week and results will be announced when available.
Expediting the Repair
The good news regarding expected build times will not change the urgency that the Mayor will continue to bring in continuous efforts to help mitigate the traffic impacts to communities and commuters.
Supporting Impacted Businesses
Many businesses in and around downtown have been affected by the closure. Mayor Bass and her Deputy Mayor of Business and Economic Development released a compiled list of state, federal and local resources available for impacted businesses. Resources will also be available on emergency.lacity.gov.
The Mayor’s Office of Community Engagement has canvassed the businesses of the area and is actively engaged in order to provide support. In the coming weeks the Mayor will convene impacted business leaders to directly provide resources and support.
