Radcliffe, between Haverford and Bowdoin, which is well-traveled route for students attending Palisades High School has received a a street grade of F.
USA Facts, a nonprofit civic initiative that looks at government data looked at roads in the U.S.
The states with the worst roads were Rhode Island, New Jersey, Hawaii, New Mexico and rounding out the top five was California. The states with the best roads included Tennessee, Wyoming, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Nebraska.
The study was done using data from the Bureau of Transportation statistics, using the International Rough Index, driving one mile at 50 mph and testing the road’s roughness. Or just drive down Sunset Boulevard, with its cracks and potholes, and for actual Roughness Index experience.
If a driver wants to feel a “natural” street hump on a buckling of the pavement that is so severe that even driving five miles an hour throws your car up in the air, try Haverford Road in front of the Pierson Playhouse. If your teeth weren’t shaken enough with that experience, continue on down on Radcliffe, where that “hump” can jar your spine.
Pacific Palisades is filled with streets that need attention.
On the Streets L.A. City website it’s explained that “In line with Mayor Garcetti’s goals to create a safe, livable and sustainable, prosperous and well-run city, StreestLA [stet] performs a wide range of planning, construction, maintenance, and enforcement activities to maintain the City’s public works infrastructure and enhance the experience and quality of life of City residents, visitors, and stakeholders. StreetsLA strives to maintain a world class street network through integration, innovation, and inclusion.”
One wonders if Mayor Karen Bass has been brought up to speed about StreestLa [stet]?
But, with the upcoming 2028 Olympics, one could bet that every street that goes to an Olympic venue will be in great shape. That is why Radcliff residents are begging to hold archery on that street – the roadway might finally be repaired.
In 2001, the State of California gave $70 million in State funding for two years to remake “more than 90 miles of broken streets throughout Los Angeles” and was to supplement the City’s existing street resurfacing budget. Other than Alma Real, which has been paved several times over the decade, other City Streets continue to get an F grade.
A 2013 L.A. Times Story (“3-Billion Proposal to Repair Los Angeles Streets Advances”) proposed that money for street repair would come from a property tax or borrowing against future sales or gas tax revenues.
Nada.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced in February 2023, that nearly $30.5 million will go toward safe streets projects within the City and County of Los Angeles, which include the La Brea Avenue Street Project and $20.5 million to Florence-Firestone community.
If one wants to look at what is not a safe street, one only needs to look at Revello, a single lane road, with cracks at the top of a landslide with drainage issues.
This portion of Revello Road was lost during the slide and after a law suit, the City rebuilt it. There is cracking and draining issues that need to be resolved.
Not to be a whiner, but what about the gas taxes that California residents pay—the highest in the nation?
When taxes were raised, residents were told that money would be used for building and maintaining roads, bridges, and tunnels. As of July 2023, the gas tax is 77.9 cents per gallon.
If California’s roads are that bad, maybe the state should charge more for gas? According to Forbes, California has the second highest gas prices ($4.61) in the nation behind Hawaii ($4.68). Who has the lowest prices? Oklahoma, which also has some of the best roads in the U.S.
Maybe California legislators could figure out where the gas tax money is going – or maybe it went to shore up the 10 Freeway underpass after the homeless fire that wasn’t a homeless fire shut down a major thoroughfare through the City. What ever happened to that person of interest?
Legislators need to figure out the money fast, because with the increase in electric vehicles, there will be even less gas tax money to repair roads.
I think this tax money along with all the rest Californians pay every year from all sources goes to the pockets of legislators and their “friends” who get the contracts and never finish the jobs and/or over spend on jobs and then stop. All of California cities need a good RE-DO – some honest people who do Care, not just say they do and never visit the site that needs the repair or building, etc.