Cracked sidewalks, lifted pavement, and years-long delays may finally be getting attention in parts of the northwest San Fernando Valley.
This week, Los Angeles City Councilmember John Lee launched a new pilot program aimed at speeding up long-overdue sidewalk repairs in Council District 12, which includes all or part of Granada Hills, Chatsworth, Northridge, Porter Ranch, Reseda and West Hills.
The initiative, called Street S.M.A.R.T. (Street Maintenance and Repair Team), broke ground in Granada Hills this week with an initial investment of $200,000. It sends small crews to complete minor sidewalk repairs that would otherwise languish for years on the city’s backlog, Lee’s office said.
The pilot is being funded through two existing sources: $100,000 from the Street Furniture Revenue Fund, which collects ad revenue from bus shelters to support public improvements, and $100,000 from the Sunshine Canyon Community Amenities Trust Fund, which supports community improvement projects within five miles of the Sunshine Canyon landfill, using fees paid by the landfill operator.
Lee said he aims to complete 20 projects during the pilot phase.
“This isn’t just about fixing broken sidewalks—it’s about fixing a broken process,” Lee said in a statement. “Residents shouldn’t have to wait decades for basic repairs.”
The city has faced growing pressure to act on sidewalk hazards not just from frustrated residents, but also from costly legal settlements.
A 2021 report by then City Controller Ron Galperin found that Los Angeles had received more than 1,700 claims and 1,020 lawsuits over sidewalk injuries in the previous five years. The city paid out more than $35 million in settlements during that time — including $12 million in the 2020–21 fiscal year alone.
In March of this year, the City Council approved $2.3 million to fund a separate sidewalk repair pilot for northeast San Fernando Valley neighborhoods.
Brian Allen, a Granada Hills resident, said tree-root damage has long plagued sidewalks across the Valley.
“You can go down almost any street and you can find someplace where a tree has lifted the sidewalk, and it should be taken care of, but the city doesn’t have the money to do it,” Allen said. “So it’s going to take quite a while for that to get fixed.”
While he supported efforts to repair sidewalks, he raised questions about how the program is being funded.
“But, if he (Lee) has money that he can spend on it, I see nothing wrong with him doing it,” Allen said. “The only problem is, is he spending the money wisely based on the financial position of the city? And the other issue I have is, what money is he using? Is he using the landfill money?”
He was referring to the Sunshine Canyon Community Amenities Trust Fund, which is funded by so-called “tip money” from Republic Services, the landfill operator. The money is earmarked for quality-of-life improvements within five miles of the facility.
Allen questioned whether the sidewalk program’s use of landfill-related funds aligns with the original intent of the Sunshine Canyon Community Amenities Trust Fund, which is limited to projects within five miles of the landfill.
Street S.M.A.R.T. focuses on quick, local fixes before problems get worse. Crews will fix damage before it worsens and becomes more costly, Lee said, helping reduce trip hazards and long-term repair expenses.
“We can spend pennies today to save dollars tomorrow,” Lee said.
In addition to sidewalks, the pilot will also tackle small public works issues like tree stump removals and other low-priority maintenance often left unresolved in the city’s larger infrastructure systems.