Creating LA’s Capital Infrastructure Plan: 3 things LA can do right now

Part 1 of 2

Los Angeles doesn’t have an overarching plan to guide the way it maintains its public right-of-way. The City needs one in order to thoughtfully and equitably invest in our city’s collective wealth–the streets, sidewalks, trees and public spaces that can make it possible for all Angelenos to live fully and move freely.

 

We have defined a Capital Infrastructure Plan (CIP) in previous blog posts and reports as: 

 

A long-term, unified direction for investment in our city’s infrastructure, working toward a vision for the city defined by those who live here. A CIP serves as the city’s plan for its major assets: it lists specific projects and programs along with expected costs and timelines. It encompasses all sources of funding. 

 

Investing in Place is calling for a CIP for the public right-of-way that is a 10-year budgeted plan using projections from the public works and transportation formula funds the City receives every year. The plan will include funding coming in from all sources, as well as a plan to be ready for future funding opportunities and grants. 

 

Through initial work started in 2022, Investing in Place has identified the first steps needed for creating a Capital Infrastructure Plan in the City of Los Angeles’s public right-of-way (PROW). These are initial steps that set the City up for long-term success, as follows:

 

  1. ASSET INVENTORY & ASSESSMENT: Collect all department and bureaus asset management inventories, starting with the five Public Works Bureaus and Department of Transportation.
    • The City needs to inventory assets and understand the scale and asset conditions (infrastructure asset management).
    • A complete inventory and the infrastructure conditions are likely not obtainable immediately, but are the first steps to understanding who has what.  
  2. COORDINATE PLANNING EFFORTS: Identify all of the existing, disconnected, and often conflicting efforts to plan for the public right-of-way from various city entities, such as (but not limited to): 
    • Bureau of Engineering – Equity in Infrastructure program
    • Bureau of Engineering – Sidewalk Repair Program (Wilit’s settlement)
    • Bureau of Street Services – One Infrastructure Street Improvement Projects 
    • Bureau of Street Lighting –  Smart City Efforts
    • Board of Public Works – Public Right-of-Way Protocols
    • Department of Transportation – Vision Zero
    • Department of Planning – Mobility Plan 2035
    • Chief Administrative Office – Equity in Infrastructure (a motion that began this process in 2021 at the request of City Council by members no longer on the council)
  3. DEVELOP, ARTICULATE, AND ADOPT A VISION for the streets and sidewalks that incorporates all competing uses this critical public space contains. Policymakers need to agree on outcomes the city wants to achieve in the public right-of-way in 10 years to meet the needs of the people (e.g. 80% of the sidewalks will be accessible, or the urban tree canopy and shade in public areas will be increased by 35%). There needs to be a policy-level agreement of what success looks like. The foundation of this vision can be built on existing adopted plans and must be inclusive to be effective, meaningful, and measurable. We need to know where we are going so we can honestly assess if we are meeting the needs of the people.

As these first steps are undertaken and to effectively create a functional CIP that delivers needed outcomes, the plan must initially include three critical components to eliminate “on-the-shelf” syndrome that afflicts many plans:

  • A prioritized project list with expected costs, funding sources and timelines.
  • A plan for state-of-good-repair/maintenance and asset inventory to monitor conditions.
  • Staff capabilities and local hire development programs to implement and create targeted local hire.

This is possible: other cities do this. Read Part 2 (coming soon!), where we share what we’re learning from those other cities.

 

Notes:
 – The types of investments covered by the CIP vary widely across different cities.  The most common assets listed include buildings/public facilities, roadways, parks, transportation, and utilities. Many cities include housing (New York, San Francisco, Atlanta). Some cities include the airport in the CIP (Chicago, Eugene, San Diego, Long Beach), and others include police and fire (Boston, San Francisco).
– Infrastructure asset management refers to the management of physical, rather than financial assets. Infrastructure assets can include but are not limited to: streets, roads, sewer lines, water lines, bridges, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic signals, traffic signs, street trees, landscaped medians, storm drains, etc.

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Estolano Advisors

Richard France

Richard France assists clients with strategic planning, visioning, and community and economic development. He is a strategic planner at Estolano Advisors, where he has been involved in a variety of active transportation, transit-oriented development, climate change resiliency, and equitable economic development projects. His work in active transportation includes coordinating a study to improve bike and pedestrian access to transit oriented districts for the County of Los Angeles, and working with the Southern California Association of Governments to host tactical urbanism events throughout the region. Richard also serves as a technical assistance provider for a number of California Climate Investment programs, including the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities, Transformative Climate Communities, and Low Carbon Transit Operations programs. He has also taught at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Richard received a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and his M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA.

Accelerator for America, Milken Institute

Matt Horton

Matt Horton is the director of state policy and initiatives for Accelerator for America. He collaborates with government officials, impact investors, and community leaders to shape infrastructure, job creation, and equitable community development efforts. With over fifteen years of experience, Matt has directed research-driven programs and initiatives focusing on housing production, infrastructure finance, access to capital, job creation, and economic development strategies. Previously, he served as the director of the California Center at the Milken Institute, where he produced research and events to support innovative economic policy solutions. Matt also has experience at the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), where he coordinated regional policy development and planning efforts. He holds an MA in political science from California State University, Fullerton, and a BA in history from Azusa Pacific University. Additionally, Matt serves as a Senior Advisor for the Milken Institute and is involved in various advisory boards, including Lift to Rise and WorkingNation.

UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

Madeline Brozen

Madeline is the Deputy Director of the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies at the Luskin School of Public Affairs. She oversees and supports students, staff, and faculty who work on planning and policy issues about how people live, move, and work in the Southern California region. When not supporting the work of the Lewis Center community, Madeline is doing research on the transportation patterns and travel needs of vulnerable populations in LA. Her recent work includes studies of low-income older adults in Westlake, public transit safety among university students, and uncovering the transportation needs of women, and girls in partnership with Los Angeles public agencies. Outside of UCLA, Madeline serves as the vice-chair of the Metro Westside Service Council and enjoys spending time seeing Los Angeles on the bus, on foot, and by bike.

Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

Luis Gutierrez

Luis Gutierrez, works in the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, as the Director of Energy & Water in the Office of Energy and Sustainability (MOES), Luis oversees issues related to LA’s transition to clean energy, water infrastructure, and serves as the primary liaison between the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Water and Power. Prior to joining MOES, Luis managed regulatory policy proceedings for Southern California Edison (SCE), focusing on issues related to equity and justice. Before joining SCE, Luis served as the Director of Policy and Research for Inclusive Action for the City, a community development organization dedicated to economic justice in Los Angeles. Luis holds a BA in Sociology and Spanish Literature from Wesleyan University, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Cal State LA.

kim@investinginplace.org

Communications Strategist

Kim Perez

Kim is a writer, researcher and communications strategist, focused on sustainability, urban resilience and safe streets. Her specialty is taking something complex and making it clear and compelling. Harvard-trained in sustainability, she won a prize for her original research related to urban resilience in heat waves—in which she proposed a method to help cities identify where pedestrians spend a dangerous amount of time in direct sun, so they can plan for more equitable access to shade across a city.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jessica Meaney

For over almost two decades, Jessica has led efforts in Los Angeles to promote inclusive decision-making and equitable resource allocation in public works and transportation funding. Jessica’s current work at Investing in Place is grounded in the belief that transparent and strategic prioritization of public funds can transform Los Angeles into a city where inclusive, accessible public spaces enrich both livability and well-being. As a collaborator and convener, Jessica plays a role in facilitating public policy conversations and providing nuanced insights into the interplay of politics, power, and process on decision-making and fiscal allocations.