Posted on 10/28/2005 9:11:47 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
With crumbling streets, gridlocked traffic and mounds of trash, Los Angeles County's deteriorating infrastructure needs $50 billion in upgrades over the next five years to meet growing demands, a statewide engineers group said Thursday.
Of nearly a dozen infrastructure systems studied, the county's streets, highways and urban-runoff systems received the lowest grades - D's - while its solid-waste system got a B-plus. Flood control, wastewater and port systems got B's.
Giving the county an average grade of C-plus, the American Society of Civil Engineers warned that significant problems are on the horizon for the infrastructure unless there are changes in attitude and funding.
"If the county doesn't begin to make repairs now, if there is a failure, it could cost five times what we are talking about," said Harvey Gobas, chairman of the Los Angeles County Infrastructure Committee and past president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Los Angeles.
The report card, released at the group's annual meeting at the University of Southern California, comes as population growth increases pressure on county facilities, despite millions of dollars in recent improvements.
Gobas said traffic and landfills are among the most pressing problems.
"This confirms what everyone who is sitting in traffic knows - it's just gotten worse and worse," Gobas said. "And on landfills, what we see is we are running out of landfill space and no one wants one.
"It is the classic not-in-my-backyard mentality. But we have to put the trash somewhere and it looks like it will mean more and more traffic to get the trash trucks to where they have to go."
The report said officials have failed to deal with short-term transit improvements such as bus service, as well as long-range planning for mass-transit systems.
In addition, streets continue to deteriorate, and neither the county nor city of Los Angeles has been able to commit enough money to overcome years of neglect, the report said.
Chief Administrative Officer David Janssen said the county has spent about $1.5 billion on infrastructure improvements in the past five years.
"The areas that we are responsible for, we have been investing quite a bit of money in infrastructure," Janssen said. "The Public Works Department has also put up $60 million in clean water requirements, which is only a down payment on a much larger bill.
"We have been able to maintain roads in the unincorporated areas, but there hasn't been much money to improve or add roads."
William Higley, deputy director of the county's Department of Public Works, said $4.5 billion in transportation revenues has been diverted to the state's general fund over the past three years.
Higley said the department spends about $180 million a year on county roads now, down from $210 million three years ago.
"Overall, we're seeing a reduction in our ability to invest in our roads, highways and infrastructure," Higley said.
Gobas warned that the cost of making upgrades will only get more expensive as time passes. Just two years ago, the group estimated that the county needed to spend $4 billion a year on improvements.
Aides to the Board of Supervisors said the report would be reviewed to determine what steps should be taken to deal with the issues.
While the county should look to the state and federal governments for help,
Gobas said officials also need to face the prospect of paying for the necessary improvements.
"When it comes down to it, it's a matter of priorities that our residents and officials have to set," Gobas said.
Melinda Barrett, who heads the public affairs group for the county's Public Works Department, said the agency concurs with the group's overall assessments.
"This is an important document for the public to be aware of the need to maintain our system," Barrett said. "Unfortunately, this is one of those things that when everything is working as it is supposed to, no one thinks about. The only time anyone pays any attention is when there is a failure.
"We are spending a lot of time and money thinking about and dealing with these issues, but it's important for the public to realize these programs need a consistent level of funding."
Infrastructure systems that received higher marks reflected the county's ability to either keep up with or slow a decline in services, the report said, noting that even with the problem of diminishing landfills, the county's solid-waste system earned the highest grade of B-plus.
The county's 5,731-mile flood-control system - which earned a B - proved itself during the winter's near-record rainfall, but the report said the facilities are aging and need repair.
The wastewater system - which also got a B - also is effective, although repairs and maintenance remain a concern.
The port system earned its B because of its overall operation, the group said while noting the need for improvements in everything from access roads to wharves.
The D given to the urban-runoff system was based on an assessment of how well the county's seven watersheds meet state water-quality standards. The average was pulled down by the Ballona Creek, Dominguez Channel and Santa Monica Bay watersheds, which each received a failing grade for violating water-quality standards, with no plans to make improvements.
Assemblyman Keith Richman, R-Granada Hills, who has long stressed the need for infrastructure investments, told the engineers that statewide support has declined dramatically.
Richman said that under former Govs. Edmund G. Brown and Ronald Reagan, infrastructure projects comprised 15 percent of the state budget. Today, he said, it represents less than 3 percent.
"Hopefully, this update will help motivate citizens, civic leaders and elected officials to secure consistent funding for the area's long-term infrastructure needs," said Chris McKenzie, executive director of the California League of Cities.
Staff Writer Troy Anderson contributed to this report.
Need $50B dollars? Stop supporting illegal Mexicans, and the waste and fraud in welfare, and you will be on your way to having the appropriate funds to support the REAL CITIZENS of California.
Save the $50 Billion by getting all the illegals out of there OR put them all to work cleaning up the place.
Hm. Cue the hired mobs chanting about Hollywood should donate the cost of their next few dozen pictures to help their hometown and it's for the children and....
My my so much money wasted for votes.
That is 5 billion for repairs and 45 Billion in salary increases and pension funds for government hacks.
Bingo, this is what happens when governments ignore what they are suppposed to do and try to create a welfare-state utopia. One more reason not to live there.
Maybe they could save a little money by not having a "Diversity Office"? ... (fat chance.)
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