Speeding and street racing have increased in the West Valley and around the city. Earlier this week, the City Council passed my motion to allocate $100,000 of district funds for a devoted Street Racing Task Force to help patrol key West Valley hotspots like Vanalden Ave and Valley Circle Blvd. In addition to this new LAPD team, I have been working hard on the feasibility of buildable, additional solutions to deter speeding and organized racing. Speeding and driving recklessly are causing a dangerous situation for the entire community, and we must do everything possible to stop it. You can find out more about this effort here.
This increased enforcement is critical as the people who are making our streets more dangerous need to be held accountable. We’ve seen reckless driving spike all across the city and we cannot wait until someone else gets hurt or worse to take further action to protect our community.
There are several locations in the district that our Task Force will focus on in the West Valley and I will continue to meet with LAPD and neighbors as the effort progresses to help assess what areas need the additional intensive enforcement efforts.
I will continue to share updates, but if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me and my staff at [email protected].
This week the City Council voted to take the steps necessary to phase out oil drilling and gas extraction in Los Angeles. This vote paved the way to ban the creation of new oil wells and started the process of shutting down all existing sites. The science is clear- generations of Angelenos have had their health impacted and lives may have been shortened by this dangerous practice. It's beyond time to put oil drilling in LA’s past.
This is a big step toward furthering environmental justice in Los Angeles and there is much more work to do. Blumenfield is incredibly grateful to have worked with the coalition STAND LA; this progress would not have been possible without their continued advocacy.
Blumenfield’s Economic Development Community Action Team (BobCAT) met in January and conducted a new business survey to help analyze how the local, West Valley business community is feeling. The results of the survey shed light on the current sentiment of businesses across the council district. Businesses have expressed a sense of optimism, however coupled with challenges.
The top 3 issues facing businesses are:
Although over 25% of respondents are actively hiring, finding potential employees with the right experience and technical training have been difficult for businesses. With the feedback in mind, the Economic BobCAT will be organizing a handful of ‘lunch and learn’ webinars in the coming months in hopes of helping businesses address the challenges they are facing. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Deputy Planning Director, Vahid Khorsand, at [email protected]
Blumenfield fought for years to get a Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project funded to provide public transportation that connects the Valley to the Westside. As the Chair of the Valley COG Transportation Committee, he pushed to maximize funding in Measure M back in 2016. The total project will receive $9.5 billion in funding from Measure M and other local, state and federal sources.
Metro is beginning the environmental review phase for this massive project. As part of the project’s environmental process, a formal public comment period was initiated on November 30, 2021 and will run through February 11, 2022. To get involved visit the interactive story map and share your input on the Sepulveda Transit Corridor project.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some customers fell behind on their utility bills. The LADWP will receive nearly $300 million from the State of California and will automatically credit eligible residential customer bills beginning in January 2022. These bill credits will only address customer debt accumulated between March 2020 to June 2021 and will be credited during a single bill cycle. For more information, please visit ladwp.com/cares.
The LA Conservation Corps (LACC) is working hard to make a difference in the West Valley. After the holiday season and high winds over the last week, some of their recent projects included picking up a Christmas tree blocking an alleyway and clearing palm fronds and debris from our our streets, sidewalks, and storm drains. A few years ago Blumenfield allocated funds to LACC to specifically address needs in the district and he's grateful always to see their progress.
If you see unmitigated greenery, excess trash, bulky items, graffiti, etc, call 818.774.4330 or email [email protected] and we'll send a team out.
The Los Angeles Youth Development Department is looking for young Angelenos from the ages of 16-25 to comprise the first ever Olivia Mitchell Youth Council. The Olivia Mitchell Youth Council was created in recognition of the importance of civic engagement in positive youth development.
If you or a young person you know has been looking for an opportunity to have a true voice in government and help create solutions to the most pressing issues affecting the City, apply now at youthcouncil.lacity.org. Applications will be open from January 28, 2022- February 28, 2022.
Blumenfield joins Senator Henry Stern, CHP, and families of victims of street racing at a press event, launching efforts to increase penalties for speeding and organized racing.
This week's photo from the Los Angeles Public Library's archives is from the Valley Times on January 29, 1957. Taken in Woodland Hills sixty five years ago, snow covers the Ventura Freeway construction site at Ventura and Topanga Canyon Boulevard. In Canoga Park, up to four inches of snow piled up and up to twelve inches were reported in the foothills surrounding the Valley during this significant snowstorm. Learn more about this photo here.