By Angelica C. Gualpa
Los Angeles City Mayor Karen Bass yesterday marked 818 Day, the annual day of recognition for the San Fernando Valley’s contributions to the City, by highlighting actions by her administration, visiting a school, and meeting with the Valley Advisory Board—made up of key business, civic, and nonprofit leaders.
Her visit to the Valley can also be seen as a soft kickoff to next June’s mayoral election. Roughly a third of City voters come from the Valley, with pockets of both affluent and middle-class voters and a growing political awareness of the largely underserved pocket of working-class Hispanics.
“The San Fernando Valley’s vibrant neighborhoods, commercial centers, parks, restaurants and small businesses make Los Angeles the great city that it is,” said Bass. “We have made great strides in delivering for Valley communities, and we will continue this work more urgently than ever.”
Ahead of her visit, Bass’s office noted several actions and results her administration has taken to make San Fernando Valley communities safer, cleaner and more livable:
- Reducing Street Homelessness: More than 750 people were brought inside and more than 248 tons of debris were cleared through 24 Inside Safe operations conducted in Van Nuys, Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, North Hollywood, Chatsworth, Pacoima, Reseda, Granada Hills, Panorama City, Sun Valley, Shadow Hills, Arleta and North Hills.
- Leading a New Approach for the Sepulveda Basin: Launched the first-ever coordinated action plan in the Sepulveda Basin to reduce public safety threats. To date, more than 250 invasive trees and 100 dead shrubs have been removed, equating to approximately 30 rolloff dumpsters of fire-prone vegetation. The City is also increasing patrols to improve safety and support housing outreach in the Basin.
- Improving Public Transportation & Accessibility: The City launched a new all-electric DASH bus route serving the Pacoima area and making stops at major sites like the Panorama Mall, Arleta High School and Ritchie Valens Recreation Center.Metro G Line improvements have broken ground to increase public transportation options. More than 16 miles of protected bus lanes have opened to make bus service faster and more reliable.
- Improving City Infrastructure: More than 100 new solar streetlights were installed in Van Nuys to keep communities safe and well-lit as the city experiences years-long increases in copper wire theft, which harm the streetlight network. Hundreds of street safety improvements were installed near schools in the Valley including Slow Speed Zones, speed humps and changes to intersections to make it safer for families and children to get to and from school. New bus shelters are also being installed throughout the Valley and beyond to provide shade, comfort and real time information for bus riders.
- Making the Valley Safer: Continued Bass’s comprehensive approach to public safety by surging law enforcement resources when crime spikes, prioritizing hiring of more LAPD officers and preventing crime before it happens. Summer Night Lights recently concluded its programming in Valley parks including Lanark Park, Valley Plaza, Delano Park, Sun Valley Recreation Center, Hubert H. Humphrey Memorial Recreation Center, Sepulveda Recreation Center and David M. Gonzales Recreation Center.
- Moving Charter Reform Forward: The Charter Reform Commission established by Mayor Bass and City Council has held two meetings in the Valley and will continue to host more so that residents are able to make their voices heard.
