July 13, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Pam O’Connor: Delayed SoCal Transportation Infrastructure Critical:

Southern California officials joined state lawmakers in Los Angeles on Friday to talk about ways to tackle billions of dollars in delayed maintenance on highways, bridges, streets and other transportation infrastructure.

The cost of making necessary transportation improvements in Southern California is estimated at about $525 billion over more than 20 years, according to estimates by the Southern California Association of Governments, or SCAG, a regional group made up of 191 local cities.

With no increases to the federal gas tax — a traditional funding source for transportation maintenance — since 2004 and dwindling revenue from the tax due to cars becoming more fuel efficient, Pam O’Connor, a Santa Monica councilwoman and SCAG’s representative, said a more realistic tax should be adopted that is based on actual miles traveled by cars, rather than the amount of gas purchased.

“This is a critical issue not just for the state, but at the local level,” O’Connor said. “As municipal leaders, the challenge we face in maintaining our streets and roads has never been greater.”

SCAG Executive Director Hasan Ikhrata — speaking at an informational hearing of the state Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing — urged state lawmakers to help with speeding the pace of transportation improvement projects by five years, which he said would “save $1.25 billion to $1.95 billion in construction costs per year.”

“It will also allow us to create jobs and build our region’s economy by improving our overall transportation network,” he said.

Ikhrata listed some of the costs of delayed transportation improvements, including about $832 a year each Southern California resident spends for each vehicle driven on the area’s poorly maintained roads, and the $20 that is spent on emergency repairs for every dollar of preventative maintenance that is not done.

State Sen. Jim Beall, who chaired the hearing at the Los Angeles County Metro headquarters, said the work of “improving the state’s transportation infrastructure is one of the biggest challenges facing California this century.”

Beall said the state and cities face a “formidable hurdle” in trying to maintain about 50,000 lane miles of highways, 12,000 bridges and crumbling roads in numerous cities that are in need of repairs, and working faster to fix them “will benefit our economy and environment.”

Poorly maintained roads could prove costly, as they could lead to expensive emergency repairs and cost jobs, with roads “essential to commerce, culture and innovation,” he said.

in News
<>Related Posts

County Health Leaders Decry Federal Policy Barring Undocumented from Programs

July 12, 2025

July 12, 2025

The officials argued the policy jeopardizes care for all residents, noting it could deter people—regardless of status—from seeking treatment  Leaders...

County Supervisors Move to Preserve Measure J Amid Charter Error

July 12, 2025

July 12, 2025

Measure J mandates that at least 10% of the county’s locally generated, unrestricted funds be allocated to community investments like...

LA Medical Center Seeks Help Identifying Unconscious Patient

July 12, 2025

July 12, 2025

He has been unconscious since admission, and staff have been unable to determine his identity Los Angeles General Medical Center,...

Mayor Bass Issues Directive to Protect Immigrant Communities

July 12, 2025

July 12, 2025

The order expands access to city resources for affected families and requests records from ICE, including details on arrests Mayor...

Downtown Santa Monica CEO Andrew Thomas to Step Down

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

Thomas, who rejoined DTSM, Inc. in 2022, oversaw the introduction of a private security program, expanded homeless outreach, and boosted...

Conservancy to Tour Historic Miles Playhouse at State of the City Event

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

Built in 1929, the Miles Playhouse serves as the centerpiece of Lincoln Park The Santa Monica Conservancy will offer 15-minute...

Sen. Ben Allen Highlights Challenges, Economic Gains for LA28 Olympics

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

The remarks came during the first informational hearing of the Senate’s Special Committee on International Sporting Events State Sen. Ben...

(Video) Summer Camp at School of Rock West LA Turns Kids Into Rockstars

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

To Sign Up Now, Go To Schoolofrock.com Summer Camp at School of Rock West LA Turns Kids Into Rockstars To...

L.A. Louver Marks David Hockney’s 88th with Exhibit

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

Hockney, a British artist born in 1937, gained fame with the British Pop Art movement and later became known for...

Suspect Arrested in Shoe Retail Theft Spree Across LA County

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

During the search, police recovered two firearms and a significant quantity of merchandise The Los Angeles Police Department’s Organized Retail...

Suspect Arrested in Santa Monica Pier Arson Incidents

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

The suspect, matching video footage from an arcade, was taken into custody Santa Monica Police Department officers arrested a suspect...

SMPD Launch New Recruitment Website Amid High Vacancy Rates

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

The site features multimedia content, including day-in-the-life videos and officer profiles, highlighting the impact of serving the community The Santa...

Father-Daughter Authors to Host Book Signing to Aid Fire-Affected Women

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

Ten percent of proceeds from book and art sales will benefit the Pacific Palisades Rebuilding Fund, a nonprofit initiative created...

Metro Reports Crime Drop, Higher Rider Satisfaction, and Progress on Major Projects

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The Authority said the drop in violent incidents—down to the lowest level since May 2019—coincided with more uniformed personnel and...

Santa Monica Joins Regional Lawsuit to Halt Unconstitutional ICE Raids

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The motion to intervene seeks to ensure that Santa Monica and other plaintiff-intervenors can advocate for their residents’ rights in...