Why isn't LA repaving streets?

ADA, Measure HLA, and the repaving workaround

• Several comments stress the root issue is ADA curb‑ramp requirements tied to repaving, not an inability to “figure out how to pave roads.”
• A 2025 citizen initiative (Measure HLA) forces LA to add curb ramps and other upgrades whenever streets are resurfaced, but explicitly promised “no new taxes.”
• Because ramps are slow and expensive (months of work per mile vs. days for repaving), the city is instead doing “large asphalt repair” that doesn’t legally trigger the ADA/Measure HLA obligations.
• Some see this as a predictable consequence of an unfunded mandate passed by voters who wanted improvements “for free”; others argue it’s just a continuation of decades of ADA non‑compliance and avoidance.

Technical and cost debates around curb ramps

• Multiple commenters discuss construction methods: cast‑in‑place vs prefabricated elements, concrete vs asphalt, how curbs are built in the UK and Germany, and the risk of creating weak joints that become potholes.
• Several are incredulous that a dozen ramps could take three months or cost tens of thousands of dollars each, seeing this as evidence of serious dysfunction or corruption.
• Others point out that ramps often require regrading, utility moves, code compliance checks, and specialized crews, not just pouring a bit of concrete.

Money, priorities, and governance

• There’s a sharp split between “city can’t afford it” vs. “city can afford it but mismanages funds.”
• Some emphasize budget cuts to the street department, growing pension and interest burdens, and broad anti‑tax sentiment leading to underfunded infrastructure.
• Others cite high California taxes and note huge police budgets and misconduct payouts that dwarf street maintenance, arguing this is about priorities and political capture (unions, police, contractors), not lack of revenue.
• Permitting and regulatory systems (ADA, complete‑streets rules, building permits) are portrayed both as necessary safety/accessibility protections and as bloated “make‑work” that drives cost and delay.

Sprawl, density, and the Strong Towns view

• Strong Towns’ argument appears repeatedly: low‑density, car‑oriented development creates more infrastructure liability (roads, pipes) than its tax base can support, leading to a slow‑moving fiscal crisis.
• Some say LA and similar cities could “trivially” fix finances by allowing much more housing density and tax base per road‑mile; others counter that redevelopment is politically hard, slow, and not truly “trivial.”
• There’s disagreement over whether suburbs are intrinsically financially unsustainable, or whether mismanagement (e.g., police overtime, poor planning) is the real problem.

Vehicles, road wear, and design choices

• A long subthread disputes how much heavier SUVs and EVs matter: some insist passenger cars are negligible compared with heavy trucks (with 4th‑power axle‑weight damage); others note heavier cars still increase wear and stress joints.
• Broader design questions arise: prioritizing bike lanes and traffic calming vs. drivers’ convenience; whether curb cuts and tactile ramps are worth the cost; and calls to better align gas taxes with road maintenance.

Comparisons and broader frustration

• Commenters from Europe and elsewhere express disbelief that a wealthy US city can’t routinely repave streets and build basic ramps, contrasting with faster or cheaper practices abroad.
• Many see LA as a case study in a national pattern: aging postwar infrastructure, fragmented responsibilities, strong NIMBY politics, and governments that can build big things in crises but struggle with everyday maintenance.