The City Council voted for a report Wednesday to seek clearer guidance for the design, construction and maintenance of pedestrian walkways in Los Angeles.
The council asked the Bureau of Engineering, Bureau of Street Services and Department of Recreation and Parks to report in 90 days with a process and timeline to construct and maintain alternative surfaces for pedestrian walkways, and criteria for when such surfaces would be appropriate.
Councilman Bob Blumenfield filed a motion last September stating that the city lacks such guidance, leading to a range of “informal dirt use trails to fully developed rubberized tracks” that are common in the public right of way.
“The City should encourage walking for recreation and transportation through the construction and maintenance of pedestrian pathways, including supporting historical use of informal facilities,” the motion states.
Maintaining and upgrading informal facilities such as dirt trails would promote community health and environmental sustainability, according to the motion.