Mayor Karen Bass set to announce plan to fix 60K street lights in LA

Street lights around Los Angeles could soon be getting an upgrade as several neighborhoods have been dealing with dark and broken lights.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is expected to announce a plan to fix up to 60,000 lights. 

Mayor Bass will be joined by other community members in Pacoima on Wednesday to discuss the specifics about the initiative.

Last year, mayor Bass announced the installation of hundreds of solar street lights near Filipinotown. 

According to Mayor Bass, the goal of solar street lighting was meant to disrupt the cycle of vandalism and robbery of copper wire. 

City officials say they also want residents to feel safe walking around their neighborhoods.

“When people say they do not feel safe, one of the reasons they don’t feel safe is they drive up and down their streets, or walk, and at night it is completely dark,” Bass said. 

On Tuesday, the LA City Council also discussed the issue of the broken street lights and how to go about repairing them. 

The city council voted 13-1 to move forward with a request from the Bureau of Street Lighting that would increase assessment fees on tax payers to maintain street lights. 

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez opposed the item, while Councilwoman Imelda Padilla was absent during the vote.

Officials estimate that the fee hike would bring in about $125 million to help restore restore lights across the city that have been impacted by copper wire theft or replace aging infrastructure.

Bureau officials noted the assessment fee has not been increased since 1996. It would impact home owners across the city with streetlights outside their property — encompassing some 584,000 parcels and 225,000 streetlights, according to a report from the bureau.

A hearing is expected in June where the city council will decide whether to approve the assessment fee increase.

City News Service contributed to this report.