4 ms·

The vast majority of the comments here seem to be completely missing the actual reason. I see people claiming this is about heavier SUV's, about people moving t

The vast majority of the comments here seem to be completely missing the actual reason. I see people claiming this is about heavier SUV's, about people moving to the suburbs, governmental incompetence, that we "can't figure out how to pave roads", that this is corruption... ...just no. What this is, is that the federal ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) has required wheelchair access (curb ramps) along roads since 1990. To comply, "Measure HLA" is a citizen initiative passed in 2025, which forces the city to build curb ramps WHENEVER it resurfaces a road. But here's the kicker -- as the "Measure HLA" site explains [1], it promises "No New Taxes or Fees", claiming "improvements would be made during routine street maintenance". But because it DIDN'T raise additional funds, but is a much more expensive process, and the city doesn't have the money, the city is getting around it by doing "large asphalt repair" which is lower-quality but avoids having to spend the extra money and time (which they don't have) to implement the curb ramps and other requirements. All of this seems like an entirely predictable outcome when a law is passed that requires more work but doesn't pay for it. And in this case you can't blame a short-sighted legislature or a corrupt process -- it was a citizens' initiative. That promised voters they could have something for free, which isn't free. See this key quote: > Per Mozee, “there’s approximately 14 ramps in a mile.” So for “one crew to build out those 14 ramps will take approximately three months.” In contrast, he said, “a paving crew on a good day … could pave that same mile in a weekend or one week, at most.” So what exactly did people expect? I'm all for accessibility, but demanding it without paying for it is not the way. [1] https://yesonhla.com/ https://yesonhla.com/

GorbachevyChase 8mo ago
This is very well thought out comment and that’s probably why there’s poor engagement with it. This is exactly the problem. The city has an unfunded mandate. The street department is triaging. The problem is best they can. I wouldn’t be shocked if city council members were directing this workaround so their voters would actually see some work getting done in their neighborhood.
imtringued 8mo ago
This makes no sense. What you call "curb ramps" is a part of standard road infrastructure in Germany. They're basically everywhere in Germany. If the Los Angeles government can't figure out how to implement a practice that has been legislated for 36 years, then they deserve a kick in the balls that forces them to wake up. The fact that 36 years of neglect coincide in 2026 isn't the result of a law that happened to pass 2025. That law was passed because of the 36 years of neglect. The asphalt patching strategy is just one more last ditch attempt at ignoring the 36 year old ADA law.
- crazygringo 8mo ago
  I could just as easily say that your comment makes no sense. Curb ramps are all over the place in the US too. And I don't know what on earth Germany has to do with anything. But the point is, if you force them to be constructed, then you need to pay for them. Maybe it's a "kick in the balls" as you put it, but without funding what exactly do you expect the city to do here? It can't conjure extra money out of thin air. LA isn't ideologically opposed to the ADA or anything. But it needs a whole bunch of money to be able to follow it. Money which hasn't been raised for it. Regardless of the past history, passing a law forcing the city to do something without giving it the necessary money to do so is not a strategy that works.
- sevenseacat 8mo ago
  I've been reading comments feeling like I'm going bonkers. We don't have 'curb ramps' here in Australia (like external ramps from the curb to the road? I can't find pictures of them), but the curbs have downward slopes at intersections to meet the road at road level, like a driveway. And that's pretty standard everywhere.

GorbachevyChase 8mo ago

This is very well thought out comment and that’s probably why there’s poor engagement with it. This is exactly the problem. The city has an unfunded mandate. The street department is triaging. The problem is best they can. I wouldn’t be shocked if city council members were directing this workaround so their voters would actually see some work getting done in their neighborhood.

imtringued 8mo ago

This makes no sense. What you call "curb ramps" is a part of standard road infrastructure in Germany. They're basically everywhere in Germany. If the Los Angeles government can't figure out how to implement a practice that has been legislated for 36 years, then they deserve a kick in the balls that forces them to wake up. The fact that 36 years of neglect coincide in 2026 isn't the result of a law that happened to pass 2025. That law was passed because of the 36 years of neglect. The asphalt patching strategy is just one more last ditch attempt at ignoring the 36 year old ADA law.

crazygringo 8mo ago
I could just as easily say that your comment makes no sense. Curb ramps are all over the place in the US too. And I don't know what on earth Germany has to do with anything. But the point is, if you force them to be constructed, then you need to pay for them. Maybe it's a "kick in the balls" as you put it, but without funding what exactly do you expect the city to do here? It can't conjure extra money out of thin air. LA isn't ideologically opposed to the ADA or anything. But it needs a whole bunch of money to be able to follow it. Money which hasn't been raised for it. Regardless of the past history, passing a law forcing the city to do something without giving it the necessary money to do so is not a strategy that works.
sevenseacat 8mo ago
I've been reading comments feeling like I'm going bonkers. We don't have 'curb ramps' here in Australia (like external ramps from the curb to the road? I can't find pictures of them), but the curbs have downward slopes at intersections to meet the road at road level, like a driveway. And that's pretty standard everywhere.