A New Plan for Fixing LA’s Broken Sidewalks

“Nobody walks in L.A.” is a truism immortalized in song. The big reason for this, of course, is L.A’.s car culture. Another? Our city’s sidewalks are terrible. So bad, in fact, that conditions violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Last year the city settled a lawsuit and agreed to fix our sidewalks. This week, the city approved its plan. It’s called “Fix and Release,” and under this plan the city will pay for initial sidewalk repairs. After that, responsibility for maintaining sidewalks will fall to homeowners and businesses. What’s the thinking behind this?