Local, state and federal officials representing the San Fernando Valley came together Monday, Nov. 27, to announce a nearly $100 million investment to pay for cool pavements, shade structures and shelters at bus stops, and other cooling projects to combat the effects of extreme heat as the planet undergoes climate change.
The funding will mean the installation of thousands of new bus shelters and hundreds of shade structures throughout the city, with more bus stop structures being added in just the first year of this effort than were added in the past decade, officials said.
During an afternoon press conference at a bus stop in Panorama City, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other local officials were presented with a $2.5 million check from Rep. Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) to pay for cool pavement on 10 street segments throughout the Valley, as well as the fabrication and installation of up to 30 shade structures over benches at bus stops.
The $2.5 million in federal dollars is just a fraction of the $93.5 million that officials say they’ve secured to provide cooling relief from the Valley’s sweltering heat.
“We must use the tools we have to build a greater Los Angeles, and that starts with improving our city services,” Bass said during the press conference. “This funding will be spent with purpose. New bus shelters will be located with purpose so that communities have relief from the heat and the worsening impacts of climate.”
Here’s a breakdown of where the $93.5 million will come from:
- $30 million in a Public Works Trust Fund loan that was proposed by the mayor and approved by the City Council. Funding for the Sidewalk and Transit Amenities Program (STAP) will result in the installation of 3,000 bus shelters and 450 shade structures.
- $8 million in additional STAP funding that was approved as part of the current fiscal year’s budget.
- $53M in Metro funding to build bus shelters as part of Metro’s North San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor…
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