Slauson Avenue Sidewalk, ADA, and Reforestation Project
Slauson Ave, a 2.7-mile corridor in the City of Commerce, is a major 4-lane arterial that runs east-west through the length of the City & connects 2 major freeways of I-5 & I-710 within City limits. It is also a major bus route extending more than 20 miles & connecting several East LA cities to downtown LA. As such, it is a critical mobility route for trucks, vehicles, transit as well as peds as it connects neighborhoods with employment & activity centers in Southeast LA. Slauson Ave provides 5’ to 10’ wide sidewalk segments affording walkability & connectivity for a large number of peds. The 2.7-mile segment through the City provided some sidewalk & parkway segments with ficus trees, however, over the years the existing sidewalks were severely damaged. The ficus tree roots uplifts had caused significant damage to sidewalks, curbs & gutters, as well as driveways & pavements within the existing roadway. Some sidewalk segments experienced more than 2-foot high displacements, which severely impacted the walkability, pedestrian connectivity & transit usage due to limited accessibility. This was exacerbated due to missing sidewalk segments & lack of ADA complaint sidewalks, curb ramps & driveways. In 2013 City of Commerce residents passed a half cent sales tax known as Measure AA to address the infrastructure & sustainability needs of the City. The first project identified for Measure AA was Slauson Ave where in 2015 the City approved the EIR & in 2016 the City funded the $1.1 million reconstruction of the street. The City’s commitment to Green & sustainable infrastructure is documented in its “2015 Green Zone Implementation Plan” where the City has committed to infrastructure reinvestment to provide sustainability, connectivity, City identity & aesthetics. Protecting the City’s urban forest is a priority to the City. The City also took the opportunity to provide connectivity, walkability & sustainability. The project involved approx. 5,000 SF of new sidewalk where there was no existing sidewalk to provide a continuous path of travel for peds, removal & replacement of approx. 51,000 SF of existing damaged sidewalk due to severe tree root growth, removal & replacement of 1,300 LF of existing damaged curb & gutter as well as replacement of 12 curb ramps to meet ADA. The project also took on the reforestation & greening in a sustainable manner. The project included the removal of 149 old overgrown trees that caused the sidewalk damage & replaced them with 433 new drought tolerant trees introducing a diverse plant palette that is sustainable & compatible with the local climate. This project is an exemplary sustainability project where a local jurisdiction took their local funds to create walkability, connectivity to transit facilities as well as employment & activity centers for all people including the disabled & visually impaired by closing a gap in Southeast LA while taking on responsible greening through sustainable reforestation.
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