CD15 Policy Update on I-110 Freeway Fire
This week, following the fire that shut down the I-110 Freeway in the Harbor Area from early Tuesday morning May 5 through midday Wednesday, councilman Tim McOsker introduced a motion at each council meeting last week that focused on public safety, accountability, and preventing future incidents.
On May 5, immediately after the freeway shut down, McOsker introduced a motion to compel Caltrans to improve coordination between their offices and the city during public safety and infrastructure emergencies involving state properties. The fire raised serious concerns about delayed emergency notifications from the state, unsecured freeway infrastructure, and hazardous spaces within Caltrans right of way that should not be publicly accessible. McOsker’s motion called for a review of Caltrans’ fire detection and emergency communication systems, while also examining how these freeway-adjacent areas are inspected and secured to help prevent future incidents.
The second motion McOsker introduced May 6 focused on the increasing strain these incidents place on city resources and public safety personnel. The city has acted diligently to coordinate across agencies, even where jurisdiction lies with Caltrans and other entities. However, the growing number of these incidents and the mounting cost to city resources require a focused evaluation of cost recovery options and a clearer understanding of the scale of emergency responses occurring within Caltrans’ right-of-way.
Lastly, on May 8, McOsker introduced another motion addressing the hazardous conditions surrounding the area impacted by the fire. The properties between John S. Gibson Blvd. and the I-110 Freeway contain excessive trash, debris, hazardous waste, and other unsafe conditions. The motion seeks to declare the site a public nuisance so the city can override private property boundaries to enforce a cleanup while pursuing financial accountability from responsible property owners.
McOsker Announces Capital Infrastructure Program
On May 4, councilman Tim McOsker joined the mayor and council colleagues to announce a proposed Capital Infrastructure Program or CIP, a comprehensive framework to better plan, maintain, and invest in the city’s infrastructure, including streets, sidewalks, parks, curb ramps, and public facilities. For decades, the city has operated without an adopted, clear, coordinated program in which the council agrees on the city’s infrastructure needs and commits to addressing those needs over time.
“That’s what a formal CIP begins to do for Los Angeles,” said McOsker. “It would deliver a framework on the agreed priorities for maintenance and new construction, how we’re going to approach the work, and how we will hold City Hall decision-makers and budgets accountable over time. Transparency and consistency are what LA residents expect, and this CIP proposal is an important step toward being responsive to residents’ needs and delivering the basic, safe infrastructure that people rely on every day.”