Recovery Efforts Three Months After LA Wildfires

This week, we marked three months since devastating wildfires raged across Los Angeles. I want to take this opportunity to highlight the actions our City partners have taken in coordination with county, state, and federal agencies to expedite relief and recovery efforts in the Pacific Palisades.

More than 260 properties have had debris completely cleared and received the final sign-off required for permits to be issued. The US Army Corps of Engineers has cleared nearly 1000 properties, including the three schools that were partially destroyed by the fire. And Mayor Bass recently announced that the City has secured funding to replace the Pacific Palisades playground that has served the community for three decades.

Recovery efforts are moving at a record rate. Debris removal began just 35 days after the fires, and water and power were safely restored to the Palisades in only two months. These fast-moving efforts will mean residents can return, businesses can reopen, and the community can rebuild ahead of schedule.

LADOT teams have been critical to these efforts. LADOT paint and sign crews have replaced damaged street signs, while electrician and signal crews repair fire and wind damaged traffic signals. Our Special Traffic Operations teams have established haul routes for contractors and closures in case of debris flow during rain storms. And LADOT Transit transported over 300 people to and from emergency shelters and to the Disaster Recovery Center.

To further support rebuilding and recovery, the City has launched a new recovery website for anyone affected by the recent fires. Visit LA Strong: Return and Rebuild to access information and recovery services.

Recovery Website for Fire-Affected Communities

City of LA Launches Recovery Website for Fire-Affected Communities

The The City of Los Angeles has launched a new recovery website to assist individuals, families, and businesses affected by the recent fires.

LA Strong: Return and Rebuild provides critical information and access to recovery services, including:

Rebuilding and permitting guidance
Housing and financial assistance
Mental health and emotional support
Support for impacted workers
Business recovery resources

If you or someone you know has been affected, we encourage you to explore the available tools and support services by visiting recovery.lacity.gov.

New Traffic Signal in the San Fernando Valley

LADOT is making it safer for students to walk to school in the San Fernando Valley. On Monday, April 7, LADOT activated a new traffic signal at the intersection of Saticoy St and Shirley Ave. The new traffic signal and high-visibility crosswalks replace an uncontrolled crosswalk, providing extra protection to students walking to and from the nearby Melvin Elementary School.

Masis Khashakyan, Transportation Engineering Associate

Masis works as a Transportation Engineer in the ATSAC Center for Metro and special timing projects. He moved from Armenia to Los Angeles with his wife and son when continuing to live in Armenia was getting harder. Though life in the United States was also not without challenges, gradually things improved as Masis began to take advantage of new opportunities.

As part of the ATSAC team, Masis worked on bringing all signals in the Los Angeles area online, upgrading the system from 170 controllers to 2070 controllers. “I am proud working for LADOT because I can make a difference, even though it is very small,” Masis shares.

For Armenian food, Masis recommends sampling lahmajune, cheese beorek, and shawarma sandwiches in the Little Armenia neighborhood of Hollywood. “I like to live in the LA area because there is a diversity of many nationalities that live next to each other, making Los Angeles an interesting place to live,” says Masis.

CicLAvia Brings Open Streets to Koreatown and Hollywood

Last Sunday, thousands gathered for the 59th CicLAvia Open Streets event: CicLAvia–Koreatown meets Hollywood! The 4.75 mile route connected the neighborhoods of Koreatown, Melrose Hill, East Hollywood, and Hollywood. Participants were able to enjoy the pop-up park in the people-powered way of their choosing, from walking or jogging to biking or skating.

The CicLAvia fun this year is just getting started! Join us on May 18 for CicLAmini–Pico Union. CicLAminis are shorter, pedestrian-oriented routes featuring activities and games for all ages. Learn more at ciclavia.org.

4th Annual Earth Day Seeds of Unity Fest This Saturday, April 12

Join the South LA EcoLab this Saturday in Harvard Park for the 4th Annual Earth Day Seeds of Unity Fest! This free and family-friendly celebration brings together community, culture, and climate justice for a day of live music, food, dancing, plant giveaways, and art installations. Access community resources and services, shop from local vendors, and learn about South LA Eco-Lab projects–all while engaging in a community conversation about how we project our land, air, and water. See you there!

4th Annual Earth Day Seeds of Unity Fest
Where: Harvard Park, 1535 W 62nd St, Los Angeles
When: Saturday, April 12, 2025 from 11am - 3pm