As the streets of Los Angeles continue to deterioriate, the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services has been unable to document both the number and location of potholes throughout the city and its status regarding the collection of monies it is owed, City Controller Ron Galperin said Thursday.
With gravel, sand and recycled pavement behind him at the city’s 67-year-old Asphalt Plant 1 east of downtown, Galperin presented the findings of his “L.A. Streets: The Road to the Future” audit, noting the age of roadway equipment is symptomatic of the problems the agency faces.
Galperin urged the city to invest in more modern equipment to take advantage of its ability to produce asphalt at a lower cost. “We are in dire need of an investment to upgrade this plant,” he said. “Because we haven’t kept up, we are paying more because it is so outdated.”
Street Services Director Nazario Sauceda said the plant is only able to use about 15 percent of recycled pavement compared with modern systems that can take up to 50 percent, resulting in a lower overall cost.
Galperin does not believe the answer to the problem lies solely in spending. “Instead of throwing money at the problem, we have to be more reactive and find partners to help us.” (Continue reading at Dailey News)