Residents say Palms neighborhood sidewalks aren't safe

A group of Palms residents say their sidewalks aren't very walk-friendly and aren't really safe because they don't have the curb cuts that allow for ramps at corners and leading into crosswalks.

Long-time resident and president of the Motor Avenue Improvement Association, Lee Wallach, says his community has been asking for sidewalk improvements for years with disabled residents risking their safety to get around.

"We need someone to push for the most needy among us, and that's these residents, they can't get around," said Wallach.

Kathy Spotts has lived in her Palms apartment for more than 40 years and with advanced arthritis, she uses a cane to help her walk. Navigating the sidewalks in her neighborhood is difficult for her.

She handwrote a letter to the city three years ago asking for curb cuts for the crosswalks on National at Mentone and Rose, but nothing has happened.

"I thought it was all going to be in hand, and then nothing happened. I don't know if they hit some kind of a snag," said Spotts.

Marty George is in a wheelchair due to a prolonged illness and without curb cuts in place to access to the crosswalks, he said he is mostly homebound.

"I would like to get around, because otherwise I sit in the apartment and can't move," said George.

George's partner, Denise Sweeny has been filing requests with the city for months she said, to try to fix the sidewalk problems.

To get to George's therapy, one block away, they drive.  

"in order to get there, we have to get him out of the chair into the car, drive a block then out of the car and into the chair so he can go to therapy --  whereas if we could walk there it would be so much easier for everybody," said Sweeny.

Federal law, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, requires sidewalks and curb ramps to be accessible to all. The city of Los Angeles settled a class action lawsuit in 2015 and committed to making sweeping repairs to bring its sidewalks into ADA compliance. But, right now, the wait for access requests with Safe Sidewalks LA is between three and 10 years.

Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavky's office responded to the recent sidewalk inquiries. "Our team was first made aware of this curb cut request in May of this year. Since then, we have been working with the community and the Bureau of Engineering to see what can be done at this intersection to make it safer and more accessible."