SGV Connect 69: Stormwater Planning in East L.A. and a Look at the Transit Picture Across the Country

SGV Connect

Welcome to SGV Connect. In this week's episode, Kris Fortin interviews Paul Alva with the county's Department of Public Works about East L.A. Sustainable Median Stormwater Capture Project. After that, Damien talks to Streetsblog USA editor Kea Wilson about the state of transit during the ongoing pandemic. L.A. County Department of Public Works is upgrading medians Unincorporated East LA to better capture water runoff. The project will include things like infiltration wells and bioswales which will divert stormwater from going into places like the LA River and replenish the local ground water supply. But it won’t be just something nice to look at, it will have benches, picnic tables, walking paths, and exercise equipment and quite a bit of vegetation, including planting more than 300 trees. This project costs, $36 million. Read more about the project at the official project website, and see why some East L.A. residents are unhappy with the project in this story on L.A. Eastsider.

In the second interview, Wilson explains how national politics are delaying or even killing a second relief fund for transit projects and programs.

Wilson also discusses how agencies are responding to the crisis by focusing efforts on making service as usable as possible for essential workers and what transit will look like in our post COVID future.

SGV Connect is supported by Foothill Transit, offering car-free travel throughout the San Gabriel Valley with connections to the new Gold Line Stations across the Foothills and Commuter Express lines traveling into the heart of downtown L.A. To plan your trip, visit Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”

Sign-up for our SGV Connect Newsletter, coming to your inbox on Fridays.

Catch past episodes of SGV Connect and #DamienTalks on LibSyn, iTunes, Google Play, or Overcast.