What does a safer neighborhood look like for pedestrians and residents?
Officials broke ground on a series of improvements at Elden Elms affordable housing development in Pico Union on Tuesday.
The project aims to make it safer and easier for residents to walk, bike and access nearby housing and transit. The project will include 33 upgraded crosswalks, 11 new streetlights, six curb extensions, seven access ramps and 48 new trees. Funded through a state affordable housing and climate grant, construction is expected to be completed by June 2026.
Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez and community members gathered Tuesday near the development at Pico Boulevard and Elden Avenue to mark the start of construction.
“Moments like this, today where we’re able to talk about 33 crosswalks, the installation of street lights, the fixing of sidewalks, that is a big deal,” Hernandez said. “We’ve had to make budget cuts in the last several years to the departments that lead this work which slows down the work means that we have less teams to execute the work.”
Officials were joined by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Bureau of Engineering and the Los Angeles Board of Public Works.
Principal Erika Moreno at Leo Politi Elementary School highlighted the need for the improvements to the area near the school.
“Many of our children use multiple modes of transportation to get to school,” Moreno said. “Biking, scootering, walking, public transportation, strollers. Safe, well designed infrastructure is essential to the safety, attendance, and overall well-being of our students.”
