LA City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky on Public Safety & Sustainability

Councilwoman, having joined Mayor Bass and council colleagues in Paris this summer, what from that visit should instruct LA28’s Olympic planning?

Yes, I attended the 2024 Paralympic Games, specifically the last few days for the closing. It really highlighted both the opportunities and the challenges of hosting in 2028.

Paris has a strong, integrated transit system that transformed mobility, which was impressive. They already had this robust system in place, whereas LA’s Metro is still developing—we’re not nearly as widespread as Paris. But we have secured funding to accelerate and complete the Metro D Line. I, along with others on the board, am focused on ensuring that the stations are safe, accessible, and connect to places people need to go, both for the Olympics and beyond.

Thoughtful security planning will also be essential to make sure the Athletes' Village is secure without disrupting daily life in Westwood and its surrounding areas. Paris put a big focus on sustainability, planting thousands of trees, cleaning up the Seine (which cost over a billion dollars), and enhancing walkability and bikeability. These efforts resonate with our goals in District 5 and for the city at large. Here, we’re interested in similar improvements, like tree planting, creating shaded pedestrian paths, and gathering spaces. It could be really hot during the Olympics, so we’re considering what shade structures might look like, where to place them, and if they should be permanent or temporary—perhaps a mix of both.

We also need to beautify our neighborhoods and put our best face forward for the world. Reducing urban heat island effects and making LA more livable will not only help with those iconic city shots on TV during the Olympics but will also improve life for Angelenos long-term. The Olympics, for us, is an incredible, once-in-a-generation opportunity to fast-track work we know needs to be done anyway. Paris capitalized on this tremendously—the City of Lights looked even more beautiful, and many of their enhancements will benefit Parisians for decades. We plan to do the same here in LA.

Katy, regarding your reference to the “work that needs to be done,” you now serve by Council and Mayor appointment on several critically important local committees & boards. Elaborate on your governing responsibilities.

Yes, I wear a few different hats. I’m one of the Mayor’s appointees on the LA County Metro Board—she has three appointees, plus herself, so that makes four of us. I also chair the LA City Council’s Energy and Environment Committee and I’m the Vice Chair of the Ad Hoc Olympics Committee. In addition, I’m a member of the Budget Committee, the Planning and Land Use Committee, and the newly created Economic and Community Development Committee. All of these Council Committees play a role in how we as a host City approach the LA28 Olympics.

After the election, there will be committee changes, as the Council’s new President has said, so we’ll see what happens; but I don’t expect much to change for me.

These public responsibilities inspire several policy questions. First, the idea of a ‘car-free LA28 Olympic Games’ seems, at best, like a stretch goal—even with all the billions now being invested in transit infrastructure & capacity. Is Metro successfully managing local and global expectations?

We want to get as close as possible to a car-free Olympics, and we need to do this in a way that doesn’t involve making a bunch of short-term changes that last only for the Olympics. After the Games, we don’t want to find ourselves having spent all this money on transit solutions that simply evaporate, right? So, I’m most interested in the initiatives we can operationalize permanently that will also help us get closer to the goal of a car-free Olympics.

If the goal is a car-free Olympics, I believe we can make lasting changes for Los Angeles. The 2028 Olympics presents an incredible opportunity to transform our transportation system, expand our Metro and bus systems, and enhance first-mile, last-mile connectivity. We can leverage federal and state government support and use the Olympics as an impetus to secure funding for the infrastructure we need.

That support will be crucial, especially since we know we don’t have the financial resources at the local level. Even combining the city and county budgets, we still lack the necessary funds. This is a fantastic chance for us to pursue money that we would otherwise be competing for against other big and small cities across the country. In 1984, the federal government provided billions of dollars to Los Angeles, and we’re aiming to achieve something similar this time. We need those resources now more than ever. I know the mayor, my colleagues, and the Metro team are actively lobbying for federal dollars, likely as we speak. The Olympics serve as a catalyst for this effort. There’s an urgency—sometimes, you need that sense of urgency to ignite action. And we definitely feel that fire.

Obviously, the avowed policy agendas of the city, county, and Metro—to electrify and enhance public transit—face significant challenges, including homelessness, safety, and congestion. In addition, some have asserted that current traffic congestion in Los Angles is the worst seen in decades. How do the policy challenges of safety, homelessness, and reducing congestion factor into Metro’s current priorities?

As a city and region, we don't really engage in integrated planning, which is evident in how our city departments operate and how our committee work unfolds. We tend to do committee work based on departmental lines.

However, the intersection of housing policy and planning, homelessness policy and planning, transportation planning, and sustainability and climate planning are, in reality, all part of the same set of issues. They all contribute to how we build livable, healthy, and safe cities.

I believe one way to combat traffic is by building housing near transit stations. That’s where we need to prioritize upzoning and focus on our corridors, really working to find safe ways to encourage people to get out of their cars. Not everyone will choose to ride the Metro or take a bus; that wouldn’t make sense in all situations. But some people want to use public transit, and they would if it felt safer. Enhancing public safety on the system is crucial.

We need to activate our stations, keep out those who shouldn’t be there, and connect those on the system to housing, services, and drug treatment.

Our ridership numbers have been climbing, which is fantastic, and generally, public safety metrics are improving too. However, we have much more to do, and we need to be strategic about it. I’ve been advocating for our stations to be activated. If you visit places like Tokyo or Paris, you’ll notice many of their stations have amenities like shopping and restaurants, creating an environment where people are present 24 hours a day. It’s well-lit, so you’re never alone on a platform.

There are various steps we can take to enhance public safety and make people feel secure while using the system. Once we encourage more people to ride transit—those who have the option not to but want to feel safe doing so—I believe we’ll start to see a decline in car traffic. We know we need much more housing, and we must be strategic about its placement. It needs to be the right kind of housing, affordable and middle-income. If we focus on this, I think we’ll see progress. There’s significant development potential near those Metro stations.

Pivoting to station development, there been a dearth of public discussion of the essential nexus of planning & transportation to enhance the livability of LA’s many neighborhoods.  Thus, transit stations and mobility hubs are perceived as, too often, unsafe. Not so in Japan and Paris.  Indeed, the latter jurisdictions take pride in their fully activated—vendor filled—mobility hubs. Presently, is there any interest by Metro in adopting the Tokyo or Paris model for activating future stations?

I was speaking with Stephanie Wiggins about this last week, and we discussed how this is outside of Metro’s wheelhouse. I mentioned that they shouldn’t be doing this themselves; they should contract it out. We should bring in the private sector and put out a request for proposals to generate ideas for activating the stations.

We have these above-ground plazas that are essentially empty concrete spaces. We should invite proposals from vendors, establish some profit-sharing arrangements, and incentivize activation efforts. For instance, one of the best meals I had in Tokyo was underground at the Tokyo Station—it was truly memorable. The best shopping in Tokyo is also found at the Tokyo Station.

I’m not saying we need to replicate Tokyo at all our stations, but in Paris, some of their new stations are integrated into shopping malls, ensuring a constant presence of people. As a woman traveling alone, I felt completely safe using the Metro at 11 PM because there were always people around. During our first day, we saw armed French military personnel in the system, but for the rest of our visit, we didn’t encounter anyone in uniform. The presence of people created a sense of safety. There’s a certain strength in numbers, and visibility is vital. I believe CEO Wiggins understands this. The expectation is not that they handle it all themselves, but rather that they put out an RFP and see what innovative solutions emerge. We’re moving forward with this approach, and there’s a pilot project currently underway at MacArthur Park. We’re eager to see how that progresses, and I hope we can accelerate similar deployments across the system.

Given your Deputy Kristen Torres-Pawling is on the zoom as well, address LA City efforts to assure a sustainable & resilient City, & in 2028 the Olympics. 

A lot of the sustainability work for the Olympics is likely to come through Metro, as they have more funding and the capacity to pursue larger grants. I don’t see much of this work – except for our tree planting initiatives occurring through city departments, especially given how understaffed and resource-strapped the city is right now. As result, the city can't meaningfully take on a significant amount of this important work today.

At the City, we have adopted—separately from the Olympics—a climate action plan, which is a long-term planning document that will help the city develop metrics for sustainability and hold itself accountable.

Additionally, we’re collaborating closely with the Department of Water and Power (DWP) on their goals for 100% clean energy and local water initiatives. We’ve been bringing together sanitation and DWP to develop that local water program.

Lastly, in my district, we're also focused on oil sites. There are active oil wells, such as the West Pico drill site, and we’re working hard to shut that down as soon as possible, so hopefully, we’ll have some good news on that front soon.

Councilwoman, you also long have been deeply involved in SoCal water policy. Are you pleased with the new leadership at DWP -- both the CEO/Chief Engineer & Board President?

I think it’s exciting. Janisse Quiñones is an excellent choice for CEO; and, I believe she’s exactly the right person for the agency at this moment. We’ve been meeting with her regularly to discuss how we can support her work. However, there are many departments in the city, including DWP but not limited to it, where there seems to be bureaucratic malaise and stagnation, and we can’t continue this way. Some of this can be managed through the budget process and personnel adjustments, but we need to work on making the bureaucracy function more effectively.

Given all your government committee responsibilities, share how challenging it is to fully represent the public in the absence of a responsible newspaper and healthy media climate?

To compensate, we have a weekly newsletter that goes out, with a readership of around 14,000, most of whom are constituents. But a big problem generally speaking is that people obviously have turned to alternative forms of communication, often mistaking them for reliable news. For example, you have TikTok, Instagram, X, but also platforms like Nextdoor, Citizen, and WhatsApp.

Unfortunately,there’s a lot of misinformation circulating, which can lead to people feeling anxious about exaggerated issues. For example, in the past, if there was a robbery in your neighborhood, you might not even know about it. Now, because of these apps, every incident is amplified.

People's concerns are valid; but there are many matters neighborhoods wouldn’t even have been aware of previously, and, in some cases a few are exploited by individuals trying to undermine the work of the Council and City, making it harder for Councilmembers to do our jobs.

And sadly, the level of vitriol and intensity in local politics has increased significantly, creating divisiveness that wasn’t there even five years ago when I decided to run for Council. At that time, one appealing aspect of city government was its nonpartisan nature, which felt insulated from the worst of the national political climate. Now, I sometimes talk to colleagues in Congress, and they say local elected officials are experiencing even more intensity than they are.

It’s sometimes surprising; it wasn’t what I expected. It doesn’t take many people stirring things up to create a toxic environment. For the most part, we try to ignore as much of that as possible and just focus on doing our jobs. You can’t please everyone; and candidly, most constituents aren’t engaged on those policy disputes. Most care about seeing & finding solutions, and, if they notice improvements in their neighborhoods, they’re satisfied.

We’ve actually started door knocking in the district to better connect with residents. We introduce ourselves, ensure people know who our field deputy is, and inform them about city services available to them. Most people are glad to see us and are grateful for the outreach. The biggest concerns we hear about are homelessness and public safety, and that’s where our focus lies. 

With general managers reporting, as a result of Charter Reform, to the Mayor's office rather than City Council, is operational accountability more or less difficult to achieve?

It doesn't have to be more difficult. I would love to be able to call a General Manager and say, "Do this right now," and have them feel compelled to do it. That’s how the Board of Supervisors operates—two-thirds of the board can fire a department head. However, it is traditionally an executive function to oversee the agencies.

That’s fine when the agencies work well, but the city of LA's budget is woefully inadequate, and we are incredibly inefficient. We need to tackle both issues simultaneously. Part of that is the lasting effects of Proposition 13. Despite how you feel about the proposition, we have to acknowledge that overnight, municipal revenue across the state was cut by 60%. Adjusted for inflation, that is tens of billions of dollars over the past 50 years that we simply haven’t had. And we see the effect of that everyday. It doesn’t take someone like me that sits on the Budget committee to see what our extremely strained budget gets us. If we had that extra funding, we could have a functioning city with all the necessary services.

I was in Hollywood yesterday with the Hollywood Partnership, which is a property-based business improvement district (BID). They do incredible work in public safety, security, trash pickup, power washing, and homelessness outreach. If someone calls at night and wants to walk to their car because they feel unsafe, there’s someone who will accompany them. This is a 21st-century city being run by a property BID. Council District 5 deserves that level of service, and for the last two years, I've been trying to elevate the departments to meet that standard, but it's just not feasible right now.

That’s why my team and I are working to create a couple of BIDs in the district to ensure District 5 is safe and that the quality of life meets our expectations. Unfortunately, the city currently lacks the resources and capabilities to achieve that. We have a lot of work to do on the city side, and hopefully, we’ll reach a point where we don’t need the BIDs anymore because we’ll have the city back on track, but it’s going to take a while.

You see a problem and think, "Oh, I can fix that," but as you start to pull at that thread, you discover a huge knot that needs to be untangled. It’s about systems change. Having people on the council with private sector experience is important because we know it doesn’t have to be this way. There are lessons to be learned and changes we can implement that will result in a more efficient and effective city structure.

Pivoting to the election, there are a few important City/County ballot measures before voters in November. Share what you believe voters should prioritize.

Sure, and I’ll start with Measure A. This measure proposes to raise LA County’s sales tax to fund homeless efforts. While I’m generally hesitant about supporting another sales tax, I believe the work that will come from Measure A is absolutely vital. This measure is essentially a re-up of Measure H, addressing some of its shortcomings. It emphasizes affordable housing development, homeless prevention programs, service provision, eviction defense, mental health services, and beds—areas that Measure H didn’t fund meaningfully.

Measure A is crucial because, without it, we could see homelessness rise by as much as 25%, undoing much of the progress we’ve made. Many interim homeless sites in the city rely on Measure H dollars for service provision, so without it, we would have to shut down several of those sites, leading to more people becoming unhoused. We should also recognize that, despite its flaws, Measure H helped permanently house over 114,000 people and provided interim housing for nearly 200,000. Many of those individuals would likely have faced homelessness without Measure H. It’s difficult to sell people on what they can’t see, but especially with the current state of affairs, we can’t ignore the importance of this funding.

And what about Measure DD?

Measure DD is promising. It establishes an independent redistricting commission for the city of LA, which is a crucial step toward creating fair redistricting that can restore trust in city government. An independent commission can help ensure that district lines are drawn without political influence, addressing a significant issue we've seen in the past. This will make our government more accountable and better reflect the diverse communities of Los Angeles. I’m generally supportive of this measure.

As for the state climate bond, it’s really important. I wish it allocated more funding for Southern California, but it does have solid provisions for fire prevention and some water initiatives. I definitely support Proposition 4, the climate bond, and those are the main points I wanted to highlight.

Reflecting on The Planning Report’s four decades of publishing, we’re finding that most readers today know at most three or four council members; can’t name more than one member of the board of supervisors; and, have no idea who represents them in the State Assembly or State Senate.  Is our observation akin to you find?  Does a decline in civic awareness make governing locally exponentially more challenging?

That seems to be the case for most Angelenos. The challenge—and the opportunity—for us is to constantly remind ourselves that the voices we hear are just a small subset of our district and the city. The people who show up to scream obscenities at us don’t represent the views of the majority of Angelenos. Those who call and yell about specific issues are often expressing legitimate concerns, and that’s what we’re here for. However, we often don’t engage with the majority of our constituents.

I believe most people recognize we’re doing everything we can around homelessness, and while everyone wishes we could move faster, there are various reasons why it’s difficult. Like all council offices and elected officials, we mainly hear from a small fraction of our constituency. Our job is to address those legitimate concerns while also seeking out the voices that often go unheard—like people about to be evicted or those needing help accessing services. Proactive outreach has become incredibly important, and we’ve restructured some roles in our office to prioritize that work and connect with those individuals.

Let’s close with a personal question. When returning home from City Hall at night, what policy issues dominate family dinner conversations?

Mostly, we talk about homelessness because we see it everywhere. We discuss what it’s going to take to get people off the street permanently. There was a report estimating it would cost $22 billion, which I think is conservative; it’s likely higher. The gap between what we have and what we need in terms of budget and tools at the local level is significant—we don’t have all the necessary tools.

So, those are the main topics of our conversations. The best days are when we successfully get people inside. My kids enjoy riding their bikes, and we also talk about general quality of life issues, public safety, and ensuring they know their mom is working hard to keep LA safe. Those are the main things we discuss.

Katy, thank you for your time and candid responses. TPR looks forward to speaking soon with you again.