The funds will be used to fix streetlights in Windsor Square among other neighborhoods throughout the 13th Council District. (photo by Edwin Folven)

The Los Angeles City Council has approved a $1 million allocation to create a dedicated Streetlight Repair Team in Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez’s 13th District, which will repair lights in neighborhoods such as Windsor Square and Hollywood.

Neighborhoods throughout the city have struggled with streetlight outages, many due to copper wire theft and deferred maintenance, and the new funding aims to get the lights back on faster.

“Well-lit streets are safe streets, and our residents deserve this basic public amenity,” Soto-Martínez said. “We will do whatever it takes to get the lights back on and eliminate the street light backlog in District 13.”

The $1 million comes from the Assembly Bill 1290 Fund, which directs a portion of property taxes paid in L.A. for redevelopment projects.

Soto-Martínez’s spokesman Nick Barnes-Batista said the next step will be for the Bureau of Streetlighting to hire and assemble the team, and the goal is to have it operational by the end of February.

“At that point, we should be able to share more localized information about the streets that are getting repaired,” he said.

The Streetlight Repair Team in the 13th District will work full-time on repairing streetlights, as opposed to other street-related projects conducted by department. Although copper wire theft has increased dramatically in recent years, 60% of broken streetlights are dark due to a lack of routine maintenance. Repairing a broken streetlight currently takes over nine months on average in Los Angeles.

Windsor Square resident Guy Nemiro said streetlights have been out for weeks in many locations near his home. He said numerous requests for repairs have been made to the city, and he credited Soto-Martinez’s field deputy Mark Fuentes for helping to get lights fixed in Windsor Square and Larchmont.

Nemiro, a board member on the Windsor Square Association, said residents are particularly focused on streetlight repairs on Bronson Avenue between Fifth and Sixth streets; Plymouth Boulevard between Third Street and Wilshire Boulevard; the north side of Third Street from Wilton Place to Rossmore Boulevard; and Windsor Boulevard between Second and Third streets. Multiple lights are also out on Fourth and Fifth streets between Norton and Rossmore Avenue, he added.

“I have been on a mission to get our streetlamps working,” Nemiro said. “It’s a real safety concern. We are glad that Mr. Soto Martinez got the money.”

Residents are encouraged to report streetlight outages in L.A. by calling 311, using the MyLA311 app or visiting lalights.lacity.org/residents/streetlight_outage.html.