Bikers cross a trail overlooking the Los Angeles River near Dodger Stadium, a group of city officials and congressmen walked to a neighborhood park filled with native plants, trees and picnic tables – a larger planned Examples of parks and green spaces are supported by federal funds along the river.
U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) and Rick Larsen (D-Wash, the top Democratic member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Now President Trump and his allies are trying to make extensive cuts to the administration’s plans danger.
Local officials have been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers River revitalization project Aiming to restore natural habitat and expand the park for miles along the waterway between Griffith Park and downtown Los Angeles
“It’s a big transformative project for Los Angeles,” Friedman said. “It’s heartbreaking to see the Trump administration get all the federal funding we rely on.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Dena O’Dell, head of public affairs for the Army Corps Los Angeles District, said in an email that her agency “recognizes the importance of the Los Angeles River ecosystem restoration project and remains committed to LA.” City’s cooperation relationship.”
“We can’t speculate on the future funding level of the project,” Odell said.
Pedestrians use Los Angeles River Bike Trail in Los Angeles Thursday
(Yamada/Los Angeles Times)
Friedman said in a Thursday visit that so far, the bike paths and parks built in the Elysian Valley have become a river that was once considered a concrete passage that has become Natural conveniences.
“Some communities support rivers, and in fact, all they have is wither and chain fences and weeds weeds,” she said. “Now, with restoration, you’ll see the promises the river gives.”
Under Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Act Authorized $28 million For the project, the latest in a series of joint investments is the latest.
But, now, Friedman says the Trump administration’s efforts Freeze funds Previously approved by Congress threatened these investments, as well as future financial support, are crucial to accomplishing this work. She said Trump and his allies, including Elon Musk, made it clear that they wanted Allocate funds for such projectsand many other government programs.
“They specifically asked them to allocate funds to be related to climate, habitat, ecology,” Friedman said. “They called these ‘Wake’ projects these projects, so they thought they would create Parkland as ‘Wake’ not something important.”
The benefits of the project along the Los Angeles River program include creating new parks and trails for communities that are unable to access the recreational area for a long time, as well as restoring natural habitats for birds and other wildlife, improving water quality, and rebuilding formation, Friedman said. A range of natural floodplain areas that capture rainwater and recharge groundwater.
Pedestrians use Los Angeles River Bike Trail in Los Angeles Thursday
(Yamada/Los Angeles Times)
Friedman said Trump administration officials said they do not support projects such as bike lanes, or “anything that doesn’t burn fossils.”
She noted that efforts to revitalize the area with paths and riverside parks in recent years have brought new businesses, including cafes and shops, and attracted residents who walk, jog and bike along the river.
She said that if federal funding is to be cut, it would make the project dependent on state and local funding and would slow the efforts and also put a greater financial burden on Los Angeles taxpayers.
Rep. Rick Larsen, City Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez and Rep. Laura Friedman
(Yamada/Los Angeles Times)
Larsen, who describes himself as a birdwatcher, said he likes to find giant egrets in the river. He said seeing the river extending helped him “better understand why ecosystem restoration is important to the region.”
Friedman and Larsen also visited the almost finished Wilshire/La Brea Metro station Purple D-line expansion projectthe company plans to connect downtown Los Angeles with UCLA and VA Medical Center. Friedman said the project was very needed because “there is better mobility around Los Angeles that can make more and more traffic and reduce costs for people.”
She said hundreds of millions of dollars the federal government promised to expand has not been delivered, and if the Trump administration is to withdraw, “this puts the entire project at risk.”
