Glassell Park neighbors fight for safer roads

Monday, July 4, 2016
Glassell Park neighbors fight for safer roads
Residents in Glassell Park said they want the Los Angeles City Council to make streets safer in their neighborhood.

GLASSELL PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Roads in Glassell Park are increasingly becoming more difficult to navigate, according to residents. Now, after two recent crashes involving large trucks, neighbors called for action to resolve the issue.

Residents such as Tony Scudellari and Doug Dawson, who have lived in the area for 15 years, said they're concerned with the engineering of the streets as a surge of new construction in the area has created an increase in traffic.

"This has become much more of an issue now, because there are so many more trucks, so many more vehicles that are going up the hill than have in the past 15 years," Scudellari said.

Last week, a truck flipped while attempting to navigate a turn and dumped cement over the roadway.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said a similar crash happened in May when a dump truck rolled over.

Scudellari said the Los Angeles City council needs to act to keep people safe.

"We would like to have these streets widened so that they're safe, we would like to make sure that as you increase density in this neighborhood that you make the streets safer for everyone," Scudellari said.

The streets are located in Los Angeles Councilmember Gil Cedillo's district. ABC7 asked Cedillo about the issue at an event over the weekend.

"We limit development in that area, but those that get permitted are those that pass the highest standards and the highest scrutiny for that and still on occasion accidents happen," Cedillo said.

Glassell Park neighbors said they would not stop fighting to try to get their streets safer.