In Granada Hills, a project to fix the problem is now underway.
The name of the project is Street S.M.A.R.T. -- Sidewalk Maintenance and Repair Team. Los Angeles City Councilman John Lee has set aside $200,000 from his office fund for 20 sidewalk repair projects in the 12th District in Northwest Los Angeles.
Everyone wants a level sidewalk. It's easy to find spots in any part of the city where tree roots have done extensive damage. Lee's pilot program is aimed at repairing 20 spots in his district that really need it.
"You know, we live in a district where we have a lot of people who walk neighborhoods at night, and we're very fortunate that way. It's a nice, safe community, but unfortunately, the city, many, many years ago, planted the wrong trees. The root system grows out and affects some of the sidewalks," Lee said. "So this is just making it safer for all of those people and also, again, like you said, addressing the problem now instead of a much, much bigger problem later on."
"I think it's very good that he's doing the work that has to be done for people so they can safely walk," said Granada Hills resident Stella Ekmanian.
In this year's budget, the city allocated just over $42 million for street improvement construction and maintaining streets.
For residents who live in this part of the San Fernando Valley, sidewalk repairs will go a long way to not only improving how the neighborhoods look, but also making it safer to enjoy a walk with very few hazards.
"It's huge for me because I walk five miles every single morning, and I've almost broken my neck, I can't even tell you how many times," said Northridge resident Joanne Hendershot. "And I try to be mindful of it, but a lot of times I go down."
"You know somebody who's got a handicap or has a cane or uses a wheelchair... they're gonna go on the other side of the street, cross back and forth, see which side is better in that particular area," said her husband, Howard Hendershot.
Lee emphasized that this is a pilot program, but if it's successful, he said he'll work to try to find more money for repairs.