Earthquake Brace + Bolt Program
The annual application period for state subsidies for earthquake bracing and bolting of your home’s foundation is now open through February 23. The program provides up to $3,000 toward an earthquake retrofit that can lessen the potential for earthquake damage.
Foundation retrofitting generally involves strengthening the “cripple wall” that sits on the house’s foundation, by installing anchor bolts and plywood bracing from the home’s crawlspace. The reinforcements can help keep the house from sliding or toppling off its foundation during an earthquake. Such retrofits typically cost between $3,000 and $7,000 when done by an experienced contractor, but can be less than $3,000 if done by an experienced do-it-yourselfer.
To find out more, or to apply for the subsidy, see the Earthquake Brace + Bolt website at https://www.earthquakebracebolt.com. Eligible zip codes for the current application period are shown in the graphic at the right.
Speed Hump Program
On Thursday, February 15, the Department of Transportation will open a new application cycle for speed humps on neighborhood streets. The city officially closed the speed hump program a few years ago, during a period of budget cutbacks, but it re-opened the program in 2017, with applications now being taken during a specific time frame every six months.
The new program does have a fairly limited scope, however — in addition to taking applications only every six months, each City Council District will accept only 30 applications, and the application window closes as soon as that number is received (which can be just minutes after it opens). Also, of the 30 applications, only two streets per Council District will be selected to receive speed humps.
If you and your neighbors are interested in applying for speed humps on your block, go to http://ladot.lacity.org/how-do-i/request-speed-humps and click on the “Step 1” link, which helps you start the formal application process. After that, click on the “Step 2” link, which provides a petition form your neighbors will need to sign before the Department of Transportation can begin evaluating your application. The pages also contain links to documents called “What You Need To Know About Speed Humps” and “Speed Hump Evaluation Guidelines,” which explain more about the process and which types of streets do and do not qualify.
If you have any questions about the speed hump application process, contact Lan Nguyen at the Department of Transportation – [email protected] or (213) 972-5055…or your local city council field deputy. In City Council District 4, which covers much of the Buzz’s readership area, that would be Catherine Landers, Senior Field Deputy for City Council Member David Ryu, who can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 957-6415.
