Long-awaited sidewalk repairs are coming to Westwood this year, according to documents from the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering.
The city will repair sidewalks in areas in Westwood, including parts of Veteran Avenue, Levering Avenue, Landfair Avenue and Gayley Avenue, according to a pending request document from the bureau.
The design period for the repairs ended in April after beginning in October 2025. Construction will last from October 2026 to October 2027, according to the repair program package.
Connor Webb, the chair of the North Westwood Neighborhood Council’s transportation, environment and public space committee, said sidewalk issues make it harder for Westwood to reach its potential as a center for entertainment, business and education.
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“It’s a sign of the inaccessibility and pedestrian indignity that, in my opinion, plagued Westwood for a very long time now,” Webb said.
Clinton Schudy – the owner of Oakley’s Barbershop located in Westwood – said electrical and water shutoff valves on the sidewalks are also often missing their covers. The Bureau of Engineering did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Westwood’s sidewalk conditions.
Schudy said he believes these sidewalk issues make people less likely to lease or spend time in Westwood.
“They get sued for these issues over and over because they’re not handling it properly,” Schudy said. “It’s up to DWP (LA Department of Water and Power) and the city to fix that because that is a cost we taxpayers are paying for that in lawsuits.”
LA City paid out over $86 million in lawsuits related to broken sidewalks in the five years before 2025, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.
Richard Hoang, a fourth-year physiological science student, said he hopes sidewalks will not be closed for long periods of time during the repairs.
The NWWNC submitted a Community Impact Statement last February asking for the city to repair and expand sidewalks in the North Village ahead of the 2028 Olympics, during which UCLA’s campus will house athletes from around the world. The CIS added that poor sidewalk conditions, a lack of painted crosswalks and poor visibility on some streets made it difficult to walk, drive or cycle in the neighborhood, and limited the access of people with disabilities.
[Related: UCLA forum explores how 2028 Olympics can improve LA accessibility, transportation]
Joseph Cavalluzzi, a first-year undeclared student, said although he finds long-term construction in Westwood annoying, he believes improving sidewalks will help make the neighborhood more appealing for students. Construction around Strathmore Drive and Gayley Avenue previously forced pedestrians to walk in the street and caused accessibility issues for over a year.
[Related: Construction near Strathmore, Gayley spurs safety, accessibility concerns]
However, Cavalluzzi added that he expects delays for most city projects.
Webb said he believes the city should repair sidewalks more consistently.
“We’re really lucky right now in that because the Olympics are coming,” Webb said. “It shouldn’t require a once-in-a-generation event to keep our sidewalks in repair.”
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