South LA Ecolab, Pico Union street upgrades link EV chargers, tree planting and affordable-housing access

City officials marked a groundbreaking in Pico Union for a street infrastructure project tied to nearby affordable housing that will add crosswalks, ADA ramps, sidewalks and street lighting to improve pedestrian safety and access to schools and jobs. "This is a phenomenal day for Pico Union," a project speaker said, linking the work to an affordable housing development in the area.

In South Los Angeles, Harbor Park hosted installations for the South LA Ecolab program, which the presenters tied to a $30,000,000 universal basic mobility investment intended to expand mobility and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bureau said a TCC grant will fund the installation of 16 EV chargers across four parks and that chargers were mounted using existing streetlight circuit capacity uncovered during LED conversions. The bureau reported roughly 800 chargers citywide are already in place.

The event also highlighted a community canopy expansion project that aims to plant 4,000 trees in parkways and distribute 2,000 fruit or shade trees to residents for home planting. Program presenters said the charging infrastructure and tree planting will work together to reduce local pollution and increase shade equity.