Committees Pass LA Councilmember Felipe Fuentes’ “Green Streets” Motion

February 19, 2015

We’re proud to have helped LA City Councilmember Felipe Fuentes’ Green Sustainable Streets Motion (Council File 14-0748) that yesterday was approved to move on to the full City Council.

Streets have been part of LA’s water problem for too long. They’ve been built as conduits to funnel stormwater quickly out into storm drains, creating polluted runoff along the way. Instead, streets can be part of the city’s “green infrastructure,” allowing stormwater to soak into the ground, into tree roots, and through other natural filters so that we not only lessen water pollution, but we capture a clean, secure local water supply.

This is a bold and important move for the future of LA’s water. Onto the next steps so that it becomes law!

See the blog from his office below.

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This afternoon two City Council committees unanimously approved my motion calling for all new street projects in the public right of way to incorporate green street elements. By adding green street elements, we can remove pollutants from water — and keep them out of the LA River and Bay — and capture water for groundwater recharge. This motion will now move on to the full City Council for approval. Thanks to Heal the Bay, LA Waterkeeper, TreePeople, The River Project and the Council for Watershed Health for coming out to support the motion.

By Jessica Jewell

Jessica is TreePeople’s Director of Marketing and Communications. A native Southern Californian, you can find her wandering local trails, hanging out with her sidekick, Penny the Rescue Puppy, on her yoga mat, reading some Phillip K. Dick, or in her kitchen cooking up vegan confections.

Jessica's professional background goes back to her time working at PETA where she worked on celebrity campaigns, and a stint in the entertainment industry, where she worked at Technicolor on their Global Marketing Team.