Lopez: L.A.'s cracked sidewalks are a symptom of a bigger breakdown. Does new plan offer real hope?
Key takeaways
- When I wrote last week about one of my favorite mountain ranges — L.A.‘s sidewalks — I immediately began fielding questions.
- People wanted to know about the scoring system that awarded just 15 points, out of 45, to John Coanda and his wife, Barbara, who uses a wheelchair because of ALS.
- With several sidewalk hazards on both sides of their block, Barbara can’t safely make it down her street.
Barbara Durieux Coanda, who has ALS, and her husband, John Coanda, at one of the cracked sidewalks along her Mar Vista street that she cannot cross in her wheelchair. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) By Steve Lopez Columnist Follow May 16, 2026 5 AM PT 7 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
When I wrote last week about one of my favorite mountain ranges — L.A.‘s sidewalks — I immediately began fielding questions.
People wanted to know about the scoring system that awarded just 15 points, out of 45, to John Coanda and his wife, Barbara, who uses a wheelchair because of ALS. The Mar Vista couple had applied to the city’s Safe Sidewalks program to have some busted-up sidewalk in front of their home repaired.