On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, the Windsor Square Association held a productive virtual meeting with Deputy Mayor Andrea Greene and key city officials to address longstanding concerns about street lighting outages and traffic safety in our neighborhood. The session, attended by WSA board members including President Jason Greenman, Guy Nemiro, John H. Welborne (Vice President for Planning and Land Use), Angie Szentgyorgyi, Steve Tator, Kiel FitzGerald, Brian Curran, and Gary Gilbert, provided an opportunity for direct dialogue with representatives from the Mayor’s Office, Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), and the Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL).
Deputy Mayor Greene opened the meeting by thanking the association for the invitation and highlighting how it originated from a conversation with Guy Nemiro at a prior WSA gathering. She introduced the city team, including Susanna Cervantes from the Mayor’s Community Engagement team (now the primary contact for day-to-day issues), LADOT General Manager Laura Kanejo, Assistant General Manager Jam Mitchell, Senior Transportation Engineer Bouvon Bajaj, and BSL Assistant Director Miguel Hackney and Street Lighting Engineer Ansar Mustafa.
Traffic Safety Updates from LADOT
LADOT’s presentation focused on efforts to reduce collisions, particularly on Third Street and Sixth Street, where cut-through traffic contributes to safety risks. Bouvon Bajaj explained that many existing right-turn-only restrictions—some part-time during peak hours and others 24-hour—have been implemented based on collision patterns. He encouraged residents to submit specific locations via the My311 system for study, noting that requests trigger thorough engineering reviews considering visibility, parking, and data.
On illegal parking issues along Larchmont Boulevard (often by delivery drivers blocking turn lanes), LADOT acknowledged the challenge and shared steps like added turn arrows in 2024 and a request for increased enforcement in late 2025. While engineering solutions like bollards could help, they risk impacting legitimate use of the two-way left-turn lane. Bajaj emphasized ongoing collaboration, offering his contact for follow-up discussions and suggesting a potential offline meeting with engineers.
Board members, including John Welborne, advocated for more consistent enforcement to generate revenue and deter violations, with Guy Nemiro praising the My311 team’s responsiveness while pushing for better monitoring of right-turn restrictions and potential camera-assisted tools.
Street Lighting Challenges and Progress from BSL
Ansar Mustafa provided a sobering overview of BSL’s citywide issues: managing 250,000 lights across 9,000 miles of conduit, with a growing backlog of service requests now taking up to a year to resolve in some cases. Funding has been largely frozen since 1996 under Proposition 218 rules, leading to deteriorating infrastructure—half of LED fixtures are at or beyond their 15-year lifespan, and copper wire theft accounts for nearly 40% of requests.
Windsor Square specifics included 144 open service requests (with 1,261 repairs completed last year), particularly on Plymouth Boulevard between Third and Wilshire. Recent work addressed vandalism and circuit issues, with fortifications planned for high-problem areas by May 2026. Solar lighting pilots (now at 1,560 installations citywide, including recent additions) offer promise for resilient, theft-resistant options in residential zones with good sunlight, though historic poles in our area limit eligibility.
Deputy Mayor Greene stressed that Mayor Bass prioritizes resolving these issues, with plans advancing for a property owner ballot this year to increase assessments and right-size funding—potentially effective in 2026 if approved.
Board members inquired about historic pole lifecycles (generally 75 years, with citywide LiDAR scanning underway for better asset data), the 2013/2016 special assessment north of Third Street (no differentiated service levels, equal treatment citywide), and vandalism prevention (fortification, welding, sensors, and cameras as tools).
Looking Ahead: Partnership and Pilot Opportunities
The meeting underscored Windsor Square’s willingness to partner as a testing ground for innovations, from solar trials and tech integrations to traffic calming. Jason Greenman and others emphasized the neighborhood’s central location, tree canopy concerns, consulates, and proximity to events like the World Cup and Olympics as assets for collaborative pilots.
Deputy Mayor Greene committed to sharing contact information and follow-ups, with Susanna Cervantes available for outreach. The association expressed appreciation for the city’s transparency and ongoing work.
This engaging discussion highlighted shared goals for safer, better-lit streets. The WSA will continue advocating through My311, council outreach, and direct channels. Residents are encouraged to report issues promptly and stay engaged—our collective voice helps keep LA City focused on our neighborhood, and leads to quicker resolution of these issues.