CalTrans Town Hall

Posted on 11/13/2025

Residents Press Caltrans for Answers at Lively Valley Town Hall

Concerns Raised Over Graffiti, Homeless Encampments, and Maintenance Disparities

A spirited Town Hall hosted by Assemblymember Ken Schultz at Oakwood Secondary School brought Valley residents face-to-face with Caltrans District 7 Director Gloria Roberts. While the event generated a flurry of questions and community engagement, many attendees left with lingering concerns about the state of their freeways and Caltrans' responsiveness.

Much of the discussion centered on persistent issues such as graffiti and homeless encampments along local freeways. Residents voiced frustration over what they perceive as neglect compared to other regions in California. One pointed inquiry addressed why freeways and ramps in Los Angeles appear less maintained than those in other counties. Roberts responded by noting that Los Angeles' roads are older and bear heavier traffic than most, which makes upkeep more challenging. However, some attendees countered that even older cities like San Francisco seem to maintain cleaner and better-kept freeways.

The allocation of Caltrans resources also came into question. With Los Angeles representing roughly 25% of the state's population, a resident asked whether the city receives a proportional share of the Caltrans maintenance budget. Director Roberts was unable to provide a definitive answer, further fueling concerns about equitable distribution of resources.

Another recurring topic was the effectiveness of Caltrans' Customer Service Requests (CSR) system. Multiple residents recounted submitting CSRs for cleanups and reporting issues like graffiti and homeless encampments, only to see their requests marked as closed with no visible action taken. Additionally, a resident highlighted the lack of functionality on the Caltrans website to upload photos documenting problems, which hampers the reporting process.

Despite the frustration, Caltrans staff in attendance assured residents that they took detailed notes and committed to investigating the reported issues. Whether meaningful change follows remains to be seen.