Join us for a conversation with

Councilmember  Ed P. Reyes 

New Time: 10:15 AM at the LRC

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Ed P. Reyes has served on the Los Angeles City Council since April 2001. A native of Northeast Los Angeles, Councilmember Reyes represents many of the neighborhoods he grew up in including Lincoln Heights and Cypress Park.

Reyes was re-elected to serve a third Council term, capturing more than 75 percent of the votes. He continues his commitment to bringing government closer to Council District One neighborhoods, which he affectionately refers to as the "Original Suburbs."

Within days of taking office, Reyes organized town hall meetings district-wide for residents to voice concerns about safety, affordable housing, education and recreational opportunities. This effort has become a hallmark of his administration and has resulted in projects that have reduced crime, improved schools, created more jobs, and expanded green space. During his tenure, Reyes has opened four public libraries, two police stations and has greened the First District with more than 80 acres of park space.

As chair of the Los Angeles River Ad Hoc Committee, Reyes has brought a renewed focus to the once-neglected L.A. River. He spearheaded the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan, a neighborhood-driven plan that includes enhancing water quality, environmental protection, increasing open space and improving flood control. The Plan, approved in May 2007, has paved way for the creation of more parks, pedestrian and bike paths, and wetlands along the River. Reyes was instrumental in the creation of two major Rivers parks at Taylor yard, once an old rail yard, and at the Cornfield, which is adjacent to Chinatown. In June 2007, Reyes launched the City’s first plastic bag recycling campaign to help clear plastic litter from City waterways and streets. He has also shepherded the rehabilitation and replacement of many of the River bridges in the City's more than $300 million bridge program.

In response to safety concerns, Reyes, vice-chair of the Public Safety Committee, has secured funds for neighborhood clean-ups, gang prevention programs and safe route school maps. Shortly after William Bratton became the City's top cop in 2002, Reyes brought the Los Angeles Police Department Police Chief to MacArthur Park to witness firsthand the drug deals, gang activity, and shootings there. That tour resulted in the Alvarado Corridor Project - a targeted LAPD effort comprised of surveillance cameras and boosted patrols -- that transformed one of the City's most blighted parks into a popular spot for family picnics, festivals and concerts at the park’s renovated band shell. Crime at the park has since dropped more than 20 percent because of this nationally-recognized project, a joint effort of the City, the community, and local businesses. MacArthur Park continues to make history. The park was the starting point of the May 1, 2006 immigrants' rights march, and also where Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Nhat Hahn led a peace walk in 2005. On July 19, 2006 Reyes hosted the Los Angeles City Council meeting at MacArthur Park.

Other public safety projects launched by Reyes include a lead abatement program to protect children from the dangers of lead-based paint found in pre-1979 housing. He also spearheaded the $160 million Northeast Interceptor Sewer tunnel to prevent sewage overflow and protect the health of families and children.

As chair of the City Council's Planning and Land Use Management committee, Reyes has expanded the City's affordable housing stock. He successfully pushed for Adaptive Reuse, or the conversion of abandoned buildings into housing, which enabled the construction of thousands of housing units City wide. Additionally, he helped establish Residential and Accessory Services, which permits residential development in commercial zones. As chair of the Metro Gold Line Authority the Councilmember Reyes also helped ensure that the $750 million Gold Line project was completed on time and on budget.

Reyes attended UCLA where he earned a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree from UCLA's Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning.

Councilmember Reyes lives in the northeast Los Angeles community of Mt. Washington with his wife Martha, and his four children Natalie, Eddie Jr., Adan, and Angel.

  

Earic Peters

Associate Dean of Student Life

323.953.4000 ext. 2450

855 N. Vermont

Los Angeles, CA 90029