A plan to save more rainwater, build more bike lanes and add more native plants at UCLA moved a step forward on October 20 when the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved $1.014 million to design the project.
The joint effort between UCLA and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is expected to increase the county’s water supply, reduce flooding and reduce the local heat-island effect. The proposed project’s biggest changes would be at the campus gateway, where the northeast and northwest corners of Westwood Plaza and Le Conte Avenue would transform from grassy lawns into native gardens, and from wide pavements into permeable surfaces. Greater permeability would absorb more water, reducing flooding and runoff.
The grant comes as part of the county’s broader $152.9 million Clean Water Program allotment for ’26-’27, funded by Measure W, a stormwater management tax.
“This grant will create a multi-benefit stormwater capture, water quality, and active transportation project,” said L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, whose district includes UCLA. “The Safe Clean Water Program has funded $1.9 billion worth of projects since approval of Measure W by the voters and I am thrilled to bring these benefits to the Westwood and UCLA communities.”
Measure W, passed in 2018, raises about $280 million annually for county projects designed to capture, clean, and reuse water runoff.
“As we prepare for the D Line extension to reach Westwood, this project is an opportunity to rethink how the campus connects to the surrounding neighborhood, with greener streets, safer places to walk and bike, and better stormwater management,” said L.A. City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, whose district includes UCLA, and who helped develop Measure W while serving on the staff of former L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. “I’m glad to see UCLA investing in a future for Westwood that benefits the entire community.”
Beyond the new trees and native gardens at Westwood and Le Conte, cyclists and pedestrians would still have ample space. Planted medians would protect 900 feet of existing bike lanes on Westwood Plaza, and wider curbs would protect pedestrians, making it easier for future commuters from the new D Line station at Westwood and Wilshire Boulevard, opening sometime in the fall of 2027, to reach campus.
A collaborative group including UCLA, Metro, the City of Los Angeles, LAWaterkeeper and California Department of Transportation identified the project and helped push it forward. As part of the proposal, Caltrans also offered to contribute 25% of the cost of designing and building the project. Metro hosted workshops to evaluate the project and provided technical and grant-writing support for the proposal.
The proposed construction on UCLA’s campus would include additional stormwater projects on the east and west sides of campus, including up to 18 drywells, or underground water-collection systems with permeable surfaces that help quickly drain and divert surface water to prevent flooding. The new project would also construct three trash-capture systems to pre-treat campus stormwater.
At the campus gateway, new shade trees will decrease heat and shelter pedestrians, while educational signage around the new native plantings would inform passersby about the benefits to the community and environment. The proposed design phase is scheduled to take one year, with construction proposed to begin as soon as October 2028.
Media Contact:
Alison Hewitt
310-206-5461
ahewitt@stratcomm.ucla.edu
Project Contact:
Bonny Bentzin
Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer
310-206-6667
bbentzin@fm.ucla.edu