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Beginning Monday, May 20 and continuing until October 1, 2013, the western half of Columbia Park will be closed for a major renovation of the soccer fields. There will be no access to the walking paths or the parking lot on the 186th side during this time period, but staff encourage joggers or walkers to create a temporary path along the fence line to connect to the walking path. The chain link fence which is known as the "bowl or pit" will be fenced off also during this time period.

We apologize for any  inconvenience this causes, but feel confident that this renovation will result in a much better playing environment for all who use and play on these fields. Please continue to enjoy the rest of the park, and we thank you for your patience and understanding.

Item12E: City Manager -Adopt an ORDINANCE amending the Torrance Municipal Code to allow for non-exclusive franchise agreements for car sharing businesses, is pulled from Tuesday, May 14, 2013 City Council Agenda.

Torrance, Calif., May 10, 2013-- On Saturday, May 11, 2013 street crews will be applying crack sealant on Hawthorne Blvd north and south bound 1 & 2 lanes from Carson to Sepulveda.Read More (PDF) >>

Torrance, Calif., May 10, 2013 - Beginning Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19, the City of Torrance will pay tribute to the nation's Armed Forces with its 54th Annual Armed Forces Day Celebration and Parade - the City's longest standing tradition. Read More (PDF)>>

Torrance, Calif., May 9, 2013 - On Thursday, May 9, 2013, Mayor Frank Scotto delivered his 2013 State of the City Address at the Marriott Hotel in Torrance. At the sold out luncheon, Torrance CitiCABLE debuted an introductory video to complement Mayor Scotto's address, the video gives viewers a quick look at Torrance's growth, recent accomplishments and the future that lies ahead.

Mayor Scotto's 2013 State of the City Address and CitiCABLE introductory video will begin cablecasting on Torrance CitiCABLE Channel 3 (Time Warner) and 36 (Verizon): May 23rd through June 18th at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m.  and  June 19th through July 16th at 12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. The Address will also be available online at www.TorranceCA.Gov, which includes the full transcript. Read More (PDF) >>

Torrance, Calif., April 25, 2013 - On Thursday, April 18, 2013, The Office of Economic Development hosted the 6th annual Torrance Advantage Awards. Award recipients were recognized in four categories for their economic development strategies of local significance for the year 2012. In addition to a prestigious trophy, recipients received $200 to help with operating expenses, a signed letter of recognition from the Mayor of Torrance, and certificates of recommendation from regional elected officials. In addition to the four categories, a special recognition recipient was also awarded. Read More (PDF)>>

Torrance, Calif., April 16, 2013 - The City of Torrance has selected participants for the 2013 Students & Government Day.  Twenty-one 8th grade students from Torrance middle schools were chosen from over a thousand essays submitted this year.  Students were asked to address the prompt, "The United States Congress is responsible for creating laws at the Federal level, while Torrance City Council is responsible for creating laws at the City level.  Describe one law that you think Torrance City Council should create and how it would improve the City of Torrance and benefit citizens who live here." Read More (PDF) >>

Torrance, Calif., November 20, 2012 - In the spirit of offering ease to shopping the Hawthorne corridor this holiday season, Torrance Transit will once again offer the Torrance community its free annual "Shopper's Special Bus" weekend service.  Beginning on Saturday, November 24, 2012 and continuing through Saturday, December 23, 2012, the Saturday/Sunday service will operate from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The bus, decorated in a festive holiday theme for all to enjoy, will stop at the intersections of Carson/Del Amo Circle East; Hawthorne/Del Amo Blvd.; Hawthorne/Talisman St.; Artesia Blvd./Kingsdale Ave.; and Hawthorne/Artesia Blvd.  Transfers will not be sold. For more information Read More (PDF)>>

SCE will soon be performing maintenance on the electrical system in the area. In order to perform this work safely, we must temporarily interrupt electric service and turn off power. This outage will allow us to upgrade aging infrastructure, make needed improvements, and complete other repairs. We realize this temporary service interruption may cause some inconvenience, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to increase system reliability for the future.

Please advise the appropriate personnel of the following:

Outage Status:        Scheduled
Outage Alert Num:        535036
Starting at:        November 19, 2012 8:00 a.m.
Ending at:        November 19, 2012 3:00 p.m.
# of Residential customers affected:        13
# of Commercial customers affected:        0
# of Traffic Control meters affected:        0
Outage Boundary:        RAINTREE AVE PL/S 231' WEST OF CRICKLEWOOD ST.

For more locations Read More (PDF) >>

Torrance, Calif., Nov.8, 2012 - Torrance CitiCABLE, the government access cable television channel for the City of Torrance, was recently awarded 2 Western Access Video Excellence Awards (WAVE) for their excellence in local programming in the categories of Government and Seniors. The news-style program, "This Week in Torrance" received the award in the Government Category. The winning episode touched on local events and subjects including women voters and high school campus harassment. Read More (PDF) >>

SCE will soon be performing maintenance on the electrical system in the area. In order to perform this work safely, we must temporarily interrupt electric service and turn off power. This outage will allow us to upgrade aging infrastructure, make needed improvements, and complete other repairs. We realize this temporary service interruption may cause some inconvenience, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to increase system reliability for the future.

Please advise the appropriate personnel of the following:

Outage Status:        Scheduled
Outage Alert Num:        532652
Starting at:        October 30, 2012 8:30 a.m.
Ending at:        October 30, 2012 5:00 p.m.
# of Residential customers affected:        4
# of Commercial customers affected:        0
# of Traffic Control meters affected:        0
Outage Boundary:        PROSPECT AV & NORTH OF CULDESAC OF FAYE LN

For more Locations Read More (PDF)>>

Torrance, Calif., Oct. 12, 2012 - Torrance Transit will kick off their Rapid and ExpressLanes bus services on Thursday, October 25 at 10:30 a.m. at the Del Amo Fashion Center parking lot in front or Macy's on Carson St. in Torrance.  The new Line 4 created as part of Metro's ExpressLanes project on the I-110 Harbor Freeway will provide an express "North to South" service between the South Bay and downtown Los Angeles.  The second new route is the new Line 3 Rapid, an "East to West" rapid bus service that will provide service between the South Bay Galleria and the Long Beach Transit Gallery.  In celebration of the kick-off, Torrance Transit will be offering free rides on Thursday, October 25 and Friday, October 26 on Line 3 Rapid service only. Read More (PDF) >>

SCE will soon be performing maintenance on the electrical system in the area. In order to perform this work safely, we must temporarily interrupt electric service and turn off power. This outage will allow us to upgrade aging infrastructure, make needed improvements, and complete other repairs. We realize this temporary service interruption may cause some inconvenience, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to increase system reliability for the future.

Please advise the appropriate personnel of the following:

Outage Status:        Scheduled
Outage Alert Num:        528673
Starting at:        October 16, 2012 8:30 a.m.
Ending at:        October 16, 2012 5:00 p.m.
# of Residential customers affected:        54
# of Commercial customers affected:        4
# of Traffic Control meters affected:        0
Outage Boundary:        WEST OF 4455 PAC. CST. HWY.

For more locations Read More (PDF) >>

Torrance, Calif., Oct. 9, 2012 -On Friday, October 12 at 8:30 a.m. in front of Torrance City Hall., the City of Torrance will welcome delegates from their Sister City, Kashiwa, Japan in celebration of 40 years of Sister City friendship.

The Sister Cities Program was started by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 to foster world peace through people-to-people contacts. Torrance and the City of Kashiwa, in Japan, became sister cities on February 20, 1973. The Torrance Sister City Association is a non-profit, volunteer organization whose activities center around the Japanese culture. The Association sponsors a student exchange program each summer, and the Bunka-Sai Cultural Festival each spring. Membership is open to the public. Click to Read PDF

Although we hope drivers will rise to the occasion as they did last year and avoid the Sepulveda Pass during the I-405 closure September 29 and 30, you might want to prepare for lengthy delays.

On the subject of "prepare," whether you stay at home or Eat, Shop and Play locally, Countdown to Closure II is a good time to review your emergency preparedness. Even though National Emergency Preparedness Week was last week, the message to prepare your home and car for an earthquake or fire is worthwhile any week. Read More (PDF) >>

SCE will soon be performing maintenance on the electrical system in the area. In order to perform this work safely, we must temporarily interrupt electric service and turn off power. This outage will allow us to upgrade aging infrastructure, make needed improvements, and complete other repairs.
We realize this temporary service interruption may cause some inconvenience, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to increase system reliability for the future.

Please advise the appropriate personnel of the following:

Outage Status: Rescheduled
Outage Alert Num: 527043
Starting at: September 26, 2012 9:00 a.m.
Ending at: September 26, 2012 6:00 p.m.
# of Residential customers affected: 23
# of Commercial customers affected: 0
# of Traffic Control meters affected: 0
Outage Boundary: CRENSHAW BL. A/W WEST SIDE 75ª NORTH OF
                                    181ST ST. TORRANCE

Outage Status: Scheduled
Outage Alert Num: 527060
Starting at: September 28, 2012 8:30 a.m.
Ending at: September 28, 2012 5:00 p.m.
# of Residential customers affected: 168
# of Commercial customers affected: 13
# of Traffic Control meters affected: 1
Outage Boundary: NADINE CR A/S SOUTH SIDE 190ª WEST OF
                                    MAPLE AV

*Please note that the power may be off for the whole period or may be turned off more than once. This planned outage may not begin exactly at the stated start time, and some conditions may cause this planned outage to be postponed. The times noted are our best estimate and circumstances may affect both the start time and the completion time indicated above.  For current planned outage status, please visit our website www.sce.com/outage.If you have any questions, please call our toll free customer service line at 1 (800) 611-1911.

SCE will soon be performing maintenance on the electrical system in the area. In order to perform this work safely, we must temporarily interrupt electric service and turn off power. This outage will allow us to upgrade aging infrastructure, make needed improvements, and complete other repairs. We realize this temporary service interruption may cause some inconvenience, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to increase system reliability for the future.

Please advise the appropriate personnel of the following:

Outage Status:        Scheduled
Outage Alert Num:        526924
Starting at:        September 24, 2012 9:00 a.m.
Ending at:        September 24, 2012 6:00 p.m.
# of Residential customers affected:        24
# of Commercial customers affected:        3
# of Traffic Control meters affected:        0
Outage Boundary:        182ND ST. SOUTH SIDE 505' WEST OF CRENSHAW BL.

For more Planned Outage Notification locations Read More (PDF)>>

SCE will soon be performing maintenance on the electrical system in the area. In order to perform this work safely, we must temporarily interrupt electric service and turn off power. This outage will allow us to upgrade aging infrastructure, make needed improvements, and complete other repairs.
We realize this temporary service interruption may cause some inconvenience, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to increase system reliability for the future.

Please advise the appropriate personnel of the following:
Outage Status: Scheduled
Outage Alert Num: 524973
Starting at: September 18, 2012 9:00 a.m.
Ending at: September 18, 2012 5:00 p.m.
# of Residential customers affected: 21
# of Commercial customers affected: 4
# of Traffic Control meters affected: 0
Outage Boundary: CARSON ST.A/N 60ªWEST OF ARLINGTON
                                    AVE./TORRANCE

For more location Read More (PDF) >>

SCE will soon be performing maintenance on the electrical system in the area. In order to perform this work safely, we must temporarily interrupt electric service and turn off power. This outage will allow us to upgrade aging infrastructure, make needed improvements, and complete other repairs. We realize this temporary service interruption may cause some inconvenience, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to increase system reliability for the future.

Please advise the appropriate personnel of the following:

Outage Status:        Scheduled
Outage Alert Num:        524631
Starting at:        September 10, 2012 9:00 a.m.
Ending at:        September 10, 2012 3:30 p.m.
# of Residential customers affected:        0
# of Commercial customers affected:        1
# of Traffic Control meters affected:        0
Outage Boundary:        MANHATTAN BEACH BL. NORTH SIDE 28ª WEST OF LEMOLI AVE

For more Planned Outage Notification locations: Read More (PDF) >>

Torrance, Calif., August 30, 2012 - Olympic gold medalist, Carmelita Jeter will return to her hometown of Torrance, CA to receive the key to the city on Tuesday September 11, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.in the Council Chambers of Torrance City Hall.

A class of '98 alumna of Bishop Montgomery High School, Jeter will be honored at her alma mater earlier the same day.  City of Torrance Mayor Frank Scotto will present the key to the city at the beginning of the scheduled city council meeting.

In the recent 2012 London Olympics, sprinter Carmelita Jeter brought home a bronze medal in the 200m, silver medal in the 100m, and a gold medal in the 4x100m. Carmelita Jeter is the first athlete to ever medal in both the 100m and 200m race at the Olympics.

By executive order, President Obama directed that American flags flying over all government buildings, military posts and naval vessels around the world be flown at half-staff "as a mark of respect for the memory of Neil Armstrong" on the day of his burial.  The family has planned a private service for this Friday, August 31, 2012.  Flags shall be lowered from sunrise to sunset.

Obama's order, announced in a presidential proclamation released by the White House, came two days after the former astronaut's family announced that he had died at age 82. Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, was a staunch defender of America's space program.

SCE will soon be performing maintenance on the electrical system in the area. In order to perform this work safely, we must temporarily interrupt electric service and turn off power. This outage will allow us to upgrade aging infrastructure, make needed improvements, and complete other repairs. We realize this temporary service interruption may cause some inconvenience, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to increase system reliability for the future.

Please advise the appropriate personnel of the following: Read More (PDF) >>

SCE will soon be performing maintenance on the electrical system in the area. In order to perform this work safely, we must temporarily interrupt electric service and turn off power. This outage will allow us to upgrade aging infrastructure, make needed improvements, and complete other repairs. We realize this temporary service interruption may cause some inconvenience, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to increase system reliability for the future.

Please advise the appropriate personnel of the following:

Outage Status:        Rescheduled
Outage Alert Num:        518776
Starting at:        August 23, 2012 8:00 a.m.
Ending at:        August 23, 2012 2:00 p.m.
# of Residential customers affected:        85
# of Commercial customers affected:        7
# of Traffic Control meters affected:        0
Outage Boundary:        DOMINGUEZ ST. S/W COR A/WEST OF COTA AVE.  

For more Planned Outage Notification locations read more (PDF) >>

Torrance, Calif., July 9, 2012 - On Tuesday July 24th, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Torrance City Hall,, Torrance resident and surviving Tuskegee Airman Walter Crenshaw, 102 years old, will be presented with a replica of the Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration for the sacrifices he and the other original Tuskegee Airmen made in defense of our great Nation during World War II. read more (PDF) >>

As we enter the summer months, the City of Torrance is prepared to "beat the heat in 2012" at our two cooling center locations.  read more (PDF) >>

Torrance, Calif., June 19, 2012 - On Tuesday, June 19, 2012, The City of Torrance broke ground on its new Centennial Plaza at El Prado Park. The Plaza is set to unveil this September. The design of the Centennial Plaza features personalized, commemorative bricks that were purchased by the community.  The site will also be home to a time capsule that reflects the life in Torrance during its centennial year. The time capsule will be buried prior to Centennial Plaza unveiling and is set to be reopened during it bicentennial year, 2112. read more (PDF)>>

On Thursday, May 24, 2012, Mayor Frank Scotto delivered his 2012 State of the City Address at the Marriott Hotel in Torrance. At the sold out luncheon, Torrance CitiCABLE debuted a special State of the City video as a lead-in to his address. The video gave attendees a quick look at Torrance's past, recent accomplishments and the future that lies ahead. The State of the City video and the Mayor's full speech will begin cablecasting on Torrance CitiCABLE Channel 3 (Time Warner) and 36 (Verizon) June 6th through July 3rd at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. On July 4th through July 31st, it will cablecast at 12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. 

Click here for the full transcript of Mayor Scotto's 2012 State of the City Address.

Torrance, California, April 17, 2012 - Beginning Friday, May 18 through Sunday, May 20, the City of Torrance will pay tribute to the nation's Armed Forces with its 53rd Annual Armed Forces Day Celebration and Parade - the City's longest standing tradition. Each year, the City honors a different military branch; this year highlights the United States Air Force. Grand Marshal, Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley, will lead the Parade on Saturday, May 19 that will begin at 1:30 p.m. read more (PDF)>>

The Hometown Heroes Military Banner Recognition Program recognizes our community's men and women in uniform who are currently serving in the Armed Forces, veterans who have served in the past, or veterans of the past who are now deceased. Please visit www.TorranceCA.Gov/HometownHeroes for more information and application.

On Tuesday, April 10th at 5:30p.m., the City Council hosted a public workshop in Council Chambers on the current and future impact of the criminal justice realignment plan on the City of Torrance. The Torrance Police Department and Orange County Sheriffs Department presented to council the impact of Assembly Bill 109 (AB109). If you missed it, you can watch the workshop here.

The Metro ExpressLanes Demonstration Project along the Harbor Freeway (I-110) will lessen congestion, improve travel choices, and maximize efficiency on a heavily traveled north-south corridor connecting the South Bay to downtown Los Angeles. The project will provide a new way to move traffic in LA County by converting the existing carpool lanes on I-110 to ExpressLanes. Anticipated project completion is Fall 2012. As part of the continuing construction, the Contractor will install freeway signage, toll gantries, toll equipment, cutting loops and fiber line connections for the toll technology and infrastructure. read more (PDF)>>

Southern California Edison will be finalizing construction of their project located at Yukon and the 405.  As part of the project, the 405 freeway will be shut down on Sunday, February 26 beginning at 6:00 a.m. in 10 minute increments for wire replacement across the freeway.  This should be accomplished within two hours of project start.

TORRANCE, Calif., Thursday, February 23, 2012 - On February 28, 2012 at 5 p.m. Simon Property Management Group will meet with Torrance City Council and community members to unveil the proposed plans for the redevelopment of the Del Amo Fashion Center. This will be Simon Property Management Groups first presentation on the project and it will be televised prior to the regular scheduled City Council Meeting. The workshop can be viewed live on Torrance CitiCABLE (channel 3 on Time Warner Cable and channel 31 on Verizon FiOS) and online at TorranceCA.Gov. Additional meetings will be scheduled in the second quarter of 2012 at various community sites.

TORRANCE, Calif., Tuesday, February 14, 2012 - The City of Torrance Office of Economic Development invites all Torrance businesses to apply for the fifth annual Torrance Advantage Awards (TAA) recognizing businesses for their accomplishments in the year 2011. Applications are now available here.

In addition to the crystal TAA trophy, winners will receive $200 to help toward their operational expenses, a Letter of Appreciation from Mayor Frank Scotto, Certificates of Recognition from regional elected officials and will be featured in City's promotional efforts, such as the website, CitiCABLE, and other business-related tools. Winners will be announced at the Torrance Advantage Awards Ceremony to be held on a date to be determined. read more (PDF)>>

TORRANCE, Calif., Monday, January 30, 2012 - On January 24, 2012, the City Council approved the green waste recycling program for all Torrance residents with City Service. Containers and instructions will be delivered over the following 12 months.

Depending on level of service, residential sanitation service fees will increase to either $1.50 or $2.50 a month. The fee increase will enable the Public Works Department to comply with waste reduction regulations mandated by the State.

As part of the new fee structure related to this program, residents can adjust the size of their refuse, recycling and green waste containers as they prefer. All containers are available in 64 or 96 gallon sizes and the monthly fee for collection is based only on the size of the refuse container. read more (PDF)>>

TORRANCE, Calif., Monday, January 30, 2012 - Mayor Frank Scotto announced 6 honorees at the recent City Council meeting held on Tuesday, January 24th. Janet Payne, historian, founding member and former President of the Old Torrance Neighborhood Association, received the City's Prestigious Jared Sydney Torrance Award for her lifetime commitment to the community. Mayor Scotto said, "Janet is one of those exceptional people who puts her beliefs into action."

The Mayor also announced the establishment of the Citizens of the Year Award. The award will be given by Torrance City Council each January to recognize citizens who, during the course of the year, perform meritorious service above and beyond that which is expected of a citizen. June Lee & Melissa Wright were recognized for their commitment to recognize three local heroes and dedicate the new Seaside Heroes Park in their honor. Kristen Matsuda, Keith Montoya, and Dee Hardison, former Mayor and a past recipient of the Jared Sydney Torrance Award, were also honored for their work in creating a comprehensive ethics training program to support ethical conduct of candidates in their campaigns for elective office. read more (PDF)>>

TORRANCE, Calif., Friday, Jan. 20, 2011 - Six Torrance producers received coveted prizes at the 20th Annual Torrance Community Television (TCtv) Awards held Friday, January 20th in the Torrance Cultural Arts Center's Toyota Meeting Hall. The awards ceremony, themed "Follow the Yellow Brick Road to TCtv" recognized the efforts of TCtv producers for excellence in television programming, creating original video that was cablecast on Torrance Channel (Time Warner 28 and Verizon FiOS 36 cable systems) throughout the year 2011. read more (PDF)>>

Torrance CitiCABLE has served the City of Torrance community for over 25 years.  Beginning November 9, 2011 at 7 p.m. and every Wednesday thereafter, a new program will debut on channel 3 (Time Warner cable) and channel 31 (FiOS TV) covering the rich history of our great city.  The first program answers the question, "Who is Jared Sidney Torrance," our city's founder.  Be sure to tune in and take a "look back and move forward" with us!  If you don't have cable television service, you can click here to watch CitiCABLE.

Click here for the Centennial Playback Schedule for January 2012.

Click here for the Centennial Show Archive.

Congratulations to all of the participants at "Lights, Camera, Action" for a successful event!  Click here to view the photograph proofs from this event.  The official photograph(s) will be available for purchase very soon.  Thanks to all of the participants!

TORRANCE, Calif., Wednesday, September 21, 2011 - The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) announced yesterday the finalists for its 2010 Most Business-Friendly City in Los Angeles County award. Torrance along with the cities of Burbank, Carson, Glendale, West Covina and Whittier are finalists for the population 60,000 and over category. read more (PDF)>>

TORRANCE, Calif., Tuesday, September 20, 2011 - The City of Torrance will launch the Torrance eNEWSLETTER on Thursday, September 22, 2011. eNEWSLETTER is a weekly publication that will feature events and activities about cultural, library, recreation, and park information. John Jones, Director of Community Services said, "if you want to find out my top five picks for things to do for the upcoming week, you should subscribe to eNewsletter, it's really convenient!" Sign up today and you'll receive the debut issue. read more (PDF)>>

Please click here to get your weekly copy of the Torrance eNEWSLETTER or to view the archive.

TORRANCE, Calif., Thursday, September 15, 2011 - Last month mosquitoes collected at the Madrona Marsh were confirmed positive for West Nile virus (WNV) by the Los Angeles West Vector Control. Yesterday, two (2) Chickens from the Sentinel Flock tested positive for West Nile Virus.

Although the chickens were infected, the precautions recommended last month have not changed. Residents can protect themselves from WNV by doing the following:

• By applying repellents containing DEET, picaradin, IR3535, and oil of lemon.
• Avoid this area during early morning and evening (Mosquitoes primarily bite during this time).
• Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property, repair screens, keep doors and windows tight.

Please click here for more information regarding this event or contact Tracy Drake, Nature Center Manager at (310) 782-3989. read more (PDF)>>

The Metro ExpressLanes Demonstration Project along the 110 Harbor Freeway will lessen congestion, improve travel choices, and maximize efficiency on a heavily traveled north-south corridor connecting the South Bay to downtown Los Angeles. The project will provide a new way to move traffic in LA County by converting the existing carpool lanes on the 110 to ExpressLanes. Anticipated project completion is Fall 2012.

As part of the continuing construction, the Contractor will remove current traffic delineation markings and install new temporary traffic lanes that will serve to create construction work zones.  This new configuration will establish safe work areas for the construction workers and equipment. The new traffic lane reconfiguration will take approximately one week to complete beginning at 10:00 p.m. on Monday, August 29 to 6:00 am on Monday, September 5, 2011, weather permitting. Once the construction work zones are created the Contractor will conduct nighttime activities that will impede use of the bus stations along the 110 Harbor Freeway between Adams Boulevard in Los Angeles to 182nd Street in Gardena. This new traffic configuration will be implemented for the duration of one year.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

• Bus Stations and HOV lanes along the 110 Harbor Freeway will be CLOSED between 10:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m. beginning August 2011 - September 2012.
• Temporary K-rail installation in the north and south bound directions of the 110 Harbor Freeway.
• Intermittent construction equipment entering and exiting freeway.
• Intermittent traffic lane and HOV lane closures on the 10, 105 and 110 freeways.
• Access will be maintained for the Fire Department and emergency responders at all times.

BUS SERVICE:

• Silver Line & Line 550 will only stop at Harbor Freeway Green Line Station (Figueroa entrance) & Artesia Transit Center.
• Line 460 will run nonstop between Norwalk & Downtown LA.
• For access to all Harbor Transitway stations, shuttles will run from 4 a.m.-6 a.m. along Figueroa Street between Downtown LA & Artesia Transit Center.
• Alternate service is available on Figueroa via Line 81 and on Broadway via Lines 45 & 745.

For construction related inquiries, please call 213-922-4200 or click here.

Mosquitoes collected at the Madrona Marsh were confirmed positive for West Nile virus (WNV) on August 12, 2011 by the State of California. Adult mosquito counts have exceeded 100 per night in the trap located in Section G-9 (Sentinel Chicken Flock Trap) for the last 6 consecutive weeks. People walking along the perimeter of the marsh at night should take the appropriate precautions to protect themselves from being bitten by infected mosquitoes. So far this year, there have been 48 separate zip codes in Los Angeles County that have recorded positive WNV results from either dead birds, trapped adult mosquitoes, or sentinel chicken flocks. Additionally, there are 2 confirmed human cases in Los Angeles County and 10 human cases statewide in California. WNV is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they first feed on birds that carry the virus, and then bite a human or animal.

Residents can protect themselves from WNV by doing the following:

• DEET - Apply insect repellent according to the label. Repellents containing DEET, picaradin, IR3535, and oil of lemon eucalyptus are the longest lasting and most effective. Repellents keep the mosquitoes from biting you.
• DAWN AND DUSK - Mosquitoes that carry WNV primarily bite in the early morning and evening so it is important to wear repellent at this time. Make sure that your doors and windows have tight-fitting screens to keep out mosquitoes. Repair or replace screens with tears or holes.
• DRAIN - Mosquitoes lay their eggs on standing water. Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property, including flowerpots, old car tires, rain gutters and pet bowls. Ensure that swimming pools, spas, and ponds are properly maintained. If you have an ornamental pond, use mosquito fish. You can make arrangements to pick up free mosquito fish at the District by calling 310-915-7370.

The public is encouraged to report dead birds to help with West Nile virus surveillance and control efforts. Dead birds should be reported to the toll-free hotline at 877-WNV BIRD. People infected with WNV can experience a variety of symptoms that may include: no symptoms, West Nile Fever, or West Nile Neuroinvasive disease. Symptoms usually occur 2-15 days after infection. These symptoms may last from several days to several weeks. The West Nile Neuroinvasive disease can lead to long lasting and in some cases permanent damage to the brain. If you have any questions, please contact Robert Saviskas, Executive Director, at 310-915-7370 ext. 223 or at rsaviskas@lawestvector.org.

Click here for additional information about the Los Angeles County West Vector & Vector-Borne Disease Control District and West Nile virus.

The City of Torrance Emergency Services is leading a local effort to update the City's Hazard Mitigation Plan. This plan identifies natural and human caused hazards throughout the City. It also presents an assessment of critical facilities vulnerable to these hazards. The new and updated plan will list potential actions needed to reduce risk and future damage. Although the plan enables the City to be eligible for various assistance grants, the plan's value really lies in the identification of hazards and helps the City and its residents better prepare for disasters. Your participation can make our community more resilient to a disaster. We know you are busy and respectfully request a few moments of your time to respond to this brief survey. Your responses to this survey will help guide the plan update. Thank you for your time and your valuable input.

Click here for the hazard mitigation plan survey.

Click here for the current hazard mitigation plan.