Los Angeles council seeks permanent shutdown of filthy Boyle Heights tunnel
A century-old pedestrian tunnel near Soto Street Elementary in Boyle Heights has become a hazardous haven for homeless and illegal activity, prompting Councilmember Ysabel Jurado to push for its permanent closure.
A network of pedestrian underpasses constructed in the 1920s and 1930s across Los Angeles has fallen into disrepair, with one near Soto Street Elementary School in Boyle Heights turning into a makeshift shelter for homeless individuals and a hotspot for drug use and other illegal activity. Despite chain-link fences, trespassers repeatedly breach the barriers, leaving the tunnel strewn with feces, urine, discarded clothing and even sex toys.
District 14 Councilmember Ysabel Jurado described the site as a persistent public-health threat and filed a February 2026 motion demanding a permanent shutdown, noting that earlier attempts to close it had failed. The motion calls for an engineering evaluation, coordination among city departments, identification of funding and City Council approval. Former Councilmember Kevin De Leon had previously urged closure in 2024, arguing the tunnel no longer serves its intended safety purpose. The city’s policy to close unsafe tunnels dates back to 1968 after the Board of Education highlighted growing hazards, but many tunnels remain open, continuing to raise safety concerns for local residents and schools.
Why it matters
The tunnel’s unsafe conditions affect community health, school safety and city resources, highlighting broader challenges of homelessness and urban infrastructure.
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