Ed Reyes

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Ed Reyes

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 second Council term, capturing 78 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 conerns about safety, affordable housing, education and recreational oppurtunities. 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.

As chair of the Los Angeles River Ad Hoc Committee, Reyes has brought a renewed focus to the once-neglected L.A. River. He secured more than $3 million to create 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. To complement the Master Plan, Reyes has spearheaded the rejuvenation of Taylor Yard, an old rail yard that is being transformed into a 40-acre city-state park. He has also been instrumental in the creation of a park at the 32-acre Cornfield, which is adjacent to Chinatown. Reyes has galvanized the Plastic Bag Initiative Task Force to reduce the plastic litter that clogs the City's waterways. 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 LAPD 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 and festivals. Crime at the park has sinced 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 for the first time.

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 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 also helped ensure that the $750 million Gold Line project was completed on time and on budget.

During his tenure, Reyes has opened four new libraries in Cypress Park, Chinatown, Highland Park, and Pico Union and has brought more than 80 acres of new park to his district. He recently broke ground on two police stations, the first ones in his district, and also on a new fire station.

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.