Sylmar, San Fernando & Pacoima Open Streets & Community Resources

On Saturday, September 23, 2023, the City of Los Angeles and the City of San Fernando partnered to host "Move Your Way" — an Open Streets festival spanning nearly seven miles of car-free roadways across Sylmar, Pacoima, and San Fernando. The event was organized by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), hosted by Los Angeles City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez (7th Council District, covering the Northeast San Fernando Valley), and made possible through a competitive Metro Open Streets grant.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., residents of all ages and abilities were invited to walk, bike, skate, and roll along the closed route between San Fernando Road, Maclay Avenue, and the surrounding neighborhoods — free from car traffic and full of community programming. The Press Conference and event kickoff took place at the intersection of San Fernando Road and Maclay Avenue, with parking made available at the City of San Fernando's Public Parking Lot 5 on Truman Street.

Move Your Way was funded through a competitive grant from the Metro Open Streets Grant Program, created in 2013 to encourage residents to try walking, biking, and transit — often for the first time — while promoting civic engagement around multi-modal transportation policy at the city and community level. The program has helped fund similar car-free events across Los Angeles County, each tailored to its host neighborhoods.

Move Your Way: Event Hubs Across the Route

The festival featured six themed activity hubs across the three participating cities:

• Pacoima City Hall Hub — vendors, food trucks, resource booths, children's activities, chalk art, and bike skills classes
• Bradley Green Alley Hub (Pacoima) — bike-themed games, art activities, and complimentary e-bike community rides
• West Lakeside Street Park Hub (Sylmar) — food trucks, an LAFD fire engine display, a planting workshop, and a live DJ
• San Fernando Road Park Hub — printmaking, live music, and community performances hosted by Tia Chucha's
• Lopez Adobe Heritage Hub (San Fernando) — guided tours of the historic 1882 Lopez Adobe, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
• Maclay Avenue Hub (San Fernando) — a stage with live performances throughout the day

The festival reflected a broader citywide push to build safer, more walkable neighborhoods — the same effort behind new bus priority lanes on La Brea Avenue, intersection safety upgrades in North Hollywood, and expanded Open Streets programming across Los Angeles.

Plumber in Sylmar, CA — Local Service & Community

Sylmar sits in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, within Council District 7, and is home to an active Sylmar Neighborhood Council that meets every third Thursday of the month at Osceola Street Elementary School, with committee meetings — covering everything from Planning & Land Use to Public Safety and Transportation — held at the Council office on Hubbard Street.

The community stays active well beyond the Open Streets festival: Sylmar hosts a weekly Farmer's Market every Friday at Olive View Drive, the annual "Bark-Tober" Animal Resource Fair at El Cariso Park, and an Equestrian Parade hosted by the Sylmar Horsemen in Action Coalition — a reminder of the area's deep equestrian roots, which is also why the Neighborhood Council maintains a dedicated Equestrian Committee.

As a local plumber serving Sylmar, CA, Michael's Valley Plumbing knows the area's mix of established hillside homes and newer developments — and the plumbing challenges that come with both, from aging galvanized supply lines to water pressure issues common in the area's elevated streets.

Plumber in San Fernando, CA — History & Infrastructure

Incorporated in 1911, the City of San Fernando is a full-service General Law City with its own Police, Public Works, Finance, and Recreation departments, governed by a five-member City Council. Landmarks like the 1882 Lopez Adobe — the historic home of Catalina and Geronimo Lopez, now on the National Register of Historic Places — reflect the city's long history at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Today, the community gathers at the San Fernando Mall Outdoor Market on San Fernando Road, and continues to invest in public infrastructure throughout the Valley. As a local plumber serving San Fernando, CA, we work on everything from routine repairs to full repipes in this historic city's mix of older and modern housing stock.

Pacoima & Water Infrastructure in the Northeast Valley

Just south of Sylmar, Pacoima is also home to ongoing regional infrastructure work — including the Pacoima Dam Sediment Removal project, part of the Pacoima Reservoir Restoration Project overseen by Los Angeles County Public Works. Projects like this highlight how closely water management and community planning are connected throughout the Northeast San Fernando Valley — the same connection that makes reliable residential plumbing, drainage, and water pressure systems essential for local homeowners.

Council District 7: The Northeast San Fernando Valley

Sylmar, San Fernando, and Pacoima all fall within Los Angeles City Council District 7, represented by Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who also chairs the City's Public Safety Committee. CD7 covers a wider stretch of the Northeast San Fernando Valley, including Mission Hills, Lake View Terrace, Sunland, Tujunga, North Hills, Shadow Hills, and La Tuna Canyon. Community investments in this district — from transportation projects like Move Your Way to infrastructure work on the Pacoima Reservoir — reflect an ongoing effort to improve safety, mobility, and quality of life across these neighborhoods.

Common Plumbing Issues in the Northeast Valley

Homes across Sylmar, San Fernando, and the surrounding Northeast Valley span several decades of construction, from mid-century post-war homes to newer hillside developments. This mix creates a few recurring plumbing challenges that local homeowners run into:

• Aging galvanized supply lines — common in homes built before the 1960s, prone to internal corrosion and reduced water pressure over time
• Cast iron drain pipe deterioration — older sewer lines in this area can develop cracks, root intrusion, and blockages that require professional inspection
• Water pressure variation — elevation changes between hillside Sylmar streets and flatter San Fernando neighborhoods can affect pressure and require pressure-regulating solutions
• Water heater wear — older units throughout the Valley often need replacement or repair sooner than expected due to local water hardness

Whether it's a routine repair, a full repipe, or an emergency call, Michael's Valley Plumbing brings the same licensed, local expertise to every home in Sylmar, San Fernando, Pacoima, Mission Hills, and the surrounding Northeast San Fernando Valley.

Serving the Greater San Fernando Valley

Beyond Sylmar, San Fernando, and Pacoima, Michael's Valley Plumbing serves homeowners across the entire San Fernando Valley — from Burbank to Chatsworth, Van Nuys to Woodland Hills. Wherever you are in the Valley, we're a local, licensed plumbing team you can count on, ready to respond quickly and solve the problem right the first time.