Gateway Ambassadors Riding to the Rescue
Whether it’s a visitor struggling to find an address, a hotel guest looking for directions to a restaurant or a hotel security director comparing notes on what’s happening around town, Gateway’s Goodwill Ambassadors are on the job.
Riding their bikes and wearing distinctive yellow shirts, the BID’s Ambassadors serve as the face of the Boulevard.
“Oftentimes, they’re the first people visitors encounter when they come to the area,” said Gateway’s Calvin Beard. “They do a great job helping people with all kinds of requests, and no one knows the area better.”
From spotting graffiti or identifying an area that needs cleaning up, the Ambassadors help observe and report all that is going on in the Gateway area.
Pictured above, Trent Scott, Dontae Humes and Esteban King, know the area like the back of their hands, so when something looks out of place or someone needs a little help, they’re right there to lend a hand.
While LAPD’s Pacific Division, which includes the Gateway area, routinely ranks among the safest areas of the city, Gateway works closely with LAPD and local hotel and office building security teams to address any crimes in the area. Gateway’s Ambassadors, of course, play a key role in that effort..
Serving as the primary eyes and ears on the street Gateway’s Goodwill Ambassadors provide a highly-visible bicycle patrol throughout the district. In addition to improving security, Ambassadors play a valuable role in public safety, and can often be seen assisting people involved in traffic accidents before police arrive.
“Above all, they are there to help people in whatever way they can while providing us with important information about things that might otherwise go unnoticed,” said Gateway’s Executive Director Laurie Hughes. “They monitor street lights to make sure they are working. They let us know about flooding issues, potholes, trash and even illegal signage. That way, we can identify issues before they become problems and make sure the city deals with them quickly.”
Clean Streets Mean Better Business
A primary and critical effort to create a clean, safe and welcoming environment throughout the Gateway area is street maintenance.
Gateway employs a staff of maintenance workers, including Chavez Johnson and Vicie Caves to stay on top of trash and street maintenance throughout the BID area.
Services include the removal of trash and litter from sidewalks, emptying of trash cans, sweeping of gutters, removal of weeds and refuse from tree wells and planters and removal of illegal posters and signs on poles.
“Making sure the neighborhood looks nice is important to all of our members,” said Executive Director Laurie Hughes. “No one wants to visit or work in an area that has trash all over, so we work very hard to make sure Century Boulevard always looks the best it can.”
To aid in that effort Gateway has a Factory Cat automated street sweeper to further beautify Century Boulevard and neighboring streets and contracts with Clean Streets to provide street sweeping services three days a week.
“Four Points LAX has been thrilled with the progress of PBID. So much so that we’ve partnered with them for waste bin storage,” said Four Points General Manager PeterKolla. “Gateway now has its own
designated bins, located just off the back alley between Four Points and the Renaissance, enhancing their efforts to keep our streets and sidewalks cleaner than ever.”
Gateway has also spearheaded numerous clean-up efforts in the area to address trash hot spots and clean up street tree wells, and the BID is constantly developing and administering projects to create a safe, clean and welcoming environment for all.
