Los Angeles applies reflective CoolSeal coatings to selected residential streets through the Bureau of Street Services CoolStreets LA program, lowering surface temperatures by 10-15 degrees. The program is city-led, not a private mandate, and targets disadvantaged heat-vulnerable neighborhoods.
Launched in 2017, CoolStreets LA is operated by the Bureau of Street Services (StreetsLA) and applies a light gray CoolSeal asphalt-emulsion coating to existing residential pavement at roughly $40,000 per lane mile. The coating reflects solar radiation and reduces surface temperatures by 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit on hot days, modestly cooling ambient air. Pilot blocks were treated in Pacoima, Sun Valley, Sylmar, and Canoga Park, with expansion through the Mayor's Climate Emergency Mobilization and the Sustainable LA Plan. The program is city-funded and not a permit requirement on private parking lots, though private developers may voluntarily use cool-pavement materials to meet LEED or CALGreen credit thresholds.
There are no private penalties; CoolStreets is a city capital program. Property owners cannot be fined for conventional asphalt driveways, though private cool-pavement can earn LEED and CALGreen Tier 1 credit toward voluntary green-building certifications.
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See how Los Angeles's cool pavement rules stack up against other locations.
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