asphalt

"The soil is compacted, there's asphalt over them and when it rains, the water runs off into the gutters instead of into the soil."

The money is owed to people who tripped on broken sidewalks or crashed their bikes on crumbling asphalt, had property damaged by potholes or falling tree branches, and suffered other mishaps involving city infrastructure.

Along Harry Bridges Boulevard and Alameda Street, less than a mile from port terminals, asphalt streets are crumbling and other construction projects are underway, blocking lanes.

Surrounded by residential towers, this ordinary patch of asphalt at 11th Street and South Grand Avenue, smaller than an ice-skating rink, may soon become a public park.

Parking will move underground, creating six acres of green space where asphalt used to be.