Long Beach awarded more than $3 million as part of regional plan to support active transportation programs

$28.5 million is being awarded to 11 active transportation projects in Los Angeles County, giving another major boost to local efforts to increase safety and access for people walking and biking.

The California Transportation Commission this week approved the regional spending plan, developed by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and transportation agencies in each of the six counties SCAG represents. In all, more than $56 million is being awarded to 25 active transportation projects under the regional plan.

“Active transportation is having a transformational impact in terms of health, accessibility and the sustainability of our communities, and is an essential element of our region’s long-term mobility plans,” said Margaret Finlay, Mayor of Duarte and First Vice President of SCAG. “Providing safe options for walking and biking is critical to the success of our growing transit network and fundamental to the operations of our increasingly integrated transportation system. We applaud the Transportation Commission and local transportation authorities for helping to make these projects a reality.”

Among the programs in Los Angeles County that will receive funding:

• In Long Beach, the Atherton Bridge and Campus Connections (ABC) project. The project will consist of a bridge spanning the San Gabriel River and other gap closures that will connect the regional bike trail with Atherton Street and California State University Long Beach. Funding approved: $3.03 million.
• In Pasadena, a 1.5-mile, two-way protected cycle track on Union Street, from Hill Avenue to Arroyo Parkway. Union Street currently has no bike lanes, which discourages cyclists from riding this heavily-traveled one-way street. Funding approved: $3.7 million. Pasadena was awarded an additional $462,000 for a Safe Routes to Schools program.
• The Downtown Los Angeles Arts District Pedestrian & Cyclist Safety Project, which includes construction of pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements from 3rd Street to 7th Street and from Alameda Street to the Los Angeles River. These improvements will facilitate walking and biking to the Metro Regional Connector and the new 6th Street Bridge, and for thousands of new residents, workers, and visitors in the burgeoning Arts District. Funding approved: $14.8 million.

Region-wide, SCAG’s 2017 Active Transportation Safety and Encouragement Campaign received $1.78 million to help cities and counties implement projects that build on the region’s popular Go Human campaign. The program will fund safety education in the cities of Los Angeles and Santa Ana, as well as an open street event and bike-friendly business program in greater El Monte. In addition, SCAG will partner with Imperial and San Bernardino counties in implementing education and encouragement programs to improve safety and promote more walking and biking to school.

“We have more people biking than ever before, and more people walking to catch a train or transfer between a train and Lyft or other mobility service,” said Hasan Ikhrata, SCAG Executive Director. “Through this program we are able to invest in both the infrastructure and education that is needed to raise awareness, construct safer streets and achieve healthier communities.”

Between 2007 and 2012, bicycling increased 70% across Southern California. In places where growing demand has been matched with investment in bike facilities, shift in travel behavior has been far greater. Since 2000, Santa Monica’s streets have seen a 356 percent increase in the number of bicyclists, according to city officials in 2014.

The active transportation projects approved today contribute to the more than half a billion dollars expected to be invested across the region by 2020. Longer-term, the region plans to invest $12.9 billion in active transportation across the six-county region as part of the implementation of the 2016-2040 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy. About a third of this investment, or $4.5 billion, is expected to be returned to the region through health savings associated with a reduction in chronic diseases resulting from more people walking and biking.

“Combined with improved roadway safety, these programs are significantly improving the quality of life for communities and residents throughout our six-county region,” Ikhrata said. “And with the help of initiatives such as Go Human – Southern California has quickly become a national model for active transportation advocacy and implementation.”

Go Human is a SCAG-sponsored regional marketing, education and outreach program designed to encourage more walking and bicycling and greater awareness of pedestrian and bicycling safety in a region of more than 18 million people.