Ventura County awarded $2.37 million as part of regional plan to support active transportation programs

Ventura, Calif. – Nearly $2.4 million is being awarded to two active transportation projects in Ventura 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 Carmen Ramirez, an Oxnard City Council member for Oxnard and SCAG Regional Council member. “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.”

Local programs that will receive funding:

• A Safe Routes to Schools program surrounding Montalvo Elementary School in Ventura. The program will close pedestrian and bikeway gaps, connect parks and employment centers and provide a low-stress north-south and east-west green corridor link. Funding approved: $1.38 million.
• The Etting Road Sidewalk and Bike Lanes project in Oxnard. The project will include installation of sidewalks, bike lanes, access ramps and crosswalk improvements. Funding approved: $991,000 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.

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About SCAG

SCAG is the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization, representing six counties, 191 cities and more than 18 million residents. SCAG undertakes a variety of planning and policy initiatives to plan for a livable and sustainable Southern California now and in the future. For more information about SCAG’s regional efforts, please visit www.scag.ca.gov.