$200 million awarded to City of L.A. for active transportation projects

A staff recommendation pointed to a hefty haul for the Los Angeles area, but its now official: the California Transportation Commission has voted to award more than $200 million in Active Transportation Program for six major projects within the City of Los Angeles.

“Our mission is to build a city that has safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation options for all residents in all neighborhoods because we know that when we create access to mobility we create access to opportunity,” said LADOT Interim General Manager Connie Llanos in a news release earlier this month. “These grants, worth more than $200 million, allow us to deliver transformative projects in every corner of the city -- from the Northeast San Fernando Valley to the Harbor -- that will make communities safer, greener, and more connected."

New active transportation projects funded through the state program, as described by LADOT, are as follows:

Skid Row Connectivity and Safety Project ($38.6 million): This project will construct three miles of complete streets elements in the Skid Row neighborhood of Downtown Los Angeles, where 50 percent of residents live in poverty, and 35 percent of residents are unhoused. The project area currently has no bike facilities, few crosswalks, and sidewalks that are in a state of disrepair. Project improvements include over two miles of protected Class IV bikeways, improved sidewalks, secure bike lockers, hydration stations, e-bike charging stations, high-visibility crosswalks, shade trees, and benches. Once built, the project will provide safer connections to transit, three schools, parks, City Hall, medical facilities, and employment opportunities.

Osborne Street: Path to Park Access Project ($42.3 million): The project will focus on Osborne Street between San Fernando Road and Foothill Blvd to create a connected, complete street and improve access to transportation options, neighborhood destinations, open spaces and trails. Osborne Street is a missing link for people traveling to Hansen Dam Recreation Area, getting between neighborhood destinations, and accessing transit in Pacoima.

Normandie Beautiful: Creating Neighborhood Connections in South LA ($23.58 million): This project will bring pedestrian and bike safety improvements including enhanced pedestrian crossings, traffic signal modifications, and low-stress bicycle facilities to address community-identified mobility barriers. Safety improvements are concentrated near Vermont Ave Elementary School -- a “Top 50 School with the Most Need” as identified by LADOT's Safe Routes to School Strategic Plan. Normandie Beautiful will serve as a key connector to existing and proposed projects that run perpendicular to Normandie Avenue, while addressing mobility barriers and gaps to create a denser, safer, and more complete active transportation network

Wilmington Safe Streets – A people first approach ($32.33 million): The project is located near the Port of Los Angeles (busiest port in the U.S.) in the City of Los Angeles, will provided needed active transportation connections for the low-income Wilmington community. The project will install Class II, III, and IV bike facilities, pedestrian and ADA improvements, and traffic calming measures, and will improve safety for all modes.  Within one-mile of the project there are 11 schools, 5 parks, 3 recreation centers, Wilmington community gardens, businesses located along Avalon Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway, and Metro J (Silver) Line BRT Transit Station and 4 bus lines. 

Western our Way: Walk and Wheel Improvements ($37.74 million): This project will deliver significant safety improvements along nearly 7 miles of Western Ave from Washington to Century. The project will include dozens of new and upgraded crosswalks, traffic signals, pedestrian beacons, intersection tightening, and other treatments that improve safety and make the street safer for people walking and traveling along this corridor.

LA River Greenway: East San Fernando Valley Gap Closure ($34.4 million): The project will construct approximately 3.2 miles of greenway gap closure along/adjacent to the LA River from Lankershim to Whitsett in the East San Fernando Valley. The project will  transform the non-motorized environment by providing a safe and direct alternative to walking and biking on high-speed, high-volume arterials and connect people to existing ped/bike facilities, schools, parks and other community destinations.

• L.A and Orange County slated for $295M in active transportation funding (Urbanize LA)