The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) announced that it would be awarding $275,000 to nonprofit and community organizations with at least projects in the works to improve bicyclist and pedestrian safety in certain neighborhoods. Some of these projects are slated to get underway in Altadena, El Monte, Alhambra, Pasadena and Pomona.
SCAG highlighted how Southern California has many congested roadways and that it’s the organization’s goal to see that these mini-grants enhance the safety of all users. SCAG notes that most of its funding will support projects to protect those most often at risk for getting hurt or killed, including frontline workers and those with disabilities or people of color.
What are some of the grant projects in the works?
Some of the 31 different projects already launched and slated to wrap up by the end of August include:
- Day One: This project will be launched in Pasadena, El Monte and Pomona. Community leaders aim to identify unsafe intersections, followed by the proposal of community-based solutions to address them.
- Reimagine Popular Boulevard: This Alhambra project involves installing pop-up safety events to highlight mobility justice and injury awareness among local residents.
- Active SGV: This El Monte project involves city leaders equipping the area’s lower-income residents with reclaimed bikes and training as to how to operate it.
The expectation is that these targeted initiatives will reduce injury and fatal accidents in these Southern California communities. This is much needed as countless bike riders, and pedestrians unnecessarily suffer catastrophic injuries or lose their lives every year here in the U.S.
