Since 1998, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) has been a strong advocate for bicycling in Los Angeles County, developing campaigns, programs, resources, and events to support advocacy, education, and outreach. PLACE Program funding will allow LACBC to work with the City of Glendale to integrate active streets to Glendale’s Bicycle Master Plan and Pedestrian Hikeway Plan, as well as into Circulation Elements of the General Plan. LACBC will also develop a “toolbox” of innovative traffic calming and control measures to be incorporated into the roadway standards for these active streets. A prototype bike and pedestrian corridor will serve as the physical project; located in the southern, low-income area of Glendale, the street will utilize techniques and policies outlined in the active streets toolbox, such as traffic-calming techniques, safety measures, and streetscape enhancements.

Partners:

City of Glendale Departments of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services; Planning; and Public Works provide a variety of programs and services for the over 200,000 residents of Glendale, maintains the city’s parks, facilities, and historic sites, and conducts capital improvement projects

Pacoima Beautiful, a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental health and environmental justice in the City of Pacoima, will utilize PLACE Program funds to embark on the creation of the Pacoima Wash Greenway Master Plan. The Pacoima community is currently served by only 54.3 acres of park space. The plan envisions a network of parks and trails that will promote physical activity and community pride along the 10.5 mile stretch of Pacoima Wash, which serves 101,000 Pacoima residents. As part of the aligned physical project, improvements made to select areas surrounding the wash include the creation of clean and well-lit formal paths along sections of the wash.

Partners:

The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority: A local government public entity comprised of two park districts as well as the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the MRCA will assist with water issues and riparian habitat restoration

ICON (Initiating Change in Our Neighborhoods): A nonprofit dedicated to economic development through community involvement

City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning: The Planning Department, which is responsible for preparing, maintaining, and implementing the City of Los Angeles General Plan, has had a working relationship with Pacoima Beautiful since 1996

UCLA CityLAB: The CityLAB conducts projects related to contemporary urban issues, urban design, and architecture

Valley Care Community Consortium: This nonprofit will work with Pacoima Beautiful to design exercise, health, and nutrition education programs

City of Culver City

The Expo light rail line is set to reach Culver City in just a few years. With a station located two blocks from downtown Culver City, local residents will be able to commute to downtown Los Angeles in only thirty minutes. Building on this singular opportunity to promote physical activity and public transit use, Culver City will use PLACE Program funds to develop a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan for the City. The Master Plan will encourage physical activity by guiding the growth of policies, programs and infrastructure changes to overcome barriers to bicycle and pedestrian connectivity and improve conditions for cycling and walking citywide. This policy effort will be accompanied by a physical project that links downtown Culver City to the nearby Expo station with a cyclist- and pedestrian-friendly connector route.

Partners:

Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition: A community-based organization with nearly a decade’s experience in advocating bike-friendly policies and projects in Los Angeles County.

Alta Planning + Design: One of the nation’s premiere bicycle, pedestrian, and trail planning design firms.

With its general plan update process currently underway, the City of El Monte has the opportunity to incorporate policies that will impact the health of its 125,000 residents. With its PLACE Program grant, the City will develop a Health and Wellness Element for the El Monte’s General Plan, with proposed components addressing healthy lifestyles and physical activity, access to healthy food, public safety and security, and access to recreation. Specific policies considered within these overarching topics include complete streets, possible incentives for establishing grocery stores and other healthy food choices, and establishing and expanding on existing joint-use agreements with local school districts to increase recreational space available to the public. The related physical project is a one-mile circuit walking path featuring “points of interest” signage, attractive sidewalks, and benches. Located in the Tyler Corridor along a path frequently walked by El Monte residents, this circuit will also highlight destinations such as local healthy food stores and medical services.

Community Workshop on May 9th! The City of El Monte is hosting a community workshop to gain input on a walking circuit in the Tyler Corridor neighborhood. For more information please contact Arpine Shakhbandaryan at ashakhbandaryan@ci.el-monte.ca.us.

Partners:

The California Community Foundation: A Los Angeles nonprofit grantmaking organization.

AltaMed Health Services: A federally qualified health center with thirty-five years of experience providing health programs for the underserved and uninsured in Southern California.  

El Monte School District: This district’s schools have been bestowed the Bronze Award from the Healthy Schools Program for leading the fight against childhood obesity and inactivity.

Amigos de los Rios: A nonprofit well-known for its work in designing sustainable open spaces and enhancing community life.

The City of Long Beach General Plan update, Long Beach 2030, is a comprehensive community visioning process that will guide the shape, form, and location of future improvements and development throughout the city. During this process, the City will use PLACE Program funds to update the Mobility Element of the General Plan, as well as the Bicycle Master Plan, with the goal of making Long Beach the most bicycle friendly city in the country. The new plans will emphasize complete streets; i.e. streets that meet the needs of all users of the roadway, including pedestrians, bicyclists, children, and the elderly, as well as motorists. The initiative’s physical project will consist of two Bicycle Boulevards, which will transform residential streets into “bike expressways” while still accommodating vehicle traffic in low volumes.

Partners:

Long Beach BikeStation: A nonprofit organization with extensive experience working with such agencies as the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority and the City of Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency to promote cycling, the BikeStation operates bicycle parking stations in Long Beach and elsewhere in California and the United States.