Caltrans issues $100Million Call for Projects that improve Safety

On April 23, 2012, Caltrans announced a combined call for HSIP and HR3 projects based upon anticipated federal safety funding in the upcoming 2013 FSTIP starting in October 2012. Caltrans expects the available funding apportioned to local agencies in the 2013 FSTIP to be approximately $100 million for HSIP and $15 million for HR3 in their respective 4 year plans. Applications are due on Friday, July 20, 2012 and should be submitted to the attention of your Caltrans District Local Assistance Engineer. Applications received or postmarked after July 20, 2012 will not be accepted.

In an effort to provide clear guidance to local agencies on how to efficiently prepare their applications that will compete effectively and provide the greatest opportunity to improving the safety of their local road networks, Caltrans, FHWA, and the National Highway Institute are hosting a webinar that will review the Call for Projects process and documents. Click her to register for the May 3rd webinar.

Prioritizing Safety – for all roadway users – in SCAG 2012 Regional Transportation Plan

Using TIMS data in the Regional Transportation Plan

The geospatial PDF feature allows schools or collisions in the map to be identified and the relevant data table displayed within the PDF.

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is continuing its discussion on performance measures and indicators that will be using in measuring the impact of our transportation investments in the 2012 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP).

For the past year we have been attending SCAG meetings and providing public comment to urge SCAG to increase active transportation planning and investments, in fact we have developed a platform that outlines keys ways the MPO could do just that – that over 100 organizations and individuals have already endorsed.

This list is growing – please join us in working to ensure our policy makers hear how much support and interest there is in living in walkable and bike able communities in Southern California.   We frequently submit commit letters to SCAG, and its various committees.  Today we submitted another comment letter to the Planning and Programming Technical Advisory Committee (P&P TAC) urging them to looks at how TIMS data can better inform Transportation Planning in the SCAG Region.

2011 International Walk/Bike to School Day

As an inspiring National Bike Month wraps up, groups are already planning for International Walk/Bike to School coming up in October, aka Walktober  (also known as the month after Steptember).

RD White Elementary in Glendale Celebrates Walktober 2010

Los Angeles Unified School district is having their first Walk/Bike to School informational and planning meeting next week June 2 at 1:30 in the LAUSD Board room. If you’re interested in these efforts – I hope you’ll consider attending.

This meeting is for School Administrators, Staff, Parents, Safe Routes to School Community Groups and other public agency staffers.  There will also be a presentation on TIMS data from LA City Department of Transportation staff.

If you plan to attend, kindly RSVP to Yolanda L. Lasmarias Yolanda.lasmarias@lausd.net, or call  For more information, call (213) 765-2800. 

Thursday, June 2, 2011, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
LAUSD Board Room
333 South Beaudry Avenue
Los Angeles 90017

Data Proves Alarming Trends of Danger in the Streets for Pedestrians and Bicyclists

Advocacy call for action to put Safety First in the City of Los Angeles

Crossing Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles

Alarming new traffic collision maps released by the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) and Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) show the City of Los Angeles has a massive traffic safety problem for people walking and bicycling. Intolerable levels of injuries and deaths are happening to people.

“Traffic collisions, and the death or injury of Los Angeles’ people, especially our youngest community members, is heartbreaking and impacts everyone,” says Alexis Lantz, Planning and Policy Director at the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. “We applaud the city for recently allocating $1.2 million in funding to develop a citywide strategy for Safe Routes to School to address the safety issue on the streets around our schools, however due to the current hiring freeze, this project could potentially stall if the City does not respond swiftly to provide the staff we need to work on this plan. We need a timeline and plan that we can participate in to help the City take action to improve the safety of all our residents.”

Pedestrian-Bicycle Collision Maps Now Available

New Safe Routes to School Collision Maps Released

If you haven’t already heard, California Active Communities within the California Department of Public Health has partnered with the University of California, Berkeley’s SafeTREC to develop interactive geospatial PDF planning maps for each city and county in California. These maps can be used as an informational resource to assist with Safe Routes to School planning and determining which communities may best accommodate joint use of school facilities. These pedestrian and bicycle collision maps can also be utilized with SafeTREC’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) for comprehensive analysis of pedestrian and bicycle collisions around schools.