News ReleaseCity of Long Beach Public Information Office
333 W. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802

7/3/2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE #CM070308
Subject :

$330,000 Grant Will Help City of Long Beach Promote Bicycle Use
Contact :Sumire Gant, Transportation Planning & Programs    562.570.6618
The City of Long Beach will receive a $330,000, three-year grant from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to hire a Mobility Coordinator and help plan and develop two "Bicycle Boulevards."

"This grant will help us become the most bicycle-friendly city in the Untied States, while promoting a more healthy and active lifestyle throughout Long Beach," City Manager Pat West said.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health RFI PLACE grant will help the City of Long Beach create at least one North-South and one East-West "Bicycle Boulevard," which would develop streets that give preference to bicycles through the use of traffic circles, medians, bulb-outs and other elements to create a green street. The locations of these two facilities will be determined in consultation with residents and bicyclists in Long Beach.

The Mobility Coordinator will promote and encourage physical activity through walking and bicycling, which will be a tremendous benefit to the health of Long Beach residents. The Mobility Coordinator, in concert with the Long Beach BikeStation, will provide both the technical assistance and internal advocacy to achieve desired policy, programs and physical improvements to promote more healthy modes of transportation.  The City of Long Beach is home to more than 30 miles of dedicated shoreline and river bicycle paths that connect Long Beach neighborhoods with other parts of the county. The Mobility Coordinator will capitalize on these existing resources to encourage less reliance on cars to reduce carbon emissions and make neighborhoods throughout Long Beach more bike-friendly by promoting ridership and developing more on-street bike connections.

Long Beach is a bustling 21st Century city, and in preparation for an update to the City’s General Plan (referred to as Long Beach 2030), the Long Beach community has called for the city to become a leader in providing innovative ways to move around, including safe and secure bicycle paths, more opportunities to walk, and safe and convenient public transit.  These concepts will be included in the Mobility Element in Long Beach 2030, and will guide the development of policies and physical improvements to encourage biking, walking and transit.

In the past year, the City Council has endorsed progressive goals and policies in regards to creating vibrant activated communities, a vision that includes creating downtown pedestrian and bicycle connections between open space, cultural amenities, and bike paths, and exploring car-sharing policies that would reduce the need for automobile ownership, thereby increasing walking and biking. 

The timing of this grant is perfect for making this vision come to life.  The City of Long Beach has partnered with the BikeStation because of a common desire to develop and implement innovative policies to promote active living within a city with a large diverse population.

BikeStation is the first facility of its kind in the United States. The public bike center, located in downtown Long Beach, near the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Blue Line, provides valet bicycle parking, bicycle rental and other amenities.The BikeStation has been chosen as a partner because of its demonstrated ability to work with a number of agencies and organizations in the planning, development and implementation of Bike-transit related projects.

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