PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) has been awarded a $275,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to expand its bicycle and pedestrian education activities.

The one-year grant will help continue efforts for the Health Department’s Walk and Roll Long Beach Program, which focuses on improving and promoting safety for all pedestrians and bicyclists. The funding will also be used to support a variety of activities and workshops that educate the public on the importance of using safety equipment such as reflective armbands, bicycle lights, reflectors, and helmets. In addition, as permitted by the City’s Health Order, the funds will be used to:

• Host bicycle and pedestrian safety pop-ups, where staff will distribute safety information, and reflective gear at street intersections frequently traveled by pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Facilitate in-person and/or virtual walking workshops for older adults to provide strategies to walk safely in their neighborhood and to safely interact with new pedestrian street infrastructure.
• Conduct interactive in-person and/or virtual community workshops on how to use bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure properly and safely.
• Continue to coordinate and promote Long Beach Walk and Bike to School Awareness Weeks.
• Expand activities on Safe Streets Awareness Week to educate drivers on how to safely share the streets with pedestrians and bicyclists.

“Walking and biking are great ways to be physically active,” said Health Department Director Kelly Colopy. “This program will provide community members with the tools to prevent injuries and stay safe while participating in these fun and healthy activities.”

In partnership with other City departments and community-based organizations, funding will also be used to support the Health Department’s participation in Bicycle Safety Awareness Month and California Pedestrian Safety Awareness Month. 

This is the fifth year that the Health Department has received an OTS grant to promote bike and pedestrian safety. Last year, the Health Department was awarded a $275,000 grant which was used to launch the first annual Safe Streets Awareness week campaign and conduct a number of bicycle and pedestrian safety events.

Bicycle and pedestrian-related collisions have been on the rise over the past five years. In 2018, 893 pedestrians were killed on California roadways, a 26% increase from 2014. From 2018 to 2019, pedestrian traffic fatalities in California increased by 12%. Data from 2016 to 2019 revealed that 52% of all traffic fatalities involved bicyclists and pedestrians, while 31% involved drivers and passengers. According to the OTS, In 2017, Long Beach ranked second among large cities for pedestrian injuries and fatalities, a jump from fourth place in 2016.

“Behavior change is a key in reducing serious injuries and deaths on roads,” said OTS Director Barbara Rooney. “This grant program allows the City of Long Beach to educate the public on best safety practices when walking or on a bike.”

About the City of Long Beach
Home to approximately 480,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly rated school district, Long Beach Airport and the Port of Long Beach. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 171 parks, miles of beaches, marinas and bike paths.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services
The mission of the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services is to improve quality of life by promoting a safe and healthy community in which to live, work and play. Long Beach Health is one of only three city-run health departments in California, which allows for better engagement with residents, neighborhoods, businesses and community partners, and fosters a greater understanding of the City's strengths. For more information, visit us at www.longbeach.gov/health, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

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