Glendale Adopts Safe and Healthy
Streets Plan
On Tuesday, April 19, 2011, the City of Glendale
unanimously voted to adopt the Safe & Healthy Streets
Plan. Using Department of Public Health PLACE grant
funding, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition worked
with the City of Glendale to develop the plan over the
past three years. The goal of the Plan is to help make
Glendale streets a safer place for pedestrians and
cyclists and get people out of their cars and onto bikes
and sidewalks. The next step is implementation of the
Plan to help achieve these goals. Example policies and
programs recommended for implementation include creating
a bike and pedestrian map, establishing a pedestrian and
bicyclist advisory committee, and establishing
city-organized rides and walks. All of the policies in
the Plan as well as the implementation timeline can be
accessed by
clicking here.
|
What is the Vision of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) Initiative?
The Vision of the LACBC Initiative is to make the City of Glendale a safer and friendlier
community for bicyclists and pedestrians.
How will the PLACE Initiative Help the City Achieve its Vision?
Policy Change: For the policy-change component of the PLACE Initiative,
LACBC and the City of Glendale are developing the Safe and Healthy Streets Plan, a policy document which will both identify
implementation steps for the City’s existing pedestrian and bicycle-friendly policies and recommend new policies to make
Glendale a safer and friendlier city for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Physical Project: The physical project is a prototype bicycle and pedestrian
corridor that will feature several characteristics of bicycle and pedestrian-oriented streets, including traffic-calming and
landscaping improvements to increase the safety and desirability of walking and biking. The bicycle and pedestrian corridor
is located in the southern, low-income area of Glendale.
|
|
Who are the Initiative's Partners and What are their Roles?
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
(LACBC): Since 1998, the LACBC, a non-profit organization, has been a strong advocate for bicycling in Los Angeles County.
The organization develops campaigns, programs, and resources, partnering with the 88 civic jurisdictions of Los Angeles County, as well
as with Caltrans, LADOT, and Metro, to build a more bike
able Los Angeles County.
City of Glendale:
The City of Glendale is LACBC’s principal partner. City of Glendale departments that participate in the initiative’s core team include:
- Public Works Traffic & Transportation and Engineering Divisions
- Departments of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services
- Planning Department
- Police Department
|
 |
Initiative Coordinator: Colin Bogart, an employee of the LACBC,
is the Initiative Coordinator. He provides oversight of the initiative’s big picture planning in addition
to coordinating daily activities. Partners collaborate with community residents, youth, community-based
organizations and government partners to achieve the initiative’s goals. |
Who are the Champions of the
PLACE Initiative?
Four different sectors of the Glendale community have emerged as champions of this initiative:
City Council members, City of Glendale staff, Glendale residents, and community-based organizations. Each champion
has greatly contributed to the initiative’s activities and has helped deepen their support for policy change.
City Council:
LACBC and City staff have made presentations to the Glendale City Council about the Safe
and Healthy Streets Plan and strategies for creating a more walk- and bike-friendly environment in Glendale.
The Initiative Coordinator, along with key City staff, have met individually with each City Councilmember to
solicit input about the policy proposal.
As a result, City Council members are becoming ambassadors of change in the Glendale community. At a recent City
Council meeting, one councilmember requested that the City install a bicycle rack outside of City Hall, promised
to bike to work once the rack was in place, and challenged other council members
to do the same. The rack was installed and the
councilmember’s challenge is generating publicity for
the initiative. Additionally, City Council has mandated
that all plans for new developments or street
improvements be routed to the Initiative Coordinator for
his input on how to include bicycle and
pedestrian-friendly features in the street design of
proposed projects email
solo ad
advertising
As a result, City Council members are becoming ambassadors of change in the Glendale community. At a recent City
Council meeting, one councilmember requested that the City install a bicycle rack outside of City Hall, promised
to bike to work once the rack was in place, and challenged other council members
to do the same. The rack was installed and the
councilmember’s challenge is generating publicity for
the initiative. Additionally, City Council has mandated
that all plans for new developments or street
improvements be routed to the Initiative Coordinator for
his input on how to include bicycle and
pedestrian-friendly features in the street design of
proposed projects
City of Glendale Staff:
To build support for the initiative among City of Glendale staff, the initiative partners held one-on-one meetings
with staff from several City departments including the Police and Fire departments. They have also established a Technical Advisory
Group comprised of key departments involved in street and community design. The purpose of this group is to give technical input
into the Safe and Healthy Streets plan and the bicycle and pedestrian corridor.
To help deepen support for policy change, various City departments partnered with LACBC to organize the annual Bike to Work Day.
At this year’s event, many of the participants were city staff members. The Glendale Public Libraries have supported the initiative
by providing space for community meetings related to the Safe and Healthy Streets Plan. In addition, the library has helped bring
about the soon-to-be installed library bike racks which will encourage patrons to bike and walk, rather than drive, to the library.
Glendale Community:
A Stakeholder Group comprised of Glendale residents and business owners, organized by the Initiative Coordinator,
provides input into the content of the Safe and Healthy Streets Plan and serves as advocates for the plan. In addition, the Initiative
Coordinator has conducted numerous presentations to organizations in Glendale including service clubs, school districts, and neighborhood
associations.
These community-based champions have provided assistance in developing policy change through a number of channels. They helped secure significant
coverage in the local newspaper about the initiative and distributed flyers and promotional postcards throughout the city. They have also posted
commentaries in support of biking and walking on local blogs. In addition, one local restaurant donated dinner for an evening meeting of the
Stakeholder Group, demonstrating its support for the initiative.
|
What are Other Ways the Initiative is Building Community Support?
The First Glendale History Walk: : The event attracted over 90 Glendale
community members who took a two and a half mile long stroll through Downtown Glendale to visit 14 key historical landmarks.
The event was sponsored by LACBC, the City of Glendale Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Glendale Historical Society.
Annual Bike to Work Day: Forty-eight confirmed bicyclists participated in this year’s Annual Bike
to Work Day. The number of participants was three times that of last year where only 15 participated. Three new pit-stops were set up at bike shops
in the north, south and west side of Glendale.
|
 |
|
The Glendale History Ride: Over 60 residents, including City Councilmember Laura Friedman,
went on a community bike ride while stopping at various Glendale historical sites.
Community Meeting on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Corridor: To enlist the support
of Glendale community members, the initiative partners held a community meeting to solicit feedback from residents about the
proposed bicycle and pedestrian corridor.
Press Coverage: The City’s local newspaper, Glendale News Press,
has covered several stories about the initiative.
How will the Initiative Know if More People Are Walking and Biking in Glendale?
|
|
Community Bicyclists and Pedestrian Counts: Determining the number of bicyclists
and pedestrians at selected sites throughout Glendale will help build the case for why the City of Glendale should invest funds
in more bike/pedestrian projects and also potentially demonstrate an increase in cycling/walking over time as the City makes
bike-and pedestrian-friendly improvements. The initiative will conduct the counts annually. The first count included over 80
volunteers counting at 26 different locations city-wide.
What Technical Assistance Has the Initiative Received from the PLACE Program?
Meeting Facilitation Training: Twenty City of Glendale staff from various departments
along with staff from LACBC and PLACE participated in this two-day training with a facilitation expert, Jennifer Lilley, to develop the skills needed to
facilitate effective community input meetings.
Expert Input on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Corridor: Transportation planning consultants
evaluated the proposed bicycle and pedestrian corridor and made recommendations for how to make the existing streetscape more bicycle and
pedestrian-friendly.
Webinar Training: Staff from Public Works, Engineering and the Planning Department
attended this webinar to learn about this innovative bicycle facility that alerts cars to share the lane with bicyclists.
|
|
Who do I Contact for More Information about this Initiative
For more information about this initiative, please visit the
Safe and Healthy Street Plan Website or contact Colin
Bogart, Initiative Coordinator for the LACBC PLACE
Initiative.
