The Long Beach Health Department of Health and Human Services was awarded a $150,000 grant to expand its bicycle and pedestrian education activities, city officials announced today.
The grant came from the state Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) which in 2016 provided the city with eight bicycle and pedestrian safety workshops reaching 232 children and distributed fitted helmets to 529 individuals, according to a city release.
“This funding will expand our City’s effort to prevent injuries while promoting active transportation,” said Mayor Robert Garcia in a statement.
- The grant will help fund the Walk and Roll Long Beach program by:
- Providing free bike and pedestrian safety workshops for youth.
- Providing free bike helmets for youth that have been properly fitted by staff.
- Providing bike and pedestrian safety information and community events throughout the year.
“The grant will bring greater support to achieve the goal of Vision Zero, which the City of Long Beach signed on to in May 2016, to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries among all road users including pedestrians and bicyclists by 2026,” said Kelly Colopy, Director of Health and Human Services, in a statement.
In partnership with the Long Beach Unified School District, funding will also support the LBDHHS’ participation in Walk and Bike to School activities, according to officials.
For information on how to participate, or for more information about the Walk and Roll Program, please contact Lara Turnbull, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention Division Officer, at [email protected] or (562) 570-4294.