Step by Step Los Angeles County - lapublichealth.org

PROGRAMSCh.9

211pedestrian plans for los angeles county unincorporated communities 9 progr ams

draft summer 2017

Pedestrian infrastructure is complemented by effective education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation programs.

Recommendations for programs and activities

were refined based on community input, and

existing programs with a track record of success.

By implementing these strategies, Los Angeles

County can improve mobility, safety, and comfort

for all residents and visitors.

Safe Routes to School assemblies teach children important lessons about being a safe pedestrian.

212 Step by Step

Potential Lead Agency Program Goals

Program Type County Transit Agency Caltrans Sheriffs Dept. NGOs School Districts Program Type Mode Shift Skills Building Info Sharing Awareness + Visibility

Increase Participation

Reduce Conflicts

Improve Saftey

Education Education

Good Road User Behavior Good Road User Behavior

Agency Staff Training Agency Staff Training

Pedestrian Legal Training Pedestrian Legal Training

Pedestrian Curriculum in Schools


Encouragement Encouragement

Walking Groups + Events Walking Groups + Events

Student Incentives Student Incentives

Employer Incentives Employer Incentives

Support Local Business Support Local Business

Safe Community Spaces Safe Community Spaces

Activated Streets Activated Streets

Help Pedestrians Navigate Help Pedestrians Navigate

Opportunities to Report Problems


Enforcement Enforcement

Partner with Law Enforcement Partner with Law Enforcement

Automated Enforcement Automated Enforcement

Evaluation Evaluation

Crash Analyiss Crash Analyiss

Record Vehicle Speeds + Volumes


Monitor Spending Monitor Spending

Count Pedestrians Count Pedestrians

Performance Measures Benchmarks


Annual Reports Annual Reports


draft summer 2017

Potential Lead Agency Program Goals

Program Type Mode Shift Skills Building Info Sharing Awareness + Visibility

Increase Participation

Reduce Conflicts

Improve Saftey

Education

Good Road User Behavior

Agency Staff Training

Pedestrian Legal Training


Encouragement

Walking Groups + Events

Student Incentives

Employer Incentives

Support Local Business

Safe Community Spaces

Activated Streets

Help Pedestrians Navigate


Enforcement

Partner with Law Enforcement

Automated Enforcement

Evaluation

Crash Analyiss


Monitor Spending

Count Pedestrians


Annual Reports

Program Type County Transit Agency Caltrans Sheriffs Dept. NGOs School Districts

Education

Good Road User Behavior

Agency Staff Training

Pedestrian Legal Training


Encouragement

Walking Groups + Events

Student Incentives

Employer Incentives

Support Local Business

Safe Community Spaces

Activated Streets

Help Pedestrians Navigate


Enforcement

Partner with Law Enforcement

Automated Enforcement

Evaluation

Crash Analyiss


Monitor Spending

Count Pedestrians


Annual Reports

214 Step by Step

Education programs may need to be designed to

reach different types of audiences or groups at

varying levels of knowledge. Program needs also

need to take into account varied target audiences

such as pre-school age children, elementary

school students, teenage and college students,

workers and commuters, families, retirees, the

elderly, and non-English speakers.

Promote Good Road User Behavior ProgramsThese programs educate road users on how to

abide by local laws, to be courteous to other

road users, and promotes safe behaviors and

actions. They can be targeted at just one mode

(e.g. pedestrians), or at multiple road user types

(e.g. cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians).

Local resources for conducting a public aware-

ness campaign can be maximized by assembling

a group of local experts, law enforcement

officers, business owners, civic leaders, and ded-

icated community volunteers. These allies could

assist with a successful safety campaign with

goals based on the local concerns and issues.

It may be necessary to develop creative strate-

gies for successful media placement in order to

achieve campaign goals.

EXISTING: f Southern California Association of

Governments (SCAG) Go Human Campaign - Go Human is a campaign to encourage

Southern Californians to use human-powered

transportation and change how we think

about others on the road. The campaign

consists of advertising used to promote

traffic safety, along with the development

of new resources and toolkits for cities and

organizations with the support of events

across the region that encourage walking.

The Department of Public Health is an active

partner on this campaign.

EDUCATIONEducation programs are important for teaching safety, rules and laws as well as increasing awareness regarding walking opportunities and existing facilities.


draft summer 2017

EXAMPLE: f StreetSmarts was launched by the City

of San Jose. This program utilizes print

media, radio spots, and television ads to

educate people about safe driving, biking,

skateboarding, and walking behavior. More

information: www.getstreetsmarts.org

Provide Agency Staff TrainingPublic agency staff have many opportunities to

contribute to making Los Angeles County a great

place to walk. Internal trainings (e.g. with Public

Works and Sheriff’s departments) can ensure that

staff are fully trained on policies and practices

that the agency aims to institutionalize.

EXAMPLE:

f Pedestrian Transportation Training for Caltrans Staff - Over the years, Caltrans

has provided training to its employees in

a number of different ways. The training

efforts include designing safe and accessible

pedestrian facilities and complete streets.

More information can be found by visiting

the following website: www.railstotrails.org/

resourcehandler.ashx?id=4066

Offer Pedestrian Legal Training Legal training and education allows pedestrians

to learn about their rights and responsibilities

as road users. These programs offer free legal

clinics, legal handouts and guides, and provides

information on state and local laws. This informa-

tion is valuable to all road users by empowering

people and creating an informed community

around important pedestrian laws.

EXAMPLE: f Walk San Francisco offers information to

pedestrians on how they can protect them-

selves and their families, and understand

their legal rights should they become the

victim of a crash. More information can be

found by visiting the following: walksf.org/

resources/pedestrian-rights-and-law/

Include Pedestrian Curriculum at SchoolsSafe Routes to School (SRTS) programs encour-

age children to walk to school safely, and more

often. Particularly, SRTS promotes road user

216 Step by Step

safety, enhance children’s health, improve quality

of life, and creates a new transportation option

for families. These programs require strong

partnerships between schools and community

members by developing a comprehensive Safe

Routes to School program that includes a pedes-

trian safety education curriculum structured for

appropriate grade and age levels. Programs can

be implemented as part of a school-wide, com-

munity-wide, or statewide program. Pedestrian

safety courses or programs will be most effective

with K-3rd grades.

Best practices can be found here: www.saf-

eroutespartnership.org/state/bestpractices/

curriculum

EXISTING: f West Whittier-Los Nietos - The Caltrans

2015 Active Transportation Program recently

awarded the Department of Public Works

funding to make the area around Los Nietos

schools safer for pedestrians. The Los Nietos

School District is committed to implement-

ing other SRTS strategies into its schools.

Last year, Ada S. Nelson, Pioneer High and

Aeolian Elementary School participated

in Walk to School Day, a countywide and

nationwide program that encourages stu-

dents to walk to school on the same day.

f Walnut Park - Academia Moderna Charter

School, Walnut Park Elementary School and

Walnut Park Middle School all have SRTS

programs and have worked to educate

students and parents on alternative ways

to get to school. These schools have held

assemblies and walking events for their

students. Walnut Park Middle School has also

worked to educate parents and drivers by

distributing SRTS information. The Academia

Moderna Charter School’s program was

funded through the YWCA HEAL Program.


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Form Walking Groups + EventsCommunities can organize events that get more

people out walking and interacting with the com-

munity. Block parties, art strolls, walking tours,

and group walks all encourage walking, promote

health and wellness, and instill a sense of com-

munity pride.

EXISTING: f Lake Los Angeles Park Association (LLAPA)

Events – LLAPA is a nonprofit that sup-

ports recreation in Lake Los Angeles. The

Association holds at least one event per

month at Stephen Sorensen Park, which

encourage walking and healthy living. For

example, in 2016, the association held a

Healthy Parks Fair, 3K/5K Run and Walks as

fundraisers, and “Park After Dark” events that

host over 700 participants its first week.

f Community Walking Club Toolkit - The

Department of Public Health has developed

a Toolkit to provide individuals, organizations

and community groups with information on

the health benefits of walking to encourage

ENCOURAGEMENTCommunity residents ranging from young children to the elderly can be encouraged to increase their activity rates and walk more, or try walking instead of driving for short trips.

and promote the use of physical activity in

residents’ daily routines. More information

can be found at: publichealth.lacounty.gov/

ivpp/docs/Toolkit%20KF%206_25%20BW.

pdf

EXAMPLE: f Play Streets, New York City – Play Streets

offers a low-cost solution for neighborhoods

and schools to create more space for active

recreation. The program helps neighborhood

organizations and schools identify streets

that can be closed to traffic (for extended

periods of time), to create new outdoor play

spaces. Community Play Streets are spon-

sored by local community organizations, and

operate throughout the summer months,

offering programming such as running

groups, dance classes, yoga and soccer

workshops, and simple equipment like jump

ropes and hula hoops for unstructured play.

The program is designed to create active

spaces for schools with limited or no access

to a gymnasium, multi-purpose space, or

outdoor recreation facilities. More information

is available at: centerforactivedesign.org/

playstreets/

218 Step by Step

Provide Incentives in Schools

GOLDEN SNEAKER CONTEST

Providing incentives help to foster ways of

engaging younger generations with an aware-

ness campaign. Contests present an opportunity

to both challenge and create action in students

or within a work place. The Golden Sneaker

Contest traditionally allowed classrooms to

compete against one another for the highest

rate of students walking, biking, or carpooling

to and from school. The classes track how many

students commute by these modes and cal-

culate the percent of total trips by each mode.

The winner of the contest receives a “golden

sneaker” trophy, along with other incentive

prizes.

A Golden Sneaker Contest can be expanded

from classroom competitions, to intra-school

competitions or district-wide competitions, or

even into the adult workplace office setting.

Some schools/offices hold celebrations for

winning teams/classrooms.

Participation in the Golden Sneaker Contest can

benefit communities by:

f Increasing awareness of walking to school/

work

f Increasing the number of students/workers

who walk to school/ the office

Golden Sneaker Guide: www.saf-

eroutestoschools.org/SR2Simages/

GoldenSneaker-Guide-2010.pdf

MONTHLY WALK AND ROLL DAYS

Walk and Roll to School Days are events to

encourage students to try walking to school. A

popular event of this type is International Walk to

School Day (held in early October). Many commu-

nities have expanded on this once a year event

and hold monthly or weekly events such as Walk

and Roll the First Friday (of every month) or Walk

and Roll Wednesdays (held every Wednesday).

Holding weekly or monthly Walk and Roll to

School Day promotes regular use of active

transportation and helps establish good habits.


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Volunteers can set up a welcome table for

people walking. The welcome table provides

refreshments, incentive prizes, and an interactive

poster letting students document their mode

to school. Walking School Buses and Golden

Sneaker Contests can be organized and pro-

moted on these days.

STUDENT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

Incentive programs reward students by tracking

the number of times they walk, bicycle, carpool,

or take transit to school. As previously mentioned

contests can be individual, classroom, school-

wide, or interschool competitions, and can be

integrated with other programs like Walk and Roll

to School Days.

Reward Walking with Employer IncentivesLos Angeles County can work to establish a

commute trip reduction program that helps

employers develop incentives. Employer incen-

tives should aim to reduce individuals commuting

by car, and promote walking, transit, vanpool/

carpools, and biking. Workers who use these

modes would be eligible for rewards, discounts

at participating local businesses, and other

incentives through their employer. These pro-

grams reinforce walking as a positive behavior,

while businesses see increased customer loyalty.

Programs also encourage pedestrian- friendly

establishments, and provide the opportunity to

build partnerships with local businesses.

EXAMPLE: f Seattle Commute Trip Reduction – The

Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) program

targets workplaces with 100 or more full-

time employees in the most congested

areas of the state. Employers develop and

manage their own programs based on locally

adopted goals for reducing vehicle trips

and miles traveled. More information about

the program can be found at: www.wsdot.

wa.gov/Transit/CTR/overview.htm \

A guide for employers can be found at: www.

seattle.gov/waytogo/docs/FF_WalktoWork_

TrainingGuide_.pdf

220 Step by Step

Support Local BusinessPrograms to support local business can encour-

age walking by creating more appealing

destinations and by helping people get to those

destinations. Business revitalization programs,

for example, work with residents and businesses

in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.

They can also provide assistance with a variety

of economic development efforts, including

streetscape improvements. Additionally, Business

Improvement Districts (BID) can serve as partners

in community revitalization and economic devel-

opment. In many communities nationwide, BIDs

have been catalytic in transforming commercial

corridors and driving local economic change.

They assist with services such as maintenance,

public safety, marketing, capital improvements,

beautification, and business development.

Programs that support local business should

be formed through partnerships between the

County (e.g. the Department of Consumer and

Business Affairs), business owners, and commu-

nity advocates.

EXISTING: f Façade renovation program, Walnut

Park – Through the Community Business

Revitalization Program, the Community

Development Commission provides financial

and technical assistance to support business

tenants and property owners. The program

seeks to help beautify business districts

making them more inviting for shoppers

and a source of community pride. Walnut

Park and other unincorporated areas of Los

Angeles County are targeted through this

program.

EXAMPLE: f Crenshaw Corridor Business Improvement

District (BID), South Los Angeles - The

Crenshaw Corridor BID was established in

2003 in an effort to preserve the historic

nature of the commercial district and foster

revitalization. The BIDs goals include increas-

ing building occupancy and lease rates,

encouraging new business development,

and attracting ancillary businesses and

services. The BID also hosts many annual

events and activities for the local Leimert

Park community.


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Provide Safe Community SpacesPrograms that create safe passages and gather-

ing areas encourage more pedestrian activity.

This is particularly useful in areas with high rates

of crime, violence, and nuisance activities. The

County can partner with the Police Department,

community organizations, school districts, and

community stakeholders to support these efforts.

EXISTING: f Parks After Dark (PAD), Los Angeles

County - The Los Angeles County

Department of Parks and Recreation

encourages healthy living and community

connections by extending hours and pro-

gramming at a variety of parks around the

county. This annual PAD program creates a

safe haven for residents at their local parks.

The County has included Hellen Keller Park

in West Athens, Jesse Owens Community

Regional Park just north of Westmont, and

Sorensen Park in Lake Los Angeles in its

PAD Program in past years.

f Safe Passages, Los Angeles County - Safe

Passages is a comprehensive program that

integrates a network of parent volunteers

with the professional efforts of gang violence

interventionists, community-based organi-

zations, businesses, school personnel, and

law enforcement. The program includes

gang interventionists and law enforcement

collaborating with volunteers monitoring

street action before and after school; com-

munity-based organizations and the school

district providing coordination and family

support; and teachers providing safety curric-

ulum in the classroom. There are at least two

community based organizations operating

Safe Passage programs within Westmont/

West Athens, R.A.C.E and A.P.U.U. These

groups have partnered with Community

Coalition to operate a Safe Passage program

around Helen Keller Park on weekdays to

support safe access to the park for recreation

programming.

222 Step by Step

Demonstrate Improvements through Activated Streets Streets can become more interesting by introduc-

ing art, seating, trees and other amenities that

improve the walking experience. Street amenities

that favor walkers send an important message

about the county’s commitment to high quality

places. A program to permit public use of the

street right-of-way, similar to the existing program

for outdoor dining, would create opportunities to

develop community gathering spots and points

of interest on a temporary or permanent basis.

This may range from allowing community groups

to use parking spaces for special events that

activate sidewalk activity, such as the annual

“Park(ing) Day,” to semi-permanent parklets that

replace parking spaces, pedestrian plazas in for-

merly vacant spaces, and decorative crosswalks.

Similarly, open street events temporarily close

the streets to automobiles to allow the public

access for various activities like walking, jogging,

bicycling, skating, dancing, and other social

activities. These events are great at bringing the

community together and promoting transpor-

tation options, placemaking, and public health.

Open street events are also excellent at building

community. They bring together neighborhoods,

businesses, and visitors alike.

EXISTING: f Metro Open Streets Grant Program – This

countywide program funds car-free events

in the region to promote walking, biking,

and riding transit among Los Angeles

County residents. The City of Huntington

Park won an approximately $600,000 grant

from Metro’s Open Streets Grant Program

to hold a multi-jurisdiction CicLAvia open

streets event. The event, held May 15,

2016, closed streets in the unincorporated

communities of Walnut Park and Florence

Firestone, and the cities of Huntington

Park, South Gate, Florence-Firestone,

Lynwood and Angeles to car traffic for

people to walk, bike, skate, and enjoy

their community. More information: www.

metro.net/projects/active-transportation/

metro-open-streets-grant-program.


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f Florence-Firestone/Walnut Park Chamber

of Commerce also holds an annual summer

fest, which closes six blocks of Pacific

Boulevard to traffic in downtown Walnut

Park. The event lasts for four days, and is

an important fundraiser for the Chamber of

Commerce.

EXAMPLES: f People St. Program, City of Los Angeles

- Communities can transform underused

areas of the City’s 7,500 miles of city streets

into active, vibrant, and accessible public

space with People St, a program of the

Department of Transportation (LADOT).

Eligible Community Partners - Business

Improvement Districts, Community Benefit

Districts, Chambers of Commerce, ground-

floor business owners, fronting property

owners, and nonprofit and community-based

organizations – can apply for approval to

create projects that enhance the quality of

life in this city. The Application Cycle features

two innovative types of projects are avail-

able: Plazas and Parklets.

• Plazas- A People St Pedestrian Plaza

creates accessible public open space by

closing a portion of street to vehicular

traffic. A colorful, patterned treatment is

applied to the street surface; while large

planters and other elements define the

Plaza perimeter. The Community Partner

maintains and operates the Plaza, pro-

viding movable tables and chairs, public

programs, and ongoing neighborhood

outreach. People Street Pedestrian Plazas

must remain publicly accessible at all

times.

• Parklet- Parklets introduce new streets-

cape features such as seating, planting,

bicycle parking, or elements of play.

Parklets encourage pedestrian activity by

offering these human-scale “eddies in the

stream,” which is especially beneficial in

areas that lack sufficient sidewalk width

or access to public space. Community

Partners will accept the responsibility for

design, installation, operation, manage-

ment and maintenance of the Parklet.

224 Step by Step

f Creative Crosswalks, Austin, Texas - The

goal of Creative Crosswalks is to work with

the community to install safe, cost efficient

and low-maintenance painted crosswalks

by using a combination of colors, textures,

scoring patterns to liven up an existing

marked crosswalk. To request a creative

crosswalk in a neighborhood or business

district, community members can contact

Austin 3-1-1. Austin 3-1-1 forward requests to

Austin Transportation Department to approve

a design.

Help Pedestrians NavigateWayfinding helps to make local destinations,

such as business districts and public facilities,

more accessible by enabling individuals to:

f easily and successfully find their way to their

destination,

f understand where they are with respect to

other key locations,

f orient themselves in an appropriate direction

with little misunderstanding or stress, and

f discover new places and services

For more information about pedestrian wayfin-

ding systems, please see Chapter 4: Plans and

Procedures.

The Department of Public Works can implement

a program that supports local, community-level

wayfinding, and work with the Department Parks

and Recreation to support the existing trails way-

finding program.

Creative Crosswalk in Austin, TX


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EXAMPLE: f WalkNYC, New York City - WalkNYC way-

finding provides clear visuals, language and

graphic standards that can be universally

understood to encourages walking and

transit usage. Signage provides quality multi-

modal information, and consistent messaging

across a broad range of environments in the

city (see image to right).

Provide Opportunities to Report Problems It is increasingly common for jurisdictions to

create online forms and mobile applications

(apps) that allow community members to report

nuisances that might be a barrier to walking.

Problems might include potholes, illegal

dumping, graffiti and more. Mobile apps can also

provide users with news about road closures and

upcoming events, help users find their nearest

library, utility provider, transit services, and other

city services.

EXISTING: f The Works, Los Angeles County - The

Works offers a one-stop solution for County

residents to report and track services. If

the service is not handled by Los Angeles

County, The Works will provide users with

the appropriate contact information.

226 Step by Step

These programs help educate motorists, bicycle

riders, and pedestrians about the rules and

responsibilities of the road.

Partner with Law Enforcement to Increase VisibilityAn enforcement strategy aims to deter unsafe

behaviors of drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists,

and encourages all road users to obey traffic

laws and share the road safely. Enforcement

complements many transportation programs.

Program options include community enforcement

(pedestrian safety training) or law enforcement

(promoting good road user behaviors). Law

enforcement partnerships are typically focused

on high-collision areas and other vulnerable

populations.

ENFORCEMENTEnforcement programs enforce legal and respectful use of the transportation network.

EXAMPLES: f Fatality Reduction Campaign, Garden

Grove – In response to a nationwide

increase of fatal crashes involving distracted

drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists the

Garden Grove Police Department Accident

Reduction Team was organized as part of a

city campaign. The GGPD-ART reaches out

to commuters through various media outlets,

presentations, and community meetings

to educate the public on the dangers of

not following traffic laws. More informa-

tion: www.ci.garden-grove.ca.us/police/

campaign-to-reduce-fatalities

f Crosswalk Enforcement Program, Chicago - The crosswalk awareness initiatives involve

an off-duty, undercover police officer posing

as a pedestrian crossing at a crosswalk. If

oncoming drivers don’t stop for the pedes-

trian—as required by law—the vehicle will be

pulled over by a police spotter further down

the street. Motorists can face fines for failure

to stop for a pedestrian wwin a crosswalk.

More information: www.cityofchicago.org/

city/en/depts/cdot/provdrs/ped/svcs/cross-

walk_enforcementinitiatives.html


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Install Automated EnforcementAutomated enforcement uses cameras to capture

images of vehicles committing traffic violations –

most commonly, speeding and red light running.

Citations are mailed to the vehicle owner.

Automated enforcement is intended to augment

– not replace – traditional traffic enforcement

activities and addresses the public perception

of the risk of "getting caught." The objective is

to deter violators, not to catch them. Signs and

publicity campaigns warn drivers that photo

enforcement is in use.

The high cost of installing automated photo

enforcement cameras should be considered

when the County begins to implement this and

other traffic safety measures.

EXAMPLE: f SFMTA Automated Photo Enforcement

Program – This program is a combined effort

of the SFMTA, which manages program

administration and equipment maintenance,

with support from the San Francisco Police

Department and the San Francisco City

Attorney's Office. The SFMTA's combined

automated photo enforcement, engineering

and education efforts have resulted in a

significant drop in collisions during the past

ten years.

228 Step by Step

Evaluation is a key component of any engi-

neering or programmatic investment. It is also a

useful way to communicate success with elected

officials as well as local residents.

Perform Crash Analysis Crash analysis can help identify system network

issues, such as consistent pedestrian crashes

along major roadways. Systemic safety issues

can be addressed through policy changes, and

implemented through safety improvements

consistently over time. Crash analysis is used to

understand safety issues in specific locations,

such as a particular intersection, and aids in iden-

tifying solutions to improve safety. This analysis

should occur annually, at minimum. The County

can work with transit agencies, school districts,

nonprofits, and community members to form a

task force to lead this effort. The task force would

gather data to optimize the location and selection

of safety improvements.

EVALUATIONEvaluation programs help the County measure how well it is meeting the goals of this Plan and the General Plan.

EXAMPLE: f San Francisco MTA Pedestrian Safety Task

Force – The San Francisco MTA Pedestrian

Safety Task Force is a city staff and stake-

holder meeting held twice a year and open

to the public. The meetings feature steering

committee updates to the entire task force

on the status of the implementation of the

strategy citywide. Areas along high injury

corridors (HIC) and/or in specific supervisorial

districts. It serves as a forum for non-steering

committee agencies and other stakehold-

ers to share pedestrian-related work. The

Task Force requests stakeholder support

for implementation of Pedestrian Strategy

actions and keeps the city accountable to

their commitments to deliver pedestrian

strategies. More information: www.sfmta.

com/about-sfmta/organization/committees/

pedestrian-safety-task-force


draft summer 2017

Record Vehicle Speeds and Traffic Volumes Vehicle speed data is collected to determine the

severity of the problem in areas where residents

or businesses report that speeding is an issue.

The first step is a review of speed data, posted

speed limits, and functional classification of the

roadway. A need for and applicability of traffic

calming measures is then evaluated. To accu-

rately determine speed, detection devices can

be purchased for less than $150, and speeds

are easily recorded by municipal agencies or

concerned citizens. If traffic calming measures

are installed, vehicle speeds should be recorded

again for evaluation.

Traffic counts can help inform decision-making

about potential complete streets. Counts may

indicate that certain roads have excess capac-

ity to accommodate vehicle traffic and allow for

the repurposing of street uses to accommodate

better infrastructure for walking, biking, or transit.

Conducting traffic counts also help identify

roadways with opportunities to reconfigure travel

lanes to include facilities for people walking,

improve traffic flow, and safety for all road users.

EXISTING: f Traffic Counts Program, Los Angeles

County – The County conducts over 1600

vehicular traffic volume counts per year. The

data is a five-year compilation of Average

Daily Traffic (ADT) gathered largely from the

unincorporated areas of the County of Los

Angeles. The data includes the location,

count date, 24-hour ADT, AM Peak, and PM

Peak. More information: dpw.lacounty.gov/tnl/

trafficcounts/

Monitor Spending Evaluation of spending can determine whether

the desired amount of funds is allocated to

pedestrian projects. Municipalities should

monitor how local, regional, state and federal

funds are being spent and assess future need. To

prioritize active transportation, spending should

appropriately match the overall need and growth

of walking as transit modes. Similarly, mainte-

nance funds should exceed the need for repairs

to improve conditions for people who walk. As an

example, if the maintenance backlog for side-

walks is 20 percent of the overall infrastructure

maintenance backlog, then at least 20 percent of

the maintenance budget should be allocated for

sidewalk repairs.

230 Step by Step

Local jurisdictions should report funding on

stand-alone pedestrian improvement projects

as well as infrastructure that is part of larger

roadway redesigns, such as Complete Street

Projects. For these projects, funding for pedes-

trian improvements should be isolated to make

funding analysis easier. Infrastructure that is

required by law as part of larger road projects,

such as ADA-compliant curb ramps and push

buttons, should not be included as separate

pedestrian projects for the funding analysis.

Funding for non-pedestrian infrastructure should

be evaluated to determine whether access and

safety for all users has improved. For example,

when sidewalks are enhanced, but roads are

widened to accommodate more vehicles, the

overall safety and convenience may decline.

Spending on education, encouragement, and

enforcement campaigns for people who walk

should also be evaluated by category for year-

by-year comparisons and benchmarks.

Count the Number of People Walking Understanding where people are walking is

critical to making improvements in local walking

networks. The number of people walking can

be used to evaluate the success of infrastruc-

ture projects, or to make data-based decisions

on where to make improvements. Comparing

numbers seasonally and over multiple years

provides insight on emerging trends. In cases

where demand is questioned, this information

can support the need for improvements. One

way to integrate planning for walking into existing

activities is to conduct pedestrian counts when-

ever vehicles are counted during traffic studies.

Counts can be conducted manually or with

automatic sensors. Manual counts are low-cost,

easy to implement, and can provide additional

data. However, manual counts require significant

volunteer time and do not provide a continual,

24-hour picture of use. Automatic pedestrian

counting technology have advanced rapidly

in recent years and vary considerably in terms

of cost, accuracy, data collection, and ease of


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deployment. It is important to choose counting

devices that are best suited for the type of data

needed (short term or long term) and the site

characteristics where counts will take place.

The County should conduct pedestrian counts

at least twice annually, during different seasons

(e.g., summer and fall) on both weekdays and

weekends.

Establish Performance Measures and Benchmarks Performance measures are quantitative indicators

of a plan’s success. Benchmarks are standards

that set specific goals or targets for a plan.

Performance measures should align with bench-

marks, which should in turn, align with specific

objectives outlined in the plan. As an example,

an objective may be to improve the quantity

of crosswalks. A performance measure would

be the number of high-visibility crosswalks. A

benchmark would be to install 20 high-visibility

crosswalks per year, through 2020.

BENCHMARKS SHOULD BE: f Specific

f Measurable

f Achievable

f Relevant

f Time-based

Benchmarks should have agencies or personnel

assigned to achieve the goal, and a separate

advisory committee to track outcomes for all

objectives. Arranging performance measures,

benchmarks, and the responsible agencies in a

table with a timeline for implementation helps to

monitor progress. More information: www.fhwa.

dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/pub-

lications/performance_measures_guidebook/

pm_guidebook.pdf

232 Step by Step

Identify Progress with Annual Reports Evaluation reports give an overview of progress

towards implementing a community’s goals and

benchmarks for active transportation. Evaluation

reports may include:

f A recap of the community vision for people

who walk

f A description of accomplishments

f An update on performance measures

f Trends and comparisons with peer

communities

f Results and interpretation of the findings

f How the findings will be shared

A summary of the active transportation evalu-

ation report should be adapted to present the

findings to stakeholder groups, advisory com-

mittees, and council meetings. Clear reporting of

failures and successes fosters trust that officials

are following up on objectives.

At the national level, the Alliance for Biking

and Walking Benchmarking Project is a

comprehensive data resource for govern-

ment officials, advocates, and planners to

compare progress between cities or states.

At the local level, many cities produce “report

cards” on walking that are updated annually

or every few years. More information: www.

fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/

pedbike/11039/11039.pdf, www.bikewalkalliance.

org/download-the-2016-benchmarking-report


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