Safe Streets Slow Jams is an initiative by Los Angeles Walks in partnership with Public Matters, designed to foster safer walking environments for students and families in historically disinvested communities. Through a combination of community walk events, parent workshops, and the development of digital resources, the project encourages active transit — walking, biking, rolling and using public transit — as a daily practice while addressing concerns around traffic safety infrastructure, and personal security.

At its core, this initiative seeks to empower parents and schools to take ownership oftheir local streets and advocate for necessary infrastructure improvements. The program initially focused on hosting in-person activations, but as it unfolded, it became clear that a broader citywide demand existed.

Schools beyond our original focus areas reached out, requesting support in organizing their own Safe Streets Slow Jams. At the same time, internal staffing capacity and a leadership transition meant we needed to adapt our approach to maximize impact. In response, we pivoted from a direct-implementation model to a more sustainable, scalable strategy—developing a video and how-to guide that will allow schools and parents to take the lead in creating their own activations. These resources will be made freely available online, ensuring long-term accessibility and broader community participation.

Despite these shifts, we successfully organized three community walk events in El Sereno,Florence-Firestone, and Wilmington, each accompanied by parent workshops that covered key topics such as the benefits of walking, strategies f

integrating it into daily routines, and methods for identifying and advocating for safe routes to school.

More than 200 parents and students participated, and the events were supported by our Safe Street Promotores network who assisted with logistics, outreach, and education.

One of the most significant insights from our work was the intersection of cultural a safety-related barriers that prevent families from choosing walking or biking as their primary mode of transportation. Many parents expressed concerns beyond traffic safety, highlighting fear around personal security, particularly in immigrant neighborhoods experiencing increased policing and surveillance. This reinforced the need to integrate social and community safety into active transportation discussions. At the same time, the program’s impact extended past the initial workshops, as parents who participated began organizing their own community walks, applying the strategies they learned. The growing demand from schools citywide further underscored the need for expanded education and advocacy programs, emphasizing the importance of scaling this work to reach more communities.

Building on these successes, we are committed to continuing the Safe Streets Slow Jams by:

● Publishing and widely promoting our video and how-to guide, ensuring that any school or parent can access the tools needed to host their own activation.

● Seeking additional funding to grow our staff capacity and support more in-person activations.

● Strengthening partnerships with other community organizations to integrate Safe Streets Slow Jams into broader active transportation initiatives.

● Exploring the role of public activations in fostering community well-being, particularly in neighborhoods facing increased surveillance. By creating safer, more welcoming streets, these events have the potential to counteract fear, build trust, and reclaim public space for residents.

Through this evolving approach, we hope to create a lasting culture shift where walking and biking are not just safe options, but community-supported and celebrated forms of mobility.