Safe Streets in Glendora

Community safety

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

The issue we seek to address with this project is pedestrian safety, namely safer street crossings. The pedestrian crossing at Minnesota Avenue across Foothill Boulevard is of particular importance as it leads to the La Fetra Center and Finkbiner Park, which are popular destinations for seniors and families. This crossing is currently only designated by yellow pedestrian crossing signs which vehicular traffic rarely abide by. As a result, pedestrians have been attempting to cross mid-block which puts themselves and others in danger. In Los Angeles County, pedestrian involved fatal collisions have been steadily increasing and reached 106 in 2022 on county-maintained roadways and in unincorporated communities alone. The City of Los Angeles saw 179 pedestrian fatalities in 2023, an increase from 120 in 2020. Pedestrians in Los Angeles County face worrying statistics of injury or fatality and the numbers continue to rise. We seek to lead the charge for safer streets in Los Angeles County.

This grant will support the first of many projects under the City of Glendora’s new Safe Streets Program. The program aims to improve road safety and encourage active transportation by use of signage, demonstration projects, quick-build projects, and street closures. The project at Foothill Boulevard and Minnesota Avenue will create a more visible and safe crossing for pedestrians by use of signage, striping, and bollards. By constructing these crosswalk improvements, the likelihood of a pedestrian injury or fatality decreases. If this project is successful, it will encourage other local governments to adopt Safe Streets Programs of their own and build projects that further decrease the likelihood of pedestrian injury or fatality.

The City of Glendora is proud to be the first local government in the state of California to adopt a Safe Streets ordinance into its municipal code. The success of this project would raise awareness about Glendora’s Safe Streets program and inspire other local governments across Los Angeles County to adopt their own Safe Streets ordinances. With widespread implementation, Safe Streets has the potential to significantly decrease the number of traffic related injuries and fatalities. The streets of Los Angeles County will be safer for every user.

This project’s success will be defined and measured by its reception by the public as well as the number of people using the improved crosswalk. For this project to be considered a success, it would receive majority positive feedback from Glendora residents as well as an increase in pedestrian crossings at the improved crosswalk as compared to the current crosswalk. On a larger scale, this project would be a success if other local governments adopted their own Safe Streets ordinances and began constructing similar projects in their communities.