La Ballona Safe Routes to School Project at Community Event in Culver City

The City of Culver City and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Go Human campaign invite residents and visitors to bike, walk, skate or roll to Experience Elenda, a free community event to be held on Saturday, September 15, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The goal of the event is to allow residents and visitors to test out and provide feedback to the City on planned street improvements proposed in the La Ballona Safe Routes to School Project.

Experience Elenda will showcase street improvements on Elenda Street between Washington and Culver Boulevards in Culver City that will make it safer for students and families walking or biking to La Ballona Elementary School and for people connecting to local bike routes including the Ballona Creek Bike Path.

Infrastructure improvements in the La Ballona Safe Routes to School Project will ensure that students can travel safely to and from school each day. Crosswalk enhancements and curb extensions at the intersection of Elenda Street and Washington Boulevard will increase the visibility of pedestrians and students crossing the high-speed road. A two-way protected bike lane on Elenda Street will separate bicyclists from lanes of vehicle traffic.

The City hopes to gain local input on the proposed street changes at the event as they finalize the street design for permanent installation next year. This event will mark the conclusion of an ongoing community feedback process that took place over the past year.

Experience Elenda will bring together friends and neighbors to enjoy free family-friendly activities including a kids’ bike rodeo, bicycle repair, a DJ, a caricature artist, arts and crafts, giveaways and more. Attendees are encouraged to attend this free community event on foot or by bike, scooter or skateboard.

Culver City Mayor Thomas Small, SCAG Chief Operating Officer Darin Chidsey and Culver City Safe Routes to School Coordinator Jim Shanman will speak at a brief press event on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at the event hub located at 10900 Washington Boulevard. California State Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager-Dove and a representative from the office of State Senator Holly Mitchell will also be in attendance.

SCAG’s Go Human campaign is working with cities and counties across Southern California to develop open streets events and safety demonstration projects, such as Experience Elenda, which promote safety while encouraging people to walk and bike more.

“To date, Go Human has held 21 demonstration events in cities across the Southern California region and is committed to hosting an additional six events this year],” said SCAG President Alan D. Wapner. “Making it safer to bike and walk to local destinations not only boosts local economies, but also expands mobility options beyond driving.”

Experience Elenda is the product of a partnership between the City of Culver City, Clean Transportation Funding – Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee and SCAG’s Go Human campaign. For more information, visit GoHumanSoCal.org/ExperienceElenda.

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About SCAG

SCAG is the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization, representing six counties, 191 cities and more than 18 million residents. SCAG undertakes a variety of planning and policy initiatives to plan for a livable and sustainable Southern California now and in the future. For more information about SCAG, please visit: http://www.scag.ca.gov.

About Go Human

Due to the increase in traffic collisions involving people walking and bicycling, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), launched Go Human, an active transportation safety and encouragement campaign. Go Human aims to increase the number of people walking and biking and decrease the number of collisions that involve people walking and biking. The campaign is a collaboration between SCAG and the health departments and transportation commissions from six counties in the region; Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura. For more information, visit: http://www.gohumansocal.org.