How Mobility Plan 2035 Plans To Tackle Bike and Pedestrian Safety in Los Angeles

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Back in 2015, the City of Los Angeles approved Mobility Plan 2035 in an effort to enhance safety across the city. The plan’s main thrust in this regard was expanding the network of bike lanes and footpaths available for use.

Nevertheless, the plan has encountered challenges in making progress and meeting its objectives over the past eight years. With Los Angeles still grappling with the task of establishing an effective framework for safeguarding bicyclists and pedestrians, the city is still attempting to tackle the problem of keeping these citizens safe while out on LA’s streets and roads.

Cyclist advocacy groups have had some success in implementing new laws and safety measures, such as a law requiring cars to change lanes when passing bikes. So, there is hope that more can be done to safeguard the bicyclist and pedestrian community.

Measures Outlined in Mobility Plan 2035

Back in 2015, when it was initially approved by the Los Angeles City Council, Mobility Plan 2035 represented an ambitious effort aimed at outlining a vision and strategy for enhancing mobility and transportation within Los Angeles. The plan’s overarching objectives revolved around establishing a more sustainable, equitable, and efficient transportation system by the year 2035.

At its core, the plan underscores the importance of prioritizing alternative modes of transportation, notably:

  • Biking
  • Walking
  • Public transit

This emphasis aims to ease traffic congestion and foster a safer overall experience on the city’s roads. To accomplish this, the plan introduced the following key components:

  • Designing streets to accommodate a variety of transportation modes, encompassing walking, cycling, public transit, and vehicles.

  • Establishing a network of vibrant and secure streets that function as community gathering spaces and bolster local businesses.

  • Reducing traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries to zero by 2035. This objective, called “Vision Zero”, is pursued through infrastructure enhancements, educational initiatives, and enforcement measures.

  • Channeling investments into public transit, encompassing the expansion of the Metro rail and bus network, as well as the implementation of bus rapid transit and other high-capacity transit alternatives.

  • Placing a stronger emphasis on the significance of walking and cycling as viable modes of transportation. It sets forth a goal of increasing the proportion of trips made by walking and biking by 50% by the year 2035.

However, despite the substantial resources and comprehensive scope of Mobility Plan 2035, the potential for accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians remains in Los Angeles.

In fact, according to data from the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Record System (SWITRS), Los Angeles has led the state in the number of bicycle and pedestrian accidents in the 8 years since the passage of the Plan.

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