Federal Level
Survey: Most Americans Say They’d Pay More For A Home In A Walkable Community
In a survey from the National Association of REALTORS, 79% percent of respondents rate walkability as “very” or “somewhat” important, and 78% say they’d pay more for a home in a walkable community. Young adults prioritize walkability the most, with 90% of Gen Z and millennial respondents indicating they’d pay more for a home in a walkable community; a third say they’d “pay a lot more.”
State Level
Transportation Safety Bills Pass California Legislature Committees
The California Senate Transportation Committee advanced a bill to legalize biking on the sidewalk in areas without safe bicycle infrastructure. The bill, introduced by Assembly Majority Leader Isaac Bryan, will next go to the Appropriations Committee.
Meanwhile, the California Senate Judiciary Committee passed Assemblymember Laura Friedman’s bill to create a pilot program in six cities – including Los Angeles, Glendale and Long Beach – to test out speed cameras in school zones, on high-injury corridors and on streets with a history of racing or side shows.
General LA
SCAG Awards Millions To Los Angeles Area Transportation Projects
The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG - the six-county regional planning agency) announced $80 million in Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) grants awarded to county transportation agencies, including $41.7 million in grants to Metro. Other projects include $15 million for the North Hollywood Transit Center, $2.6 million to expand the San Gabriel Valley’s GoSGV electric bike share program, and $404,250 to develop an implementation plan for the Neighborhood Mobility Hub Pilot Projects in the South Bay.
San Gabriel Valley
Pasadena Launches E-Bike Rebate Pilot Program
Pasadena launched their e-bike rebate pilot program on July 1. Pasadena residents can get:
$500 for the purchase of a new qualifying e-b from a bike shop located in Pasadena
$250 bonus for the purchase of a qualifying new e-cargo bike or adaptive e-bike from a bike shop located in Pasadena
Additional $250 bonus available for customers enrolled in PWP’s income-qualified bill assistance program
El Monte Installs New Bike Lanes To Connect To Transit Stations
The new bike lanes in El Monte’s downtown area connect to the El Monte Transit Station off Ramona Boulevard and the Metrolink Station on Tyler Avenue.
The lanes were installed on roads already heavily used as alternates to the town’s hectic arteries (Valley Boulevard and Santa Anita Avenue): Tyler as the north-south route, and Ramona, as an east-west proxy for Valley. The two connect just south of the Valley Mall, providing an opportunity for transit commuters to get off Santa Anita on their way down to Ramona.
Westside
UCLA Students Report Problems With BruinAccess Van Service
The Daily Bruin reported that students at UCLA with accessibility needs have found chronic problems with BruinAccess, a free van service to help students with mobility issues travel across campus and Westwood. Students claim the service has frequent delays and unreliable service that impacts their education.