Volunteers from across the City of Los Angeles are out on the streets today, counting the number of people walking and biking at over 100 unique locations. Since 2009, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) has led this biennial all-volunteer effort to track the growth of walking and biking over time in Los Angeles. The 2017 LA Bike + Ped Count, presented by Metro, is produced in collaboration with Los Angeles Walks and local partner organizations throughout the city. The LA City Bike + Ped Count is the largest source of data on walking and biking on Los Angeles streets. Previous data collected demonstrated year-to-year increases in the numbers of people biking and walking, particularly where the city has installed new and improved infrastructure, and helps make the case for further investment in our communities.
“The Bike and Ped count provides invaluable data that allows us to invest strategically in making safe and convenient mobility options available for people in our neighborhoods,” said Councilmember Mike Bonin. “The Bike and Ped Count is a great citywide event and I urge neighbors from throughout Los Angeles to volunteer and help gather this important data.”
“The LA County Bicycle Coalition’s bike and pedestrian count provides an important service for the City of Los Angeles. While many people in the West Valley ride bikes to work, to school and for recreation today, the data LACBC collects on where and how people ride is an important resource for shaping our future investments in transportation infrastructure, and making bicycling a viable option for even more people,” said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield.
Past count data has shown a strong correlation between new bicycle infrastructure and ridership growth, particularly among women, supporting LA’s focus on growing its bike network and prioritizing protected bike lanes on major streets. The 2015 count showed that bike lanes have made streets safer, for people who bike and for all people using the roads. On new bike lanes counted in 2015, ridership increased by 62% after installation. After accounting for increases in ridership, new bike lanes reduced bicycle collisions by an average of 42%, and car on car collisions by 20%. Previous counts have also documented high rates of biking on streets in low-income communities of color that lack bicycle infrastructure, such as Central Avenue in South Los Angeles and North Figueroa Street in Highland Park. Counts have also revealed that the most popular streets for walking and biking are also the most dangerous.
“LACBC’s fifth biannual Los Angeles Bike + Ped Count will continue to provide valuable information to public officials and the public on how Angelenos move about the city. From commuting to recreation, by choice or necessity, thousands of Angelenos walk and bike everyday and deserve streets that keep them safe and allow access to real economic opportunity, healthy food, and community spaces,” said LACBC Interim Executive Director Erik Jansen. “This data will continue to show that people throughout the city rely on walking and biking, especially in in low income communities and communities of color that suffer from a historic lack of investment in safe infrastructure. We’re excited that Metro has joined us as a sponsor this year, and hope to continue to partner with them in future years as this information guides infrastructure improvements in the communities that need it most.”
“Metro supports LACBC’s Bike+Ped Count,” said Julia Salinas, Metro’s Active Planning Manager within Active Transportation. “The count creates the most comprehensive snapshot of how people are walking and biking around the county. It helps Metro and cities throughout the region evaluate projects and plan future pedestrian and bicycle improvements.”
“Bicycle and pedestrian counts help City staff and advocates understand where resources are needed now, and where we can expect resources to be needed soon, based on trends. Agencies require count data on funding applications for street safety projects and encouragement programs throughout Los Angeles,” said Emilia Crotty, Executive Director of Los Angeles Walks. “The numbers can also be helpful to local activists, though, who often need data to make the case for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure on their own blocks or in their own neighborhoods. We are grateful to all of the volunteers who make the count possible.”
Volunteers will be counting at locations citywide from 7 AM to 9 AM and 4 PM to 6 PM today, and again from 11 AM to 1 PM on Saturday. For more information, visit la-bike.org/bikepedcount.
Contact: Dana Variano 213-629-2142, x116 dana@la-bike.org