Culver City Advances La Ballona Elementary Safe Routes to School Project after City Council Approval

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Culver City

Go Human congratulates the City of Culver City on the approval of the La Ballona Elementary Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Project. After an extensive two-year planning and community engagement process, including key project partners such as Bike Culver City, La Ballona Elementary School parents, and others, the SRTS project was approved for construction by the City Council at its meeting on Monday, Feb. 3.

Funded through an Active Transportation Program (ATP) Cycle 2 grant, the La Ballona Elementary SRTS project will install multiple transportation safety improvements around La Ballona Elementary School to make it safer and more inviting to walk and bike to school. Some of these improvements include:

  • A new protected bike lane on Elenda Street between Culver Blvd. and Washington Blvd.
  • Curb extensions at intersections to shorten the crossing distances.
  • New ADA ramps to increase accessibility.
  • New high-visibility crosswalks.

The City facilitated extensive community engagement and opportunities to collect feedback from residents. As part of the community engagement process, Go Human partnered with the City to host a two-week temporary safety demonstration, Experience Elenda, in the fall of 2018.

Paired with activities, giveaways, art and games, the event attracted over 700 community members and local stakeholders. City of Culver City Mayor, Meghan Sahli-Wells, serves on SCAG’s Regional Council and is a champion for local active transportation efforts. Her leadership was invaluable in advancing this project and spearheading many other active transportation efforts in the City.

“The Go Human demonstration helped catalyze our project forward and build support for the SRTS improvements. The partnership with Go Human allowed community members and city leaders to experience what the improvements would feel like and was an invaluable tool for engaging the community and gaining momentum in the city.”

— Culver City Mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells

The demonstration project allowed community members and city staff to test innovative infrastructure designs, such as a parking protected bike lane, and experience what improved infrastructure feels like. The demonstration was instrumental in gaining public support by providing community members an opportunity to test out the planned improvements and provide their feedback on the project, informing the final design. Over 140 community members shared their feedback at the event:

  • Over 90% of respondents supported the protected bike lane.
  • 93% supported the high-visibility crosswalks.
  • 99% thought the demonstration made the street feel safer and more inviting.

La Ballona banner image

Go Human provided an opportunity for the City to engage new audiences and bring new voices into the planning process, as over 72% of participants had never attended a community meeting hosted by the City to discuss transportation.

As for next steps, the City will move forward with a bid for construction this spring. To learn more and stay updated on the project, visit the La Ballona Elementary Safe Routes to School project website, and to learn more about the Go Human event, check out the Experience Elenda Final Report.

Once again, a warm congratulations to the City of Culver City from Go Human and SCAG!​