For Immediate Release
October 8, 2014 

Media Contact: 
Thomas R. Lorenz, Director of Communications & Community Relations

Tamar Hadjimanoukian, Community Outreach Assistant

City Council Moves Forward on Adopting Pedestrian Safety Recommendations

$1.5 Million in Active Transportation Grant Funding Obtained

The City of Glendale continues to have an unacceptable number of automobile / pedestrian traffic collisions. The demographic of the individuals in fatal collisions has predominately remained the City of Glendale's older pedestrian population. Distracted driving habits, unsafe operations, and jaywalking pedestrians are significant problems that endanger the drivers and pedestrians of our city. In order to make significant and lasting reductions in preventable pedestrian and vehicle traffic collisions, the assistance and support of the entire community is necessary. 

The Pedestrian Safety Task Force was formed as a sub-committee to the City's Transportation & Parking Commission to discuss, analyze, and provide recommendations for pedestrian safety improvements within Glendale. The Pedestrian Safety Task Force is comprised of City Staff from Public Works Engineering and Maintenance Services, two members of the Transportation and Parking Commission (TPC) along with a Planning Commissioner, representatives from Walk Bike Glendale, the Go Glendale, Homeowner's Coordinating Council, Glendale Unified School District, and other organizations. Since the establishment of the Task Force, there have been five meetings where the members identified and prioritized key tasks, developed strategies and goals to prevent pedestrian injuries and promote pedestrian safety.

The City of Glendale actively pursues new avenues of funding to support education, enforcement, and engineering to improve safety in Glendale neighborhoods, near campuses, and in densely populated areas. The City of Glendale applied for and received $1.5 million in 2014 Active Transportation Grant funding. This funding will be applied to pedestrian safety education, safety improvements, and implementation of campaigns brought forth by the Pedestrian Safety Task Force.

On October 7, 2014, staff presented the Task Force’s recommendations to City Council where they were unanimously approved. To review these recommendations, please click here.

This funding is in addition to $2.1 million of grant funding to further study and improve pedestrian and bicycle safety.