The City of Los Angeles is set to receive more than $200 million in Active Transportation Program (ATP) grants following a vote on Wednesday by the California Transportation Commission (CTC). The ATP grants fund projects that support and encourage transportation through active modes such as walking, biking, and taking transit by making streets safer and more accessible to people traveling by these means.

In 2013, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation creating the Active Transportation Program (ATP) in the Department of Transportation (Senate Bill 99, Chapter 359 and Assembly Bill 101, Chapter 354). The ATP consolidates existing federal and state transportation programs, including the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), Bicycle Transportation Account (BTA), and State Safe Routes to School (SRTS), into a single program with a focus to make California a national leader in active transportation.

The CTC awarded ATP Cycle 6 grants to six separate projects within the City of Los Angeles. (ATP Cycle 6 is expected to include about $650 million made up of Federal, State SB1, and State Highway Account (SHA) funding. The funding/programming years include the 23/24, 24/25, 25/26, and 26/27 fiscal years.) They are:

Skid Row Connectivity and Safety Project ($38.6 million). This project will construct three miles of complete streets elements in the Skid Row neighborhood of Downtown Los Angeles, where 50% of residents live in poverty, and 35% of residents are unhoused. The project area currently has no bike facilities, few crosswalks, and sidewalks that are in a state of disrepair. Project improvements include more than two miles of protected Class IV bikeways, improved sidewalks, secure bike lockers, hydration stations, e-bike charging stations, high-visibility crosswalks, shade trees, and benches. Once built, the project will provide safer connections to transit, three schools, parks, City Hall, medical facilities, and employment opportunities.

Osborne Street: Path to Park Access Project ($42.3 million). The project will focus on Osborne Street between San Fernando Road and Foothill Blvd to create a connected, complete street and improve access to transportation options, neighborhood destinations, open spaces and trails. Osborne Street is a missing link for people traveling to Hansen Dam Recreation Area, getting between neighborhood destinations, and accessing transit in Pacoima.

Normandie Beautiful: Creating Neighborhood Connections in South LA ($23.58 million). This project will bring pedestrian and bike safety improvements including enhanced pedestrian crossings, traffic signal modifications, and low-stress bicycle facilities to address community-identified mobility barriers. Safety improvements are concentrated near Vermont Ave Elementary School. Normandie Beautiful will serve as a key connector to existing and proposed projects that run perpendicular to Normandie Avenue, while addressing mobility barriers and gaps to create a denser, safer, and more complete active transportation network.

Wilmington Safe Streets – A people first approach ($32.33 million). The project is located near the Port of Los Angeles (busiest port in the US) in the City of Los Angeles, will provided needed active transportation connections for the low-income Wilmington community. The project will install Class II, III, and IV bike facilities, pedestrian and ADA improvements, and traffic calming measures, and will improve safety for all modes. Within one-mile of the project there are 11 schools, 5 parks, 3 recreation centers, Wilmington community gardens, businesses located along Avalon Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway, and Metro J (Silver) Line BRT Transit Station and 4 bus lines.

Western our Way: Walk and Wheel Improvements ($37.74 million). This project will deliver significant safety improvements along nearly 7 miles of Western Ave from Washington to Century. The project will include dozens of new and upgraded crosswalks, traffic signals, pedestrian beacons, intersection tightening, and other treatments that improve safety and make the street safer for people walking and traveling along this corridor.

LA River Greenway: East San Fernando Valley Gap Closure ($34.4 million). The project will construct approximately 3.2 miles of greenway gap closure along/adjacent to the LA River from Lankershim to Whitsett in the East San Fernando Valley. The project will transform the non-motorized environment by providing a safe and direct alternative to walking and biking on high-speed, high-volume arterials and connect people to existing ped/bike facilities, schools, parks and other community destinations.