Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Yes, People DO Walk in L.A.: And Now Walkers Have Their Own Advocacy Group
Photo by delara-photos via the LAist Featured Photos pool
Forget what Missing Persons sang or what Joan Didion wrote. People in Los Angeles do get off the freeway and use their own two feet to get around (even if they're just walking to a parking spot)—and now there's a new group in town aiming to make the city safer just for them.
It's true, Los Angeles has a deadly reputation for pedestrians, but Los Angeles Walks is the first city-wide pedestrian advocacy group hoping to change that. The all-volunteer group recently launched a website. It points to the recent deaths of pedestrians (like Ashley Sandau) and explains its mission this way:
The crazy thing is that until now there has not been a city-wide pedestrian advocacy group in Los Angeles that would work to bring awareness and change after these kinds of incidents. There are plenty of groups like this for bikers, for example, but not for walkers. And everyone, I would argue, is a walker in LA, even if you're just walking to your car. As one part of our 2012 campaign, we are focusing on the dozen or so most dangerous intersections in the city and will be working to recommend improvements to those intersections, from road diets, to crosswalk design, to policy changes, to better wayfinding. Our hope is that this kind of work will serve as an example for communities across LA who want to implement similar changes in their neighborhoods. We truly believe that designing streets and sidewalks that are safer for pedestrians will make them safer (and healthier, and more enjoyable) for everyone in LA.
The group was launched by Deborah Murphy, an urban designer, Jessica Meaney, who advocates for Safe Routes to School, and Alexis Lantz with the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.Interested in getting involved? You can talk to the group at CicLAvia, and later on this month the group will be hosting a karaoke fundraiser. The fundraiser kicks off on Saturday, April 21 7 pm at Atwater Crossing
at 3245 Casitas Avenue. For more information, check out the group's website.
You can practice singing that song:
Sponsored message
Related:
When it Comes to Walking, L.A. is More Deadly than Other Cities
Another Walkability Survey, And Why We (Don't) Walk in L.A.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
