The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors has approved $4.14 million for a new round of Open Streets events that temporarily close streets to automobile traffic and create one-day opportunities for people to walk, bike, roll and take transit, possibly for the first time.
Seventeen new Open Street events will now be organized through December 2018, bringing these events to entirely new areas of the county, including West Hollywood, San Fernando, San Dimas, Glendale, Whittier, San Pedro and more. Events are modeled after the “Ciclovias” which began in Bogota, Columbia, to address congestion and pollution in the city.
“Metro already funds the largest Open Streets Program in the United States, but this latest round of events sets a new record for our county,” said John Fasana, Metro board chair and city of Duarte City Council Member. “Our Open Streets events provide people with new opportunities to experience active transportation in a safe and protected environment while exposing even more of our residents to Metro’s growing public transit system.”
During previous Open Streets events, ridership on Metro Rail has increased an average of 10 percent on the day of the event. Additionally, systemwide Day Pass sales increased an average of 17 percent and 30-Day Pass sales increased an average of 12 percent.
As part of this new round of funding, Metro worked with participating cities to stage Open Streets events in new parts of the county – including disadvantaged communities – to help spur economic development, public health and community interaction.
Metro created the Open Streets Program three years ago to fund a series of regional car-free events. The program allocates up to $2 million approximately every two years to cities seeking to stage their own Open Streets events. Since its inception, Metro has funded 10 Open Streets events totaling 68 miles. Two Open Streets events, including the 626 Golden Streets event, were cancelled in the first round due to unforeseen circumstances and reprogrammed to this new round of funding.
