Community members joined the Glendale City Council and staff this past Tuesday to officially launch the Be Street Smart Glendale campaign which encourages all road users to “walk smart, drive smart & bike smart.” School children, city residents, elected officials, and local community & business leaders were present at the press conference which unveiled details about this public education campaign that will seek to make Glendale a safer place for everyone. This citywide effort will reach out to all sectors of the Glendale population, including children and senior citizens, who are disproportionately affected by pedestrian accidents in the community.
After the press conference, attendees, including students from Chamlian Armenian School, participated in a Crosswalk Demonstration Project at the intersection of Glendale Avenue and Broadway to model safe crossing behavior and to raise awareness among drivers about the importance of being aware of pedestrians at all times.
The Be Street Smart Glendale campaign, under the leadership of the City’s Community Development Department will continue to engage those who walk, drive and bike in Glendale through a variety of approaches including advertising, in-school education programs, community events and social media. Attendees were invited to join the Billion Step Challenge which will encourage citizens to walk and bike more and to do it safely. The next opportunity to get involved is during the Glendale Walkabout taking place this Saturday, November 5 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Volunteers are needed to help pinpoint challenges to walking along select routes throughout the City. Their feedback will be used in the development of the Citywide Pedestrian Plan.
The campaign is a part or a larger Citywide pedestrian safety program to raise awareness about safety issues involving bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists in Glendale. In 2014, the City of Glendale received $2.7 million in bicycle and pedestrian safety grants to fund educational projects around the city. For more information please visit BeSteetSmartGlendale.com or follow “GlendaleWalks” on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.