According to the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the nature of streets and types of travel on them is changing dramatically. Bicycling across Southern California increased 70 percent between 2007 and 2012. Investment in walking and bicycling infrastructure is anticipated to grow with more than half a billion dollars being invested across the region by 2020.
To promote roadway safety and encourage walking and bicycling, SCAG has launched Go Human, a community outreach and advertising campaign collaboration between SCAG and the health departments and transportation commissions from six counties in the region – Orange, Imperial, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.
Funded by a $2.3 million grant from the 2014 California Active Transportation Program, Go Human will roll out a series of events in partnership with local communities beginning in May 2016. OCTA helped develop the campaign and will assist with its implementation.
OCTA champions safety for all types of transportation throughout Orange County, including active transportation activities such as bicycling and walking. Earlier, this year, OCTA created a Pedestrian Action Plan to improve pedestrian safety countywide while continually adding online resources to raise awareness regarding safe walking practices. To support bicycling in Orange County, a bicycle-friendly community with more than 1,000 miles of bikeways, OCTA works with local government to improve bicycling opportunities, provides extensive resources including an award-winning safety video, and takes part year-round in community events.