Volunteers Counting Bicycle Riders and Walkers Around Los Angeles

Bicycle [Getty Images]

Photo Credit: Getty Images

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Volunteers fanned out around Los Angeles today to take note of the number of people walking and bicycling as part of the 2017 LA Bike + Ped Count.

The biennial count has been happening since 2009, and the roughly 300 volunteers were stationed at more than 100 locations during the morning and afternoon rush hours in an effort to track the growth of walking and biking over time in Los Angeles.

Another major count is also happening on Saturday, and three more are also planned for next week.

“The Bike and Ped count provides invaluable data that allows us to invest strategically in making safe and convenient mobility options available for people in our neighborhoods," said Councilman Mike Bonin, who chairs the City Council's Transportation Committee and is also on the Metro Board of Directors.

“The Bike and Ped Count is a great citywide event and I urge neighbors from throughout Los Angeles to volunteer and help gather this important data,'' he said.

The count is organized by the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, and previously collected data showed year-to-year increases in the numbers of people biking and walking, particularly where the city has installed new and improved infrastructure.

“The L.A. County Bicycle Coalition's bike and pedestrian count provides an important service for the city of Los Angeles,'' Councilman Bob Blumenfield said.

The count also tracks safety issues. The 2015 count found ridership increased by 62 percent on streets after the installation of bike lanes, and that after accounting for increases in ridership, new bike lanes reduced bicycle collisions by an average of 42 percent and car-on-car collisions by 20 percent.

Previous counts have also found that the most popular streets for walking and biking are also the most dangerous.

“From commuting to recreation, by choice or necessity, thousands of Angelenos walk and bike everyday and deserve streets that keep them safe and allow access to real economic opportunity, healthy food, and community spaces," LACBC Interim Executive Director Erik Jansen said.


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