COMMUNITY STREET SAFETY PROJECT
What would make your street feel safer to walk or bike on?
Through walks and bike rides, we’re paying attention to what people experience, what feels unsafe, and what’s missing.
In partnership with Altadena Bicycle Club • Community rides and walks underway • Supported by a national grant
Why this exists
Altadena has lost community members, including Kent Pulver, in pedestrian collisions.
In parts of Altadena, especially west of Lake Avenue, streets are not designed for safe walking or biking.
This is where the work starts.
What we’re doing
We are not starting with a design.
We’re hosting:
community bike rides
neighborhood walks
local movement-based events
This gives people a chance to notice what feels unsafe and what’s missing.
What the Altadena Town Trail is
This will grow into a network of safer,
more connected routes across Altadena.
Connecting neighborhoods, schools, local businesses, and the foothills.
We are not defining it yet. The direction will come from what people experience and share.
Who’s involved
Altadena Bicycle Club
Leads rides and brings people together
Lotus Rising LA
Documents what people experience and carries those insights forward
We’re working together on this.
What happens to what people share
We document what people notice during walks and rides.
We look for patterns:
where people feel unsafe
where connections are missing
what people wish existed
This will be used in future conversations around safer streets and infrastructure as Altadena rebuilds.
Why this matters
As Altadena rebuilds, people should be able to reach each other safely and feel connected to their neighborhood.
This work supports that.
What this can look like
Other cities have made changes to their streets that led to measurable improvements in safety.
New York City
Redesigned streets with protected bike lanes, safer crossings, and updated signals
34% reduction in injury risk
Over 60% reduction on high-risk streets
40–50% fewer crashes causing serious injury or death
Source: NYC Department of Transportation
Queens Boulevard, New York City
Major corridor redesigned with protected lanes and safer crossings
Over 40% drop in pedestrian and cyclist injuries
Number of people biking doubled
Source: NYC DOT / Streetsblog reporting
Washington, DC
Protected bike lane installed on a major corridor
46% drop in total crashes
91% drop in cyclist injury crashes
Source: DC Department of Transportation / Washington Post reporting
These changes came from improving how streets are designed. That’s where we’re starting.
Where we’re starting
We are focusing on areas west of Lake Avenue, where safety concerns are highest and many streets were not designed with people in mind.
In progress
Community rides and walks underway
Stories and experiences being documented
Partnership with Altadena Bicycle Club
Recipient of a national Community Spark Grant
What people are noticing
“Getting around shouldn’t feel like a risk every single day.”
“We avoid going out after dark because the streets just don’t feel secure.”
“Even short walks feel uncomfortable because of how the street is designed.”