PedPower Online: Empowering Safe Street Advocates in Los Angeles

Community safety

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Los Angeles urgently needs to enhance pedestrian safety and infrastructure, especially in historically disinvested communities. Despite the existence of the City’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC), community engagement is lacking, limiting the Committee's advocacy effectiveness. Los Angeles Walks partners with these communities to transform streets into safe, accessible environments. Every 28 hours, an Angeleno dies in a car crash, with higher rates among immigrants and communities of color due to legacies of racist policies. The current in-person PedPower curriculum limits accessibility, excluding many potential advocates from underserved areas. Without broad community involvement, the PAC struggles to address specific safety concerns and infrastructure needs, leading to solutions that do not reflect residents' experiences.

To address these issues, it is essential to make the PedPower curriculum more accessible through a bi-lingual (English/Spanish) digital platform and to develop a specialized Policy track in collaboration with LAFI. This initiative will increase community engagement in the PAC and ensure that infrastructure improvements are informed by the direct experiences of trained Safe Street Advocates. Empowering community members with the knowledge and skills to participate actively in these processes is crucial for fostering safer, more pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods across Los Angeles.

If Los Angeles Walks' initiative to transform the PedPower curriculum into an online platform is successful, the City will see significant improvements in pedestrian safety, community engagement, and infrastructure development.
Safer Streets: More Safe Street Advocates will reduce accidents and fatalities.
Increased Engagement: Online training in English and Spanish will ensure diverse community representation.
Better Projects: Advocates' insights will lead to effective, streamlined infrastructure projects.
Policy Influence: Collaboration with LAFI will empower advocates in policymaking.
Faster Implementation: Local knowledge will accelerate safety improvements.
A Walkable LA: Safer, more accessible streets will improve quality of life and community connections.
Empowering community members through education and advocacy will lead to sustained pedestrian safety improvements, benefiting all residents.

To ensure effectiveness, we will measure success through the following KPIs:
Participation Metrics:
Enrollment Numbers: Aim for at least 100 participants in the first year.
Completion Rates: Monitor the percentage completing the workshops.
Engagement Metrics:
Diversity of Participants: Ensure representation from all LA Council Districts, focusing on underserved communities.
Event Attendance: Measure attendance at community partner events.
Policy Influence Metrics:
PAC Engagement: Track advocates joining and participating in the City’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
Policy Changes: Monitor the adoption of new policies influenced by advocates.
In the following year, we will evaluate impact metrics by counting active Safe Street Advocates, tracking right-of-way improvements influenced by advocates, and assessing reductions in pedestrian injuries and fatalities.

LAFI will play a targeted and supportive role in the successful implementation of the PedPower online curriculum initiative. Their specific responsibilities include:
Content Expertise: Contribute policy advocacy expertise to develop a specialized Policy track within the PedPower curriculum, ensuring it provides participants with essential knowledge on policy-making and advocacy strategies.
Workshops and Modules: Assist in designing and delivering workshops and modules focusing on policy advocacy and legislative processes.
Network Utilization: Leverage their network to promote the Policy track and recruit participants, focusing on historically underserved communities.
Evaluation: Collect and analyze feedback on the Policy track to ensure its effectiveness and relevance.