Funding Available For Creative Community-driven Traffic Safety Projects

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has released a Call for Projects for the Community Streets Mini-Grants Program through its regional active transportation safety and encouragement campaign, Go Human.

Southern California has some of the highest levels of injuries and fatalities in the United States among pedestrians and bicyclists. Overall, an average of more than four people die every day in traffic collisions in the six-county SCAG region (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties). People walking or riding bikes account for 27% of those deaths despite comprising only 12% of all trips. SCAG data shows that 70% of all collision are on local roads.  

SCAG launched the Go Human program in 2015, in an effort to reduce collisions, improve safety for people walking and biking and raise awareness of the importance of traffic safety. Since 2018, Go Human has awarded more than $250,000 to implement 42 traffic safety projects across the region. 

The Go Human Mini-Grants Program provides awards up to $10,000 for community-driven traffic safety projects that support the needs of people most harmed by traffic injuries and fatalities. The program targets organizations that are invested in safety and mobility justice but might not have transportation as their core focus. These would include groups that focus on public health, disability justice, social service, parent groups, tribal nations, elders and rural communities.  

The Mini-Grants Program supports aligns with SCAG’s commitment to close the gap of racial injustice and meaningfully advance inclusion, diversity, equity and awareness. 

Community-based organizations, nonprofits and social enterprises are eligible to apply for a Community Streets Mini-Grant. Funding will be distributed to prioritize equity, particularly within communities that have been historically disinvested or in disadvantaged communities. 

“Providing safe options for walking and bicycling is critical to promoting social equity and healthy communities thereby making our increasingly integrated transportation system more efficient. These grants will play a huge role in helping us take our active transportation efforts to the next level,” said Kome Ajise, SCAG Executive Director. 

Applications are due Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. PT. For more information, and to apply, visit: scag.ca.gov/apply-mini-grant. 

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

Read the full press release: SCAG Announces Go Human Mini-Grants Call for Projects