Pasadena, CA July 7, 2021 — From a competitive pool of applicants across the region, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has awarded funding to Day One to implement a traffic safety project. The funding is part of the Go Human Community Streets Mini-Grants Program, which focuses on building street-level community resiliency and increasing the safety of people most harmed by traffic injuries and fatalities, including without limitation Black, Indigenous and People of Color; people with disabilities; and frontline workers, particularly those walking and biking.
As part of the Mini-Grants Program, Day One will be among 31 diverse communities across Southern California to receive funding from the Southern California Association of Governments to implement community-driven traffic safety projects that meet the needs of people most harmed by traffic injuries and fatalities.
The Go Human Community Streets Mini-Grants Program supports organizations invested in safety and justice but who may not have transportation as their core focus, such as public health, disability justice, social service, parent groups, organizations that serve tribal nations, elders, rural communities.
The 2021 program also focuses on supporting leadership and capacity-building strategies. The Vamos Pasadena, El Monte and Pomona projects are community-driven projects that aim to gather important community feedback on what streets need safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists in Pasadena, El Monte and Pomona- and incorporate community-driven “pop-up” infrastructure improvement events in all 3 cities. Feedback gathered will be shared with SCAG and city decision-makers to provide feedback on future improvements.
The Mini-Grants Program centers on resilient streets, a framework for using street space for community resiliency, recovery, and resource delivery that prioritizes disadvantaged communities and communities most harmed by traffic injuries and fatalities. This framework emphasizes community-driven co-creation, where community engagement is a key element in the project.
“We hope these projects complement all the momentum around building safe, resilient streets in the communities we work in,” said Alfredo Camacho, Director of Environmental Justice and Community Inclusion. “Not only are we gathering community feedback to equip decision-makers, but we are also modeling tangible changes to help residents imagine and experience the benefits of safe streets,” Camacho added.
The Southern California Association of Governments awarded Day One a grant totaling $24,140 to implement their traffic safety projects between June 14, 2021, and August 27, 2021.
SCAG’s Go Human campaign and the Community Streets Mini-Grants Program is supported with funding by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
ABOUT DAY ONE Day One, Inc., is a youth-focused, community-based public health non-profit with a 30-year history of providing effective, culturally competent public health education, intervention, evidence-based policy and environmental prevention strategies to communities in the San Gabriel Valley. Day One builds vibrant healthy cities by advancing public health, empowering youth and igniting change.
ABOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS SCAG is the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization, representing six counties, 191 cities and nearly 19 million residents. SCAG undertakes a variety of planning and policy initiatives to plan for a livable and sustainable Southern California now and in the future. For more information about SCAG’s regional efforts, please visit www.scag.ca.gov.
