In a push to promote safety and accessibility on the streets of Long Beach, the City's Department of Public Works is set to engage the community in a dialogue about the Orange Avenue Backbone Bikeway project during two open house events this November. Residents are invited to attend these informational gatherings, with one taking place on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Cal Rec Community Center at Ernest McBride Park, and the other on Wednesday, Nov. 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the EXPO Arts Center, according to the City of Long Beach's announcement.
The initiative is part of the Elevate ‘28 program, which itself is a five-year infrastructure endeavor aimed at upgrading the city's mobility and communal spaces; the Bikeway project, featuring a $30 million budget, is designed to reduce traffic mishaps, particularly those involving pedestrians and to create a continuous protected bikeway with intersection enhancements and highly visible crosswalks that are key to achieving the city's Vision Zero goal to eliminate serious traffic-related injuries and fatalities by 2026. Residents attending the events will be introduced to the project details and will be able to pose questions and offer feedback which will, in turn, influence the final design of the project.
The meetings are structured to present an identical overview of the proposed safety and accessibility upgrades, with project teams ready to field community inquiries and take in suggestions. Inclusivity is a central element to the consultative process, with the promise of interpretative services for Spanish, Khmer, and Tagalog speakers being provided, and an open invitation for families to bring their children, with the perk of light refreshments also on offer.
Long Beach's broad scope of planned infrastructure improvements, which highlights the ongoing or impending construction on roadways that include Studebaker Road, Pacific Avenue, and Artesia Boulevard, envisions a city that is both safer and easier to navigate, these projects together, in an array of almost 200 under the Elevate ‘28 umbrella, anticipate a transformative stride for the community by 2028. Further details on the Orange Avenue Backbone Bikeway project can be sourced from the project's webpage or by contacting the Long Beach Public Works directly through email at [email protected], with media inquiries directed to Jocelin Padilla-Razo, Community Information Officer, at 562.570.4668 or [email protected], a differentiation that underscores the city's commitment to transparent and accessible communication.
