The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services is ramping up its traffic safety programs with a hefty cash infusion from the California Office of Traffic Safety, securing a total of $915,000 for initiatives aimed at curbing distracted and impaired driving, along with promoting safe biking and walking practices. In an announcement, Mayor Rex Richardson underscored the importance of traffic safety as a public priority and praised the grants for enabling the city to bolster community education and preventative strategies, helping to reduce accidents on the streets of Long Beach.
Spreading across the city from Oct. 1, 2025, to Sept. 30, 2026, the funds will facilitate a range of programs, including the bike and pedestrian-focused Walk & Roll LB and Greenlight LB's crusade against distracted- and impaired-driving; the initiatives, according to a press release by longbeach.gov., intends to engrain safe habits through school presentations, youth engagement, and hands-on demonstrations while also providing free safety gear and harnessing local data through community surveys.
Health and Human Services Director Alison King remarked on the comprehensive approach of these programs, emphasizing their commitment to educating and instigating behavioral change in high-risk areas, for the youth, and particularly within communities that disproportionately suffer the brunt of traffic-related injuries.
In the past year, the initiatives have made a marked impact, reaching over 8,300 community members with a multifaceted assault on traffic perils and conducted 37 school-based presentations to instill safe practices in younger generations; they have also engaged youth leaders in spreading the word and generously distributed essential safety equipment like helmets and bike lights to encourage safer navigation of the city's byways according to the same press release by longbeach.gov.
Stephanie Dougherty, OTS Director, voiced her recognition of these efforts by expressing pride in supporting Long Beach's work. In her statement, she strongly advocated for the clear-minded and unimpaired operation of vehicles as key to preventing tragic incidents on the road. These traffic safety education initiatives align with Long Beach's broad strategic visions for securing safer streets in the forthcoming years.
