LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joined local officials, school leaders and parents at Van Nuys Elementary in the San Fernando Valley this morning to announce urgent action the City has taken in collaboration with LAUSD to help keep students, parents, families and school staff safe. As the new school year begins, hundreds of safety provisions have been installed near schools to make it safer for students to get to and from school.
“Today, we are highlighting urgent action the City has taken in collaboration with LAUSD, including the installation of more than 250 speed humps near schools to slow down car traffic, and more than 500 crossing guards to make it safer for children and families to get to and from school,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “This is all part of a comprehensive public safety strategy to make all of Los Angeles safer.”
“This is personal for me,” said City Council President Paul Krekorian. “From my first days on the Council I’ve had to comfort too many families whose children were injured or even killed by a driver hurtling through the intersection. We’re adding speed humps, signal lights, curb extensions, but there’s one thing you can all do as members of the public to make our streets and school zones safer. Slow down! Put down the phone and pay attention, especially near our schools and senior centers.”
“Ensuring our students make it safely to school is one of our most important responsibilities,” said LAUSD Board Member Scott Schmerelson. “We are committed to prioritizing making the path is safe - every step of the way.”
"We are deeply grateful to Mayor Bass and the City for their steadfast commitment to the safety and well-being of our students and community through the Summer Night Lights program and other traffic safety initiatives,” LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said. “Together, we are making great strides in building a community that cherishes and protects its youth, ensuring they have the opportunities and support needed to succeed. Thank you for being an integral part of our journey towards a safer, more vibrant future."
The City has completed installation of projects and taken action to make areas around schools safer ahead of this school year, including:
Implementing street safety projects in the form of “quick build” street improvements at more than 180 intersections at more than 40 schools
Installing more than 250 speed humps near 92 schools where speeding is a known issue
Establishing School Slow Zones with reduced 15 mph speed limits on more than 450 street segments adjoining 190 schools.
Expediting the hiring of crossing guards, Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) will deploy more than 500 crossing guards for the coming school year, continuing the widest deployment in over a decade.
Signing an agreement with LAUSD to encourage safe passage that is free from violence for students traveling to and from schools.
Following the announcement of new street safety provisions, Mayor Bass visited the LAPD Van Nuys Division in the Valley and participated in a ride-along with LAPD officers to examine safety challenges and discuss efforts to continue to bring crime down.
Over the summer, the City took action to help keep children and young people safe during the summer months by deploying resources through the Summer Night Lights program to some school-adjacent recreation facilities. Summer Night Lights increases youth and family programming in our public spaces in order to help reduce violence and served more than 100,000 attendees at 44 sites over a series of evenings. The program is a key component of the Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) Comprehensive Strategy.