news
Koreatown Workshop Maps Safer Walking Routes to Three Schools
A 2021 virtual session organized with LADOT focused on walking and biking conditions around three neighborhood schools.
How we reported this
Koreatown residents and city staff joined a virtual workshop on September 16, 2021 to review walking and biking routes near Hobart Elementary School, Los Angeles Elementary School and Mariposa-Nabi Primary Center.
The session was requested by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School Program. Participants wanted updated infrastructure maps for future grant applications, better conditions for students and families, basic road-safety education and fresh ideas for street design. The effort came from the Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Training Program run by UC Berkeley SafeTREC and California Walks, with funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety.
Local partners shape the agenda
A planning committee that included Streets for All, Walk N’ Rollers, the Wilshire Center Koreatown Neighborhood Council, the Korean Youth and Community Center and offices from City Council District 10 helped set the workshop goals. Committee members also came from the Los Angeles Community Investment for Families Department and the Los Angeles County Public Health Department. Their input guided the choice of routes and the emphasis on school travel.
The group applied the Safe System Framework, which treats street design and speed management as the main ways to reduce serious injuries rather than relying only on individual behavior. The approach lists six layers of protection: safe speeds, safe street design, understanding how people actually use roads, better post-crash response, training for local groups and data-driven policies.
Looking ahead in Koreatown
Workshop notes call for continued work on the three school routes, with updated maps that can support grant requests. Residents and agency staff are expected to keep meeting to turn the preliminary ideas into concrete projects. Community members can stay involved by contacting the same partner organizations that helped organize the 2021 session or by reaching out to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School staff for the latest map revisions.