Santa Ana, CA, July 22, 2021—From a competitive pool of applicants across the region, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has awarded funding to Santa Ana Active Streets (SAAS) 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, Santa Ana Active Streets 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 and rural communities.
The 2021 program also focuses on supporting leadership and capacity-building strategies. Santa Ana Active Streets has been working since 2013 to make Santa Ana streets safer, healthier and more accessible for bicyclists and pedestrians. A core component of how this is done is by connecting with residents on the ground through interactive activities, which are developed by residents and community members as well, said Kristopher Fortin, SAAS project director. Receiving funding for SAAS’s ¡Luces Vivas! bike helmet and light distribution events and SAASy Thursdays community bike rides will help to build future leaders and active transportation advocates in an intentional and fun way, Fortin said. These projects will also partner with local groups to connect residents to COVID-19 vaccination resources and housing rights resources.
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.
“Receiving support from the SCAG Mini-Grants Program will help us reach residents in a number of diverse and creative ways that is relevant to their lives,” said Lynnete Guzman, SAAS leadership committee chair.
The Southern California Association of Governments awarded Santa Ana Active Streets a grant totaling $19,000 to implement their traffic safety project 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.
For more information, please contact Kristopher Fortin, SAAS Project Director, at kris@saascoalition.org or (657) 205-7306.
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About Santa Ana Active Streets
SAAS is a community-based coalition with the mission of cultivating diverse community participation in creating a safe and accessible environment for active transportation in Santa Ana. Formed in 2013, our vision is to empower residents to become engaged participants in the emerging active transportation movement in Santa Ana by hosting community events, partnering with local organizations, and working directly with city officials.
About the 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.