Grant to pay for traffic, bicycle safety programs

Montclair has received a $30,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, money it will use to  improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians.

The one-year grant, which began Oct. 1, will pay for a number of education programs for youth and adults, specifically the safest methods for walking and riding a bicycle, according to a statement on the city’s website.

Programs from the traffic safety grants will happen along with Montclair’s efforts to develop an overall transportation plan and a safe routes to school plan.  The state funding will also be used to participate in national education campaigns like National Walk to School Day, Bicycle Safety Month, Pedestrian Safety Month and Vision Zero. 

Bicycle and pedestrian-related collisions have risen recently. In 2016, 867 pedestrians and 147 bicyclists were killed on California roads, increases of 33 and 14 percent from 2012, according to the statement.