California Walks

California Walks
Name	California Walks
Formation	1996
Type	Nonprofit advocacy organization
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California
Region served	California, United States
Focus	Pedestrian safety, walking advocacy, active transportation

California Walks is a nonprofit pedestrian advocacy organization based in Los Angeles, California, focused on promoting walking, pedestrian safety, and equitable active transportation policy across the state. The organization works with municipal agencies, state departments, community groups, and philanthropic institutions to influence street design, complete streets policies, and Vision Zero initiatives. California Walks engages in research, grassroots organizing, policy campaigns, and technical assistance to support pedestrian-friendly streets in urban, suburban, and rural contexts.

History

California Walks was founded in 1996 amid growing attention to traffic safety and urban livability in Southern California, responding to pedestrian fatality trends documented by agencies such as the California Department of Public Health, the California Office of Traffic Safety, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Early activities connected the organization with landmark efforts including the passage of state-level transportation funding measures like Proposition 42 (2002), and regional planning processes led by entities such as the Southern California Association of Governments and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. California Walks collaborated with advocacy peers including Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Safe Routes to School National Partnership, and Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition while engaging municipal partners like the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation and the City of Oakland Public Works. Over time the group intersected with statewide campaigns around Senate Bill 743 (2013), AB 32 (2006), and the development of California Complete Streets Guidelines.

Mission and Programs

California Walks' mission centers on advancing walking as a safe, equitable, and convenient mode of transportation through policy advocacy, capacity building, and community organizing. Programmatic work includes technical assistance to cities such as Long Beach, California, San Diego, and San Francisco on street redesign projects, support for municipal adoption of Vision Zero resolutions, and training for local advocates drawn from neighborhoods including South Los Angeles, East Oakland, and Watsonville. The organization provides workshops that reference design manuals like the National Association of City Transportation Officials's guidance and coordinates with state agencies such as the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the California Transportation Commission. California Walks also administers grant-funded initiatives linked to federal programs like the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Routes to School and collaborates with research institutions including the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkeley.

Advocacy and Campaigns

Advocacy campaigns led or supported by California Walks have targeted legislative measures, municipal ordinances, and funding reallocations. Campaigns have engaged the California State Legislature, county boards of supervisors such as the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and city councils in locales like Santa Monica, Palo Alto, and Fresno. Issues have included reallocating street space for pedestrian use, promoting pedestrian safety laws, and influencing budget priorities at transit agencies such as Metrolink (California) and Bay Area Rapid Transit. California Walks has allied with organizations including Environment California, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Public Health Institute to advance statewide strategies, and has participated in coalitions with labor groups like the Service Employees International Union and housing advocates such as Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles on equitable street access.

Publications and Research

California Walks produces reports, policy briefs, and case studies that synthesize evidence from peer-reviewed literature and technical sources. Publications reference studies from institutions like the RAND Corporation, the Transportation Research Board, and the Institute of Transportation Engineers, and draw on data from agencies including the California Highway Patrol and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Topics have included pedestrian fatality trends, the health benefits of walking cited by the American Public Health Association, and equity analyses informed by demographic data from the United States Census Bureau. Collaborative research projects have involved partners such as the Kaiser Permanente community health initiatives, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and academic centers like the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Partnerships and Funding

California Walks sustains partnerships with municipal governments, regional planning agencies, community-based organizations, academic institutions, and funders. Notable partners have included the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the Mayors’ Office of Los Angeles, regional entities like the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, and nonprofits such as Walk San Francisco and Walk Bike Long Beach. Funders and philanthropic partners have included foundations like the California Wellness Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Ford Foundation, as well as public grants administered through entities such as the California Strategic Growth Council and the California Office of Traffic Safety. The organization also collaborates with professional associations including the American Planning Association California chapters and technical advisors from the National Complete Streets Coalition.

Impact and Criticism

California Walks has contributed to municipal policy changes, street redesign projects, and broadened public awareness of pedestrian issues, with documented influence on Vision Zero resolutions in cities like Los Angeles and Long Beach. The organization’s work has been cited in local planning documents, grant applications, and community benefit agreements negotiated with developers and transit agencies such as Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Critics have argued that pedestrian advocacy groups, including California Walks, sometimes prioritize street space reallocation in ways that conflict with business interests represented by chambers of commerce like the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce or with motorist-focused stakeholders such as the Automobile Club of Southern California. Debates have also emerged around the equity of interventions in gentrifying neighborhoods like Echo Park and Boyle Heights, involving housing advocates and tenant groups such as the Coalition for Economic Survival. California Walks has responded by emphasizing community engagement practices aligned with standards promoted by entities like the California Environmental Justice Alliance and evaluating outcomes against public health goals endorsed by the California Department of Public Health.

Category:Pedestrian advocacy organizations in the United States Category:Non-profit organizations based in California