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Long Beach Health Department Awarded Three Grants to Expand Traffic Safety and Education Programs
By Staff Writer
Published on Wed, Dec 10, 2025
The road to safer streets in Long Beach just got a major boost. The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) has been awarded $915,000 in new grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), funded through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The investment will help expand the City’s traffic safety education and prevention programs aimed at reducing crashes caused by distracted driving, impaired driving, and unsafe walking and biking behaviors.
These grants will strengthen two key programs already making an impact across the city:
- Walk & Roll LB, which promotes bicycle, pedestrian and active-transportation safety through hands-on learning and injury-prevention education.
- Greenlight LB, the City’s campaign to prevent distracted and impaired driving and encourage safer choices behind the wheel.
Together, these programs reach youth, young adults, high-risk neighborhoods and communities that face disproportionate impacts from traffic collisions. The new funding will support yearlong activities from Oct. 1, 2025, to Sept. 30, 2026, including:
- School and neighborhood presentations focused on safe walking, biking and driving
- Peer-to-peer youth engagement around distracted and impaired driving
- Interactive demonstrations and real-world safety activities
- Free safety gear distribution, including helmets, bike lights and reflective materials
- Community surveys and observational studies to gather local traffic data
- Collaboration with the Long Beach Police Department, LBUSD and community partners to strengthen outreach
Over the past year, OTS support has helped the Health Department deliver significant community impact:
- Reached 8,300+ residents with traffic safety education and demonstrations
- Conducted 37 school-based presentations across LBUSD
- Supported youth leaders advocating for safe driving and active transportation
- Distributed 264 helmets and more than 3,200 bike lights and reflective gear
- Hosted community pop-ups, impaired-driving demonstrations and youth-focused events
- Delivered citywide campaigns aimed at reducing distracted and drug-impaired driving
This continued investment advances the City’s commitment to reducing serious injuries and traffic fatalities and directly supports the Health Department’s Strategic Plan, the Safe Streets Long Beach Vision Zero Action Plan and the City’s Strategic Vision 2030 goals.
