.

1. Pedestrian and Cyclist Collisions on
LA’s Great Streets
By: Hisano Hamada
URP 535/Willson
March 8, 2017

2. Background: Great Streets Initiative
History
• Started by Mayor Eric Garcetti (2014)
• 15 corridors targeted for parklets, plazas, curb extensions, street furniture/streets,
Soofa benches, etc.
Basis for Great Streets
• Streets are “backbone” of neighborhoods.
• Neighborhoods deserve Great Streets.
• Streets as public spaces.
• 7 Goals, including better access and mobility, neighborhood character, and
safer/secure communities.

3. Research Question:
PART 1:
Is there a difference between
Great Streets corridors and
nearby corridors in the number
of motor vehicle collisions with
pedestrians and bicyclists?
PART 2:
What is the relationship
between time of day and motor
vehicle collisions with
pedestrians/cyclist? Are there
more collisions during peak
hours (7-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m.)?

4. Methodology
Part I:
• Using ArcGIS, 2014 SWITRS pedestrian and bicyclist collision data was
collected and analyzed for areas within 100 feet of each Great Street and its
paired corridor.
• Land use and distance were controlled.
• Corridor section (study area) were selected based on high concentration of
Great Street activities.
Part 2:
• Conducted independent t test to determine if collisions by street category
was statistically significant at 95% confidence level.
• Conducted independent test to determine if there is statistically significant
difference in collisions by time of day (peak hour or non-peak hour).

5. PartIMethodology
Treatment Group Location of Treatment Group Control Group Location of Control Group
1 Central Avenue E. 41st Place to E. 47th Street Avalon Avenue E. 43rd Place to E. 46th Street
2 Cesar Chavez Avenue N. St. Louis Street to N. Saratoga Street E. 1st Street N. Louis Street to N. Saratoga Street
3 Crenshaw Blvd. W. 66st Place to W. 78th Street S. Western Avenue W. 67th to W. 78th St.
4 Gaffey St. W. 2nd Street to W. 12th Street S. Pacific Avenue W. 2nd Street to W. 12th Street
5 Hollywood Blvd. N. Hudson Street to N. Gower Street Sunset Blvd. Shrader St. to N. Gower Street
6 Lankershim Blvd. Burbank Blvd. to W. Magnolia Street Cahuenga Blvd. Collins St. to Magnolia Blvd.
7 North Figueroa St. N. Avenue 51 to N. Avenue 58 York Blvd. N. Avenue 52 to Milwaukee Ave.
8 W. Pico Blvd. S. Orange Grove Avenue to Hauser Blvd. W. Olympic Blvd. S. Ogden Drive to Ridgeley Drive
9 Reseda Blvd. Nordoff Street to Napa Street Lindsay Ave. Nordoff Street to Napa Street
10 Sherman Way Etiwanda Ave. to Jamieson Avenue Saticoy St. Etiwanda Ave. To Jamieson Ave.
11 Van Nuys Blvd. (Van Nuys) Gilmore St. to Oxnard St. Vesper Ave. Gilmore St. to Oxnard St.
12 Van Nuys Blvd. (Pacoima) Laurel Canyon Blvd. to Tamarack Ave. Fillmore St. Laurel Canyon Blvd. to Tamarack Ave.
13 Venice Blvd. Beethoven St. to Ocean View Ave. Palms Blvd. Beethoven St. to Ocean View Ave.
14 Western Ave. W. 3rd St. to Oakwood Ave. Normandie Ave. W. 3rd St. to Oakwood Ave.
15 Westwood Blvd. Rochester Ave. to Le Conte Ave. Gayley Ave. Rochester Ave. to Le Conte Ave.
Figure 1. Great Streets and Regular Streets

6. PartIMethodology(continued)
Legend
Collision Type
Motor Vehicle Collision With:
Pedestrian
Cyclist
Regular Street
Great Street
100 Foot Buffer
Vine
St
Ivar
Ave
W Sunset Blvd
Hollywood Blvd
Argyle
Ave
De Longpre Ave
N
Wilcox
Ave
N
Cahuenga
Blvd
Hollywood Frwy
US
Highway 101
Afton Pl
N
El
Centro
Ave
N
Gower
St
Gordon
St
Seward
St
Carlos Ave
Wilcox
Ave
Carlton Wy
n Ave
Schrader
Blvd
Cole
Pl
Tamarind
Ave
Leland Wy
Cosmo
St
Yucca St
Dix St
N
Beachw
ood
Dr
W Franklin Ave
Labaig
Ave
Harold Wy
Selma Ave
N
Ivar
Ave
C
o
le
A
v
e
N
Hudson
Ave
Homewood Ave
Morningside
Ct
N
Grace
Ave
W Yucca St
Vista
Del
Mar
St
Vista
Del
Mar
Ave
Vista
Del
Mar
Ave
T
a
m
a
r
in
d
A
v
e
Morningside
Ct
Franklin Ave
Vine St
Hollywood Frwy
Tamarind
Ave
N
C
a
h
u
e
n
g
a
B
l
v
d
Yucca St
Selma Ave
US Highway 101
Yucca St
W Franklin Ave
Gordon
St
Carlos Ave
Leland Wy
Yucca St
N
Hudson
Ave
N
Gower
St
Homewood Ave
Figure 2. Hollywood Blvd./Sunset Blvd. 2014 Motor Vehicle Collisions With Pedestrians and
Cyclists
Distance (ft.): Hollywood Blvd. (2927) Sunset Blvd. (3060);
Difference of 133 ft.

7. Findings:
PART 1:
• Motor vehicle collisions with pedestrians and cyclists are higher for Great Streets (98
collisions) when compared with regular streets (48 collisions).
• Motor vehicle collisions with pedestrians are a higher share of collisions (53%) while the
higher share of collisions (54%) in the regular streets involve cyclists.
• All fatal incidents (total of 3) occurred in the regular streets.
• Among Great Streets, collisions highest on Central Ave., Lankershim Blvd., and Gaffey St.
PART 2:
• Independent t test finds statistically significant difference in collisions by street category.
• Independent t test shows statistically significant difference in collisions by time of day in
Great Streets. Non peak hour collisions are higher (mean: 5.1 collisions) than peak hours
(mean: 1.8 collisions).

8. Conclusion:
•If collisions are double in Great Streets, goals of
safety (esp. for pedestrians) not being met.
•No fatalities in Great Streets; most severe
collisions are in regular corridors.
•Against expectation, peak hours had lower
collision counts.
•Effects of pedestrian/cyclist facilities
compromised by unchanged motorist behavior
(speed, lack of awareness of other road users).
Limitations:
•Higher pedestrian/cyclist volume in Great
Streets?
•Longitudinal analysis of Great Streets is the
better approach.
Figure 3. Cesar Chavez Blvd. in Boyle Heights
Photo from: Great Streets Initiative
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