12:01pm | The Southern California Association of Governments is honoring the city of Long Beach with the 2011 Compass Blueprint Recognition Award for Achievement in Mobility for the city’s Metro Blue Line Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Plan, city officials said Thursday.

SCAG’s Compass Blueprint Recognition Awards recognize projects that demonstrate excellence and achievement in the four key elements of Compass Blueprint planning: Livability, Mobility, Prosperity and Sustainability.

City officials in attendance at SCAG’s regional conference and general assembly being held in La Quinta yesterday, Thursday, and today, Friday, were expected to accept the award on behalf of the city.

Long Beach initiated the Metro Blue Line Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Plan to boost access to the Metro Blue Line in late 2009, assessing and recommending physical infrastructure and safety improvements to increase bicycling and walking to the nine Metro Blue Line light rail transit stations serving the city, according to information provided by City Hall.
The plan targets a half-mile radius surrounding each station for pedestrians and up to a mile radius for bicyclists, according to City Hall. The streets and adjacent land uses surrounding each Metro Blue Line Station were studied and specific plans were developed to improve the safety and accessibility of the bicycling and walking environment. 

The project involved what city officials described as “extensive” public outreach, development of access plans for each station and identification of top-priority projects for each station.

“From interviews, audits, bike tours and more than 30 community meetings, the Long Beach community was involved in a meaningful discussion about how to improve the pedestrian and bicycling environment around Metro Blue Line stations and throughout Long Beach,” reads an information sheet provided by the city. “The result is concept access plans of prioritized physical infrastructure and safety improvements designed to increase bicycling and walking to the stations.” 
 
Additional information can be obtained by visiting BikeLongBeach.org or by calling Surmie Grant at 562-570-6618.