Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
Active Transportation Program

Another Active Transportation Victory: Kern County Improves Transit Access

Lamont Sidewalks

Rounding out our trio of Active Transportation Grant success stories is Kern County's. The rural county that is home to Bakersfield snagged $5.7 million in state funds to improve access to bus stops, adding sidewalks where they are missing in the surrounding community. (For more on Active Transportation Success Stories: please read stories from Santa Ana and Fresno.)

Other Kern projects that gained approval include: rehabilitation of pedestrian walkways in rural desert areas such as Mojave, a  rail corridor project in the snowy hills of Tehachapi,  an active transportation plan, improvements to one of the Bakersfield's oldest neighborhoods, and funding for a Safe Routes to Schools program in McFarland.

But the highlight is a $2 million sidewalk project in the dusty farming community of Lamont that will improve walkability in the area just south of Bakersfield. The grant includes new sidewalks, repainted crosswalks, and new curbs and gutters on the east side of Highway 184.

“Nearly half of this community will now have sidewalks thanks to [Building Healthy Communities-South Kern’s] partners, who worked to secure this funding with Kern County Roads Department,” said Reyna Olaguez, BHC’s communications manager. “The project will bring sidewalks, crosswalks, curbs, and gutters to a small community that has done without them for many years.”

Olaguez felt that his funding was a “big win” for the group and that good things are on the rise for that community.

“The project includes bus stops, but also four miles of sidewalks,” explains Veronica Garibay of the Leadership Council. “The grant was only successful because of strong community engagement--and the county [being] willing to work with them, especially Bob Neath.”

“It was very much a resident-driven process, combined with a local government that was willing to move the needle a little bit.”

Part of that community advocacy and encouragement came from parents concerned about the safety of their children.

“Now the people of Lamont will have a safe place to walk, [and] residents will have their space to walk without risking [being] hit by a car,” writes Jose Mireles, a member of Lamont Parent Partners, a group that mobilized for safety and walkability in Lamont. “After a year of working hard, the community of Lamont is reaching its goal: more sidewalks so that people can get out and walk.”

Other proposals from Kern were awarded grants by the California Transportation Commission.

For Mojave and Lamont, two of Kern's most disadvantaged communities, any funding to improve infrastructure for pedestrians is better than what's there now. All the efforts to cultivate active transportation in Kern County thus far have been funded from surplus monies, and these two communities in particular are often left to languish in the Kern County heat. But these pedestrian improvement proposals show that Kern Council of Governments and Building Healthy Communities-South Kern are trying to recognize under-served communities.

Lesser served communities seem to be on the order for this round of ATP funding. In McFarland, another of Kern's rural farming towns, one grant will fund safer streets around schools. Currently, most of McFarland's streets are asphalt with dirt shoulders, and sidewalks are badly needed.

The county will also receive nearly $250,000 for a dedicated active transportation plan to help it prioritize and plan better for walking, biking, and transit. A focused plan to improve Kern's transportation priorities may yield a growing number of walkers, bikers, and public transit users.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

Sunday Is World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

This weekend, people across the globe will observe World Day of Remembrance with vigils, silent bike rides, stories, and speeches urging leaders to do better on road safety.

November 15, 2024

How State DOTs Keep the Public in the Dark About How They Spend Our Transportation Dollars

State DOTs control hundreds of billions of dollars of our transportation funding. Where does it all go — and what do we actually get for it?

November 14, 2024

Alameda Expands Water Shuttle Schedule

The little yellow boat carried 34,000 passengers in its first three months of service, so more runs were added.

November 14, 2024

Thursday’s Headlines

The benefits of transit go far beyond riders; SF Muni funding outlook is bleak; Climate consequences of federal BIL; More

November 14, 2024

Unproven Tunnel Idea Getting in the Way of Inland Empire Transit Solutions

San Bernardino County Transportation Authority is still considering a car tunnel instead of high-capacity transit serving the Ontario Airport and its planned expansions.

November 14, 2024
See all posts