Safer Walks From School is a community-led initiative to provide Macarthur Park students and youth with safe and enriching after-school programming and mobility. Being a predominantly working-class, commuter, rental neighborhood, residents of MacArthur Park value the park and view it as their own space for recreation, leisure, and community organizing. Among these residents are students from the surrounding elementary, junior high, and high schools. For them, the park offers a safe buffer against the bustling streets which surround them. Beyond the park, however, their trips to and from school and home can be challenging and unsafe for those who walk. Especially for those with impaired mobility.

While few afterschool organizations are present in Westlake, many children must fend for themselves until their parents return from work. Visual changes in their built environment and programmatic support from local community organizations could enhance students’ sense of safety and reassure parents that their children can get to and from school without harm and continue their educations in spaces additional to school.

I propose implementing “Safer Walks To School” corridors along the main arterial streets that incorporate street art and new protective sidewalk medians to highlight safe pathways for children and the public. Participating non-profits along these corridors could form a collation to offer their spaces and programming to children needing rest, support, and education they otherwise don’t have until they arrive home or their guardians return from work. This would be a collaborative effort between schools, families, nonprofits, and municipal agencies such as StreetsLA to benefit students, families, and the community.