"Beg Buttons" Be Gone!
A growing number of communities, including the Cities of Pasadena and Los Angeles, have automated pedestrian signal timing at signalized crossings to eliminate the need for people to press the “Beg Button.”
This simple step is especially needed amidst COVID-19 as more SGV residents rely on walking to maintain their physical and mental health, and we all try to reduce our exposure to the virus by avoiding frequently touched surfaces. However, automating the signals for pedestrians isn’t enough if the change is not apparent to the public. Simple, multilingual signage should be paired with this action to communicate the change. The buttons themselves should also be physically covered to further reduce the chances people will press them.
To support this effort, ActiveSGV’s very own Andrew Fung Yip has created a sample template flyer (above) that communities can modify and use, already translated into Spanish and Chinese. Our team may even be able to help those who are unable to do so on their own personalize theirs by adding city logos. Please email requests here. Source files are available for download here.
Support Your Neighbors
Thankfully, Los Angeles County and the state of California as a whole have made progress in fighting COVID-19 by taking decisive, early action. However, with at least another month of Safer-at-Home requirements ahead of us, followed by an indeterminate amount of time for further restrictions as some segments of the economy are permitted to re-open, we will need to continue to support our most vulnerable neighbors.
The team at ActiveSGV has been heartened by community efforts to step up in a time of crisis. From the Healthy LA Coalition that has brought together almost 200 community-based organizations (including ActiveSGV) to advocate for policy protections for everyone in Los Angeles City and County (you can support/follow them too) to the efforts of local cities and groups like "We Love Long Beach" that have coordinated neighborhood level actions, it is clear that we are all stronger when we come together.
To further support individual-level support networks, we have translated the excellent postcards that "We Love Long Beach" and the City of Long Beach have distributed over the past several weeks to help Long Beach residents help one another into Chinese.
If you have neighbors who might need additional help in the weeks and months ahead, please feel free to print, fill out, and drop cards off. Source files are available for download here.
