The Santa Ana City Council approved a $100,000 agreement this week for a city-wide bike safety education program geared toward reducing the number of people injured or killed in bicycle accidents.

The contract with Alta Planning and Design includes a series of bilingual workshops and public education events. The program would teach bike safety skills, distribute nighttime bicycle lights and helmets, and certify new cycling instructors, according to a city staff report.

The funding comes from a grant from the California Office of Transportation Services.

Councilwoman Michele Martinez praised the program but pointed to the need for more awareness about pedestrian safety as well.

“So I want to encourage our [staff] to pursue grants…because it’s an epidemic in our community. Every week a person is being hit,” Martinez said.

Contact Thy Vo at tvo@voiceofoc.org or follow her on Twitter @thyanhvo.

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