ABCs for School Zone Safety: Tips for Drivers, Pedestrians and Bicyclists

(Feature Impact) A new school year means there’s more traffic around school campuses. Between dropoffs and pickups, children riding bicycles, walking to school and all the shuttling between sports practices and other extracurricular activities, this season is a reminder to make every trip to and from school a safe one.

To make sure no parent worries about their child getting to school safely, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and Caltrans are encouraging drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists to remember their “ABCs” on every trip: stay Alert for Bicyclists and watch for and yield to Children crossing the street.

With students in school and traffic patterns changing, consider these tips so students arrive to and from class safely:

Drivers

Because children outside of vehicles do not have the same protections as drivers and passengers, drivers have an outsized role to protect people walking, biking and rolling.

• Take your time and be patient.
• Always follow the speed limit.
• Use extra caution at crosswalks and intersections, especially if you notice children nearby.
• Don’t drive distracted – even a quick glance at your phone can have tragic consequences.
• Never drive while impaired.
• Adjust your driving to the conditions and use extra caution in rain, fog and darkness.
• If you see a bicyclist ahead, wait until it’s safe to pass and give them at least 3 feet of space when you do.

Pedestrians

Pedestrians have an important role in their own safety, particularly in school zones and crosswalks where children and other people may be present.

• Use sidewalks when available. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic so you can see drivers and they can see you.
• Avoid crossing outside of crosswalks. If there is a signalized crosswalk or marked crosswalk, use it.
• Before crossing the street, look both ways. If there are any stopped or turning cars, try to make eye contact with the drivers before crossing so you know they see you.
• If you’re walking after dark or when visibility is poor, make yourself visible by wearing something bright or reflective and shining a light.
• Stay alert – don’t wear headphones or use your phone while crossing the street or walking across a busy road.

Bicyclists

Bicyclists can help protect themselves by staying alert and visible, especially in areas where traffic, pedestrians and young students may be present.

• When possible, plan your route along bike paths or roads with dedicated bike lanes away from vehicle traffic.
• Equip your bicycle with lights and reflectors to be more visible to drivers and pedestrians.
• Wear a properly fitted helmet and bright clothing.
• Learn cyclist hand signals to communicate when you’re turning, slowing or stopping.
• Stay aware of drivers and always yield to pedestrians.

To learn more and join the movement, visit GoSafelyCA.org.

E-Bike Safety Tips

With more young people using e-bikes than ever before, it’s important that riders and their parents or guardians understand the risks involved and make smart, safe choices.

Since e-bikes can travel at faster speeds than traditional bicycles, they pose greater risk for serious injury or death in the event of a crash. Class 1 and 2 e-bikes can both travel at up to 20 mph unassisted, while Class 3 e-bikes can go as fast as 28 mph unassisted.

E-bike rules vary based on the top unassisted speed, but parents and guardians should follow these tips for e-bikes:

• Many local ordinances and state laws restrict e-bike use for minors or require special licensing.
• Helmets are required for riders under age 18 for Class 1-2 e-bikes and all riders on Class 3 e-bikes, regardless of age.
• You must be 16 years or older to ride a Class 3 e-bike.
• Never ride e-bikes that don’t have pedals as they could be considered e-motos and not legally permitted on roads.
• Ride in bike lanes or on legal paths, avoiding roads with traffic when possible.
• Be as predictable as possible and use caution when making turns, crossing streets or riding in conditions with poor visibility.

E-bike rules may vary by state and regionally. Contact local law enforcement regarding local laws.

SOURCE:

Go Safely California

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Last Updated on August 21, 2026 by Daily News Staff

Black Los Angeles?

For much of the 20th century, South Los Angeles was the center of one of the most influential Black communities in the western United States. Neighborhoods such as Watts, West Adams, Crenshaw, Baldwin Hills and Leimert Park produced political leaders, musicians, entrepreneurs and cultural movements whose influence reached far beyond Southern California.

That community has not disappeared, but it has become smaller and considerably more dispersed.

Census figures show that Los Angeles has experienced a sustained decline in its Black population, particularly within the city and the older communities of South Los Angeles.

A decades-long population decline

In 1990, approximately 454,000 Los Angeles residents identified as non-Hispanic Black alone, representing about 13% of the city’s population. By the 2020 Census, that number had fallen to approximately 323,000—or about 8.3% of the population.

The same pattern is visible across Los Angeles County.

The county’s non-Hispanic Black population declined from approximately 935,000 in 1990 to about 761,000 in 2020. Between 2010 and 2020 alone, it fell by nearly 55,000 people, even as the county’s total population increased.

These numbers do not include everyone with partial Black ancestry or those identifying as multiracial. Nevertheless, the figures reveal a clear geographic and demographic shift.

Black Los Angeles has not simply vanished. It has spread outward.

Why have Black families left Los Angeles?

Housing costs are one of the most important factors.

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As rents and home prices rose, many working- and middle-class families found it increasingly difficult to remain in neighborhoods where their families had lived for generations. Redevelopment and gentrification placed additional pressure on renters and homeowners, particularly in areas near downtown Los Angeles and new transit investments.

Older homeowners could sometimes benefit from rising property values, but their children often could not afford to purchase homes nearby. Selling a Los Angeles property also gave some families enough equity to buy larger or newer homes elsewhere.

Researchers at UC Berkeley’s Terner Center found that Black households were disproportionately represented among lower-income residents leaving the Los Angeles region.

Employment changes also contributed. Los Angeles lost many of the manufacturing, aerospace and industrial jobs that had helped support Black working-class families during the postwar period. Meanwhile, metropolitan areas in other states offered lower housing costs and growing professional communities.

Where did people go?

A significant portion of the movement remained within Southern California.

Lancaster and Palmdale in the Antelope Valley attracted families from South Los Angeles, Compton and Inglewood. Others moved east into Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Between 1990 and 2021, Riverside County’s Black population grew from approximately 64,000 to more than 156,000. San Bernardino County’s Black population increased from approximately 115,000 to 174,000 during the same period.

The Urban Institute concluded that many Black residents leaving Los Angeles County likely settled in these neighboring Inland Empire counties.

Other families left California entirely. Las Vegas and Phoenix became important destinations for people seeking comparatively affordable housing while remaining relatively close to Southern California.

Farther away, Atlanta, Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston and Charlotte have attracted Black professionals and families as part of what researchers call the “New Great Migration”—a movement of Black Americans toward metropolitan areas in the South.

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Where are the remaining Black population centers?

The strongest concentration within the city continues to run through the Crenshaw district and surrounding neighborhoods.

Leimert Park remains the symbolic and cultural heart of Black Los Angeles. Baldwin Hills, Baldwin Vista, Hyde Park, West Adams and Crenshaw also retain important Black institutions, churches, businesses and homeowners.

Immediately outside the city, View Park–Windsor Hills and Ladera Heights remain two of the county’s most prominent Black middle- and upper-middle-class communities. Recent American Community Survey estimates indicate that approximately 55% of Ladera Heights residents identify as Black.

Inglewood remains another major center of Black cultural and commercial life, despite its transition into a predominantly Latino city. Central and northern Inglewood, particularly areas near Morningside Park, View Park and Hyde Park, retain substantial Black populations.

Farther south, Black communities remain in Westmont, West Athens, Carson, Gardena, North Long Beach and portions of Compton. Most of these places are no longer majority-Black, but they continue to contain significant populations and long-established community institutions.

Lancaster and Palmdale now represent one of the county’s largest suburban concentrations of Black families. Unlike the compact neighborhoods of historic South Los Angeles, however, the Antelope Valley population is distributed across a much larger area.

Altadena was another important center of Black homeownership before the January 2025 Eaton Fire. The community’s Black population had already declined from its 1980 peak, but west Altadena still contained generations of Black homeowners. The fire destroyed or seriously damaged many of those homes, leaving the community’s future uncertain.

A community transformed, not erased

Today’s Black Los Angeles is more fragmented and suburban than the community that existed during the second half of the 20th century.

Leimert Park, Crenshaw and Baldwin Hills remain culturally significant, but they are now part of a much wider network extending from Inglewood and Carson to Lancaster, Palmdale and the Inland Empire.

This transformation presents a challenge for maintaining political representation, neighborhood institutions and cultural connections. A population that once lived within a relatively concentrated area is now spread across multiple cities, counties and states.

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The story, therefore, is not simply that Black Los Angeles declined.

It is that rising housing costs, economic changes and suburban migration redrew the map of Black life in Southern California.

Sources: U.S. Census data compiled by Los Angeles Almanac, Urban Institute, UC Berkeley Terner Center and Brookings Institution.

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EV Interest Climbs as Gas Price Uncertainty Pushes Families Toward Electric SUVs

(Feature Impact)With ongoing uncertainty surrounding global oil prices, more U.S. consumers are buying and showing more interest in electric vehicles (EVs). The shift comes as car shoppers weigh fuel costs, improving affordability and a growing number of family-friendly electric SUVs.

Watch this video to learn more

According to Spectrum News, EV sales increased in the first quarter of this year. In the same time frame, interest in new EVs increased 16% and interest in used EVs increased by 30%. As families look for opportunities to ditch the gas pump without sacrificing power or space, new all-electric options create a compelling argument for families to turn to EVs.

For those looking to offset their weekly fuel up, the 2026 Kia EV9 can save drivers around $1,800-3,400 per year compared to gas-powered SUVs. Cars.com named the 2026 Kia EV9 the Best Electric Vehicle of 2026 for the second consecutive year.

“The Kia EV9 stood out because it delivers everything we want from a modern electric SUV – strong real-world range, fast charging, excellent space and comfort, and smart flexibility across the lineup,” said Mike Hanley, Sr. Road Test Editor, Cars.com.

For those who aren’t ready to switch to a fully electric vehicle, Kia has expanded its hybrid options. The 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid adds horsepower and updated design features, while the Kia Telluride model offers a hybrid version for the first time with a total driving range of up to 637 miles on the Ex FWD-trim.

To learn more about the Kia EV9 and Kia’s hybrid models, visit Kia at kia.com.

SOURCE:

Kia

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