REPORT TO BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
SUBJECT
Title
Santa Clara Vision Zero: Collision Profiles, Countermeasure Toolbox, Actions and Strategies (He)
Report
BACKGROUND
Vision Zero is a strategy aimed at helping to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while also promoting safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for everyone. The objective of developing and implementing a Vision Zero Plan is listed in both the City’s Bicycle Plan and Pedestrian Master Plan. In December 2023, the City Council received Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant funding from the Federal Highway Administration to establish a Santa Clara Vision Zero Plan. The City Council approved an agreement with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. for professional services for the Santa Clara Vision Zero Plan on May 28, 2024.
The Santa Clara Vision Zero Plan (Plan) kicked off in July 2024. This effort involves extensive community engagement and a thorough citywide safety analysis to identify the most frequent types, locations, severity, and demographics of collisions in the city. The Plan will develop a collision countermeasure toolbox, which will include programmatic measures and roadway improvements to address traffic safety issues. Additionally, the Plan will identify a priority list of potential traffic safety improvements and implementable actions to guide the City’s efforts in achieving Vision Zero.
The project has been presented to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) at two previous meetings:
• In August 2024, staff provided a project overview and the BPAC selected Member Kratz as the BPAC representative to serve on the Vision Zero Working Group, which guides the development of the Vision Zero Plan.
• In January 2025, staff provided a summary of collision analysis findings and the draft High-Injury Network (HIN). The HIN reflects the locations where the highest number of traffic fatalities and severe injuries occurred, and staff can use this HIN as a tool to prioritize future roadway improvement projects and update the City’s policies and guidelines.
DISCUSSION
Since January 2025, the project team completed a collision data analysis, revised the draft High Injury Network, identified top collision profiles, developed a draft countermeasure toolbox, outlined preliminary Vision Zero actions and strategies, and launched the next round of community outreach. The High-Injury Network is a map that identifies specific corridors and intersections where the highest concentration of fatal and serious injury crashes occurred.
High-Injury Network
The High Injury Network (HIN) represents the corridors and intersections which comprise the highest concentration of collisions, with an emphasis on collisions resulting in fatalities and severe injuries (also commonly referred as Killed or Seriously Injured, KSIs) in the city based on the historical collision data from 2016 to 2023. The HIN serves as a tool for the City to prioritize locations for safety interventions as part of its Vision Zero initiative and it will be the basis of Safety Corridors to potentially reduce speed limits as defined by state Assembly Bill (AB) 43. In Santa Clara, approximately 60 percent of all collisions occurred on 15 percent of the road network (including County-maintained expressways and State Route 82/El Camino Real). The draft HIN corridors and intersections are shown in Attachment 1.
Collision Profiles
Collision profiles were established by analyzing collision data from 2016 to 2023 to identify patterns and factors related to fatal and severe injury collisions in Santa Clara. These profiles were based on the types of collisions, locations, primary collision factors, travel modes, and demographics of victims. By understanding these profiles, the City can develop targeted safety interventions to address specific safety concerns related to fatal and severe injury collisions as part of its Vision Zero initiative.
The top collision profiles identified are listed below. Furthermore, collision profile sheets with a summary of collision data statistics, potential key safety countermeasures that address the collision profile, and a citywide map presenting the KSI collisions pertaining to the collision profile are shown in Attachment 2. It should be noted that individual collisions could be correlated with multiple profiles. For example, a collision might simultaneously fall under both a speed-related incident and involve a driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Table 1 summarizes the number of KSIs corresponding to each collision profile.
• Bicyclists and pedestrian collisions
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Speeding drivers
• Nighttime collisions
• Collisions involving persons under the age of 18 or over 60 years of age
• Turning vehicle conflicts at intersections
• Vehicles running a red light or stop sign
• Pedestrian code violations such as improper crossing or not yielding right-of-way
• Off-street collisions
Table 1: Summary of Collision Profiles
|
Collision Profile |
% of All KSIs* |
% of Ped KSIs |
% of Bike KSIs |
% of Auto KSIs |
|
Bicycle and pedestrian collisions |
38% |
25% |
13% |
N/A |
|
Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs |
19% |
2% |
0% |
16% |
|
Speeding drivers |
12% |
1% |
1% |
10% |
|
Night-time collisions |
49% |
12% |
4% |
32% |
|
Collisions involving persons under the age of 18 or over 60 years of age |
18% |
5% |
4% |
8% |
|
Turning vehicle conflicts at intersections |
15% |
1% |
2% |
12% |
|
Vehicles running a red light or stop sign |
9% |
0.5% |
2% |
7% |
|
Pedestrian code violations such as improper crossing or not yielding right-of-way |
39%** |
39% |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Off-street collisions |
17%** |
17% |
N/A |
N/A |
Notes:
*The total % of KSIs in the top collision profiles does not sum to 100% because one KSI may be categorized into multiple profiles. There have been 165 KSIs between 2016 and 2023.
**The % calculation of pedestrian-related collision profiles is based on a denominator of 41 pedestrian-involved KSIs.
Countermeasure Toolbox
A draft toolbox of safety countermeasures has been developed as a collection of potential safety interventions designed to enhance multi-modal safety and reduce KSIs. This “Countermeasure Toolbox” includes a variety of engineering improvements that can be implemented as needed at high collision locations after specific evaluation. The countermeasures are categorized as follows:
• Intersection Design Improvements
• Roadway Design Improvements
• Traffic Signal Modifications
• Signs and Markings
• Speed Management
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements
Attachment 3 includes exhibits illustrating the various potential safety countermeasures.
Vision Zero Actions and Strategies
The Santa Clara Vision Zero Plan will include implementable actions and strategies involving City staff, Vision Zero Working Group (VZWG) members, and other key stakeholders. These are intended to provide a set of specific actions in alignment with achieving the City’s Vision Zero goal while also identifying lead agency partner(s), implementation timeline, and measurable outcomes to track progress.
Attachment 4 presents a preliminary list of draft actions and strategies.
Stakeholder and Community Engagement
The initial phase of community engagement was conducted through a combination of virtual and in-person activities. Online efforts included an interactive survey and the first community workshop, while in-person outreach activities involved community tabling at three events in which the project team engaged with approximately 700 people to solicit feedback on traffic safety concerns throughout the city.
As part of the second phase of community engagement, the project team launched another online survey in February soliciting input on the HIN locations and facilitated the second VZWG meeting on February 10, 2025. The Working Group provided input on their top general safety challenges, safety improvement opportunities at HIN locations, draft safety countermeasures, and draft Vision Zero actions and strategies. The VZWG will meet again in May to resume discussions regarding the Vision Zero actions and strategies for incorporation into the Draft Vision Zero Plan.
Additionally, on March 5, 2025, the City hosted a second community workshop which had 24 community participants. At this workshop, the project team shared a summary of the first round of community engagement, reviewed collision data analysis results, and solicited input on the draft Countermeasure Toolbox and HIN locations identified. Through interactive activities and small group discussions, community members learned about the potential safety countermeasures in the Draft Countermeasure Toolbox and provide input on potential HIN locations where they may be beneficial for future implementation. To promote pedestrian and bicycle safety, community members also received free safety items including bike lights, clip-on safety lights, and reflective armbands.
To stay up to date on the project and provide input, the community can participate in various ways:
• Web: Subscribe for project updates at SantaClaraCA.gov/VisionZero <https://www.santaclaraca.gov/our-city/departments-g-z/public-works/engineering/traffic-engineering/vision-zero>
• Voicemail: 408-915-6566
• Email: SantaClaraVisionZero@kimley-horn.com <mailto:SantaClaraVisionZero@kimley-horn.com>
At the March 24, 2025 BPAC meeting, the project team will:
1. Present collision profiles and key findings from collision analysis including HIN corridors.
2. Present and solicit input on Draft Countermeasures Toolbox and potential application at HIN locations.
3. Present and solicit input on potential Vision Zero actions and strategies, including those in which the BPAC can participate with future implementation efforts.
4. Outline future outreach activities and next steps for the project.
Staff
Written by: Nicole He, Associate Engineer, Public Works
Reviewed by: Carol Shariat, Principal Transportation Planner, Public Works
Reviewed by: Steve Chan, Transportation Manager, Public Works
Approved by: Michael Liw, Assistant Director/City Engineer, Public Works
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft High-Injury Network (HIN) Map
2. Draft Collision Profiles
3. Draft Countermeasure Toolbox
4. Draft Vision Zero Actions and Strategies