REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Study Session and Update on the City’s Vision Zero Plan
Report
BACKGROUND
Vision Zero is a strategy aimed at eliminating all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while also promoting safe and healthy mobility for everyone. Developing and implementing a Vision Zero Plan is listed as an objective in both the City’s Bicycle Plan and Pedestrian Master Plan. In December 2023, the City Council accepted Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant funding from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 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 initiative involves extensive community engagement and an in-depth citywide safety analysis to identify the most frequent types, locations, severity, and demographics of collisions in the city. This effort also included extensive coordination with various City departments, the City’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), Senior Advisory Commission, Youth Commission, and Parks & Recreation Commission. As part of the Plan development process, a Vision Zero Working Group was formed, made up of City staff, one BPAC representative, and external stakeholders including Santa Clara County, VTA, City of San Jose, City of Sunnyvale, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, Santa Clara Unified School district, Santa Clara University, and Mission College.
The Department of Public Works released a draft Plan in late September 2025 for public review and comment. The full draft Plan is available on the project webpage at santaclaraca.gov/visionzero <https://www.santaclaraca.gov/visionzero>. As required by the federal grant, the Plan includes the following components:
1. Leadership Commitment and Goal Setting: Identified a draft goal and timeline to achieve zero roadway fatalities and severe injuries by 2050.
2. Strategic Planning: Established a Vision Zero Working group, consisting of City staff and external stakeholders, to guide and advise on Plan development, implementation, and monitoring.
3. Collaboration and Community Engagement: Documented robust engagement process with the public, Committees and Commissions, and Vision Zero Working Group. Community feedback and information received from engagement and collaboration activities is incorporated into the Plan.
4. Safety Analysis: Completed a systemic and data-driven analysis of eight-year collision data (2016-2023). Identified historical collision trends and top collision profiles with recurring collision patterns. Based on the analysis performed, a geospatial identification of higher-risk locations was developed, also known as a High-Injury Network.
5. Policy and Process Changes: Assessed current policies, plans, guidelines, and standards to identify opportunities to improve how processes can better prioritize transportation safety.
6. Countermeasure Toolbox: Developed an engineering countermeasure toolbox and a comprehensive set of projects and strategies with two major categories of project/program recommendations: (1) strategies and programmatic measures for Engineering, Education, and Enforcement; and (2) project prioritization or location-specific engineering recommendations.
7. Progress and Transparency: Identified next steps to implement the priority projects and programs, discussed potential funding sources, and identified how to measure progress in the Plan.
DISCUSSION
This Study Session will update the Council on the Vision Zero Plan development and include information about current draft recommendations of projects, programs, and policy updates, as well as resource needs to continue Vision Zero implementation.
Adopting a Vision Zero Plan demonstrates the City’s commitment to eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries and enables pursuit of federal, state, and local grants. The Plan includes engineering and non-engineering strategies such as policy updates, public education, enforcement, and emergency response improvements. Implementing these strategies will require coordination across departments and additional staffing and budget, though some non-engineering actions may not be grant-eligible.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This is a study session, and no action is being taken by the City Council that constitutes a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational policy making or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
Because this is a study session item, there is no fiscal impact beyond the staff time involved in preparing this report.
COORDINATION
This item was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office and the City Manager’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Note and file Study Session Report and provide any feedback on the City’s draft Vision Zero Plan
Staff
Reviewed by: Craig Mobeck, Director of Public Works
Approved by: Jovan Grogan, City Manager