City of Fortuna P.O. Box 545 – Fortuna, CA 95540
www.friendlyfortuna.com – (707)725-7600
June 20, 2023
Beth Burks, Executive Director
HCAOG
611 “I” Street, Suite B
Eureka, CA 95521
Email: [email protected]
Dear Beth,
The City of Fortuna is pleased to support the Humboldt County Association of Governments’ application for the US DOT Safe Streets and Roads 4 All (SS4A) Discretionary Grant program for the Regional Vision Zero Action Plan and Safety Demonstration Projects. This project is an important step in the pursuit of the goal of achieving zero roadway deaths in Humboldt.
HCAOG’s 2022 Regional Transportation Plan adopted a Vision Zero goal to reduce traffic fatalities by 50% every year until zero. Yet, Humboldt County persistently ranks at the top of California counties for number of roadway fatalities per capita. For instance, the California Office of Traffic Safety statistics for 2020 show that Humboldt County had the second highest pedestrian fatality rate in the state. Forty-eight pedestrians were killed. Nationally, Humboldt County is a target area for traffic safety action due to its high rate of traffic fatalities.
The City of Fortuna takes the ongoing traffic safety crisis very seriously. We have heard from residents that they want safer streets and roads, especially for the most vulnerable users, and they want investments to focus on equity. Fortuna has adopted the 2021 Local Road Safety Plan and continues to work on various transportation safety projects throughout the City, however, to address the safety crisis County-wide, there is a need for a comprehensive approach to identify systemic and specific safety priorities for the region.
The proposed Regional Vision Zero Action Plan will consolidate and update baseline data across jurisdictions, engage the public in prioritizing traffic safety solutions, and propose policies and projects needed to reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries for all users. The project will develop a Data Dashboard to assist in measuring and communicating progress. In addition, the grant will fund safety demonstration projects at selected locations in each jurisdiction. The demonstration sites will be selected in partnership with stakeholders and community involvement, and the results will be used to inform permanent infrastructure projects in the future.
The City of Fortuna makes a commitment to be an active partner in this much-needed project, and pledges to contribute $8,000 in in-kind contributions over the life of the project. The City of Fortuna enthusiastically supports HCAOG’s application for SS4A funding to develop a meaningful Vision Zero Action Plan to eliminate roadway fatalities in our region.
Sincerely,
Tami Trent, Mayor