October 20, 2026
City Council
DATE: October 20, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM: Councilmember Jamelia Brown
Subject: Evaluate and Advance Immediate Safety Measures Along the 23rd Street Corridor
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The fiscal impact is unknown at this time and will depend on the improvements identified through staff and
engineering review. If an appropriation is needed, a
corresponding offset or decrease to the budget will be
required. Any additional appropriation or budget
adjustment requiring Council approval will return to the City Council for consideration.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
July 19, 2022: City Council adopted the Local
Roadway Safety Plan, identifying 23rd Street as a
priority corridor for traffic and pedestrian-safety
improvements.
February 7, 2023: City Council adopted the Bicycle
and Pedestrian Action Plan, identifying
improvements along 23rd Street including
enhanced crossings, RRFBs, refuge islands, curbramp upgrades, and signal improvements. The City has also conducted 23rd Street
Streetscape and Complete Streets planning for
longer-term corridor improvements.
AGENDA
REPORT
654
October 20, 2026
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Traffic safety along the 23rd Street corridor continues to be a concern for residents, pedestrians, motorists, and families traveling through the area.
The City has previously identified safety improvements
along 23rd Street; however, comprehensive corridor
improvements require significant planning, engineering, funding, and construction.
There is an opportunity to advance practical and visible near-term safety measures while continuing to pursue
and implement the larger, long-term improvements
needed along the corridor.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: DIRECT the city manager to evaluate and advance immediate safety measures along the 23rd Street
corridor, including:
Enhanced pedestrian crossings with high-visibility
crosswalks, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons
(RRFBs), signage, and pavement markings, where
appropriate; and
Portable and/or permanent speed-feedback signs at
strategic locations.
Through prioritizing locations based on existing safety plans, collision and speed data, pedestrian activity, and engineering review; identify available funding AND return to City Council within 30 days with priority locations, costs, funding sources, and implementation timelines -
Councilmember Jamelia Brown (510-412-
2050)/Councilmember Cesar Zepeda (510-620-6593).
This item was continued from the October 6, 2026,
meeting.
DISCUSSION:
The City of Richmond has identified 23rd Street as a corridor requiring pedestrian and roadway safety improvements. The Local Roadway Safety Plan includes corridor-level recommendations for 23rd Street, while the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan identifies multiple crossing improvements along the corridor.
This item proposes a coordinated near-term and long-term approach. 655
October 20, 2026
Near-term improvements would focus on measures that may be implemented more quickly and provide visible safety benefits while larger capital improvements move through planning, design, funding, and construction.
One priority is the development of enhanced pedestrian crossings. At locations determined appropriate through engineering review, high-visibility crosswalks could be combined with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs), warning signage, pavement markings, and other pedestrian-safety treatments. Richmond’s adopted Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan already recommends enhanced crossings and RRFB treatments at several locations along 23rd Street.
A second priority is the deployment of speed-feedback signs at strategic locations to provide motorists with an immediate visual indication of their travel speed and reinforce safer driving behavior. These near-term measures are not intended to replace comprehensive improvements to 23rd Street.
The City should simultaneously continue advancing longer-term corridor improvements through its adopted safety plans, capital improvement process, and available transportation funding opportunities. Richmond’s Local Roadway Safety Plan identifies larger 23rd Street corridor improvements, including pedestrian crossing enhancements and broader roadway changes.
The City’s FY 2026–27 budget planning also includes a Neighborhood Safety and Access Program addressing crashes, high-injury corridors, speed, safer crossings, and quick-build improvements. Staff should determine whether any existing or legally eligible resources within this or other transportation programs can support near-term improvements along 23rd Street.This two-track approach allows the City to take practical action now while continuing to develop comprehensive, long-term safety improvements for the 23rd Street corridor.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
None.
656
October 20, 2026
City Council
DATE: October 20, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM: Councilmember Claudia Jimenez
Vice Mayor Doria Robinson
Councilmember Sue Wilson
Subject: Evaluate and advance immediate and long-term safety measures for areas with high incidence of fatal and
severe-injury traffic accidents
FINANCIAL IMPACT: No Fiscal Impact for the report; future council decisions regarding traffic safety will have a budget impact yet to be determined.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
April 30, 1996: Resolution 62-96 established policy that establishes the multi-step resident petition and speed
hump application criteria used by the City.
July 19, 2022: Adopted Resolution No. 105-22 approving
the local roadway safety plan
November 22, 2022: Received Presentation and
Provided Direction on Traffic Safety Implementation
Strategy Based Upon a Number of Stakeholder Requests
June 4, 2024: Created Traffic Calming Division within the Department of Public Works
June 21, 2026: Implemented McBryde Avenue Safe
Routes to Park Project
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Traffic safety continues to be a concern for residents, pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers traveling through
Richmond. The City has previously identified and
implemented many safety improvements, and more are
in the planning stages. However, two recent pedestrian
fatalities along 23rd Street raise questions about whether the City has invested enough money in traffic safety
solutions, and whether we are taking the right approach.
AGENDA
REPORT
657
October 20, 2026
This item directs the City Manager to work with City staff to summarize the current state of Richmond’s traffic
safety programs and propose ways to improve it.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: DIRECT the city manager to 1) conduct an analysis and propose an immediate and a long-term plan to improve
traffic safety (including bike and pedestrian safety) in Richmond which includes 1) specific locations to be
addressed 2) criteria used to choose those locations 3) proposed measures at each location, 4) implementation
timelines 5) estimated costs, and 6) potential funding
sources in addition to the General Fund. Return to the
City Council in November, 2026, with an initial
presentation on the above points - Councilmember
Claudia Jimenez/Vice Mayor Robinson/Councilmember
Sue Wilson (510-620-6861).
DISCUSSION:
In November 2022, the City Council approved the citywide Traffic Calming Program and its initial traffic calming project, which included 18 locations. To build the capacity needed to advance this effort, the Council subsequently approved the creation of a dedicated Traffic Calming Division within the Public Works Department (PW), staffed by two planners and a traffic engineer.
The division’s primary goal is to support the implementation of the Traffic Calming Programs and improve street safety throughout the City. For the programs which include Bike and Pedestrian, Neighborhood Traffic Calming and Traffic Safety to succeed and deliver measurable results that residents can see and experience. The City Council must commit to providing annual funding for traffic calming improvements.
Numerous intersections and streets across the City require traffic safety interventions, ranging from relatively quick, low-cost solutions to more complex projects that require additional planning, resources, and time. To ensure that limited resources are allocated effectively and transparently, the City should establish clear, objective criteria for prioritizing locations and selecting appropriate traffic calming measures.
In addition, PW should proactively coordinate traffic calming improvements with the City's pavement maintenance and resurfacing schedules. When streets are already scheduled for repaving, the City has an opportunity to incorporate appropriate traffic calming measures into the planned work rather than returning to the same locations later. This approach can reduce construction costs, minimize disruption to residents, 658
October 20, 2026
and accelerate implementation. Other cities have demonstrated the value of coordinating street safety improvements with planned pavement work as a costeffective way to maximize public investments and deliver improvements more efficiently.
Integrating traffic calming priorities into the City's pavement management process should therefore be a key component of the program.
Each year, PW should present the City Council with a prioritized list of proposed traffic calming projects. For each location, the list should include the criteria used to establish its priority, the recommended safety improvements, anticipated implementation timelines, estimated costs, and potential funding sources beyond the General Fund. The list should also identify opportunities to coordinate improvements with scheduled pavement maintenance and resurfacing projects.
This annual process would provide a clear roadmap for implementation, strengthen accountability, and help ensure that traffic safety investments are strategic, equitable, and sustained over time. By establishing consistent annual funding and coordinating traffic calming improvements with planned street maintenance, the City can make better use of available resources while delivering meaningful street safety improvements to residents more quickly.
In recent months, two fatal collisions have occurred on 23rd Street, and fatal crashes have also occurred in previous years on Carlson Boulevard and other streets throughout the City. While it is very important to plan safety improvements along 23rd Street and Carlson Boulevard, it is equally important to address safety concerns on other residential streets and intersections where residents have been waiting for solutions.
These incidents underscore the need for a comprehensive, citywide approach to traffic safety, one that goes beyond addressing individual locations after serious or fatal collisions occur. The City needs a sustained, annual funding allocation for traffic calming improvements, supported by clear, transparent, and objective criteria for prioritizing locations and determining which projects will move forward each year.
Equally important is the need to communicate these priorities to the public. Residents should be able to understand how locations are evaluated, why certain projects are prioritized, and when improvements may be expected. Even when a location cannot be addressed immediately, residents deserve to know that their concerns have been documented, their location has been evaluated, and their project remains in the queue for future funding and implementation.
A transparent, annually updated project pipeline would help build public trust, manage expectations, and demonstrate the City's commitment to addressing traffic safety concerns across all neighborhoods, not just at locations where recent fatal collisions have occurred. The goal should be to move from a reactive approach to a proactive, systematic, and sustained investment in safer streets for everyone. 659
October 20, 2026
DOCUMENTS LINKED:
Resolution 62-96 speed hump application criteria
Resolution No. 105-22 approving the local roadway safety plan Agenda Report Traffic Safety Implementation Strategy Based Upon a Number of Stakeholder Requests
Agenda Report Created Traffic Calming Division within the Department of Public Works Agenda Report Implemented McBryde Avenue Safe Routes to Park Project Traffic Safety Program and Projects:
https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/4944/Traffic-Safety-Programs-Projects Where to submit traffic safety requests:
https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/4510/Neighborhood-Safety-and-Access-Program Safer Streets 1 Various Locations:
https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/4633/23035---Traffic-Calming-Program Safer Streets 2 Traffic Safety Improvement Projects Fiscal Year 2025-2026:
https://sites.google.com/view/richmondtrafficsafetyimp/home?pli=1&authuser=0 Bike and Pedestrian Plan Various Locations:
https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/4944/Traffic-Safety-Programs-Projects#bike-ped 660
October 20, 2026
City Council
DATE: October 20, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM: Councilmember Soheila Bana (sponsor)
Councilmember Claudia Jimenez (co-sponsor)
Subject: Establishing a Disaster Preparedness Commission for the City of Richmond
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Staff time to support Commission meetings, prepare agendas, and coordinate with member organizations.
Additional fiscal impacts, if any (e.g., stipends, materials, training costs), would be identified in the staff report required under this resolution.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Given Richmond's compounded hazard profile —
seismic, industrial, wildfire, and coastal — the City would benefit from a permanent, formalized structure for
interagency and community coordination, rather than
relying on ad hoc collaboration. A standing commission
would improve information-sharing among first
responders, volunteer organizations, and residents;
strengthen the City's eligibility and readiness for state and federal disaster preparedness grants; and provide
the City Council with a consistent advisory body on an
issue directly affecting public safety.
Currently, disaster preparedness coordination in
Richmond is distributed across multiple entities, including the City's Office of Emergency Services (OES),
AGENDA
REPORT
661
October 20, 2026
Richmond Police and Fire Departments, Community
Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers,
Emergency Communications (EmComm) amateur radio
operators, and local Fire Safe Councils, among others.
While each of these groups performs valuable work, no
standing body currently exists to formally coordinate
across them, ensure consistent communication with the
City Council, or provide ongoing public accountability and strategic oversight of citywide disaster preparedness
efforts.
A Disaster Preparedness Commission would fill this gap
by creating a formal, standing body charged with
coordinating across these groups, identifying
preparedness gaps, and advising the City Council on
policy and resource needs
RECOMMENDED ACTION: DIRECT the city attorney and city manager to draft an ordinance (or resolution) to establish a Disaster
Preparedness Commission for the City and to return with proposed bylaws, membership structure, and any
necessary municipal code amendments within 90 days -
Councilmember Soheila Bana (510-672-
3490)/Councilmember Claudia Jimenez (510-620-6565).
This item was continued from the October 6, 2026,
meeting.
DISCUSSION:
The City of Richmond faces a uniquely concentrated set of hazards that few California cities face simultaneously:
Seismic risk: Richmond sits near the Hayward Fault, one of the most urbanized and closely monitored active faults in the United States, with a high probability of a major earthquake in coming decades.
Industrial/hazmat risk: The City is home to a major petroleum refinery and an extensive underground network of gas and hazardous materials pipelines running beneath residential and commercial areas.
Wildfire risk: Portions of the City and adjacent unincorporated areas fall within Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) zones with documented wildfire hazard, as reflected in the City's ongoing vegetation management and evacuation route concerns.
Coastal/tsunami risk: Richmond's extensive shoreline along San Francisco Bay carries exposure to tsunami and sea-level-related hazards. 662
October 20, 2026
Currently, disaster preparedness coordination in Richmond is distributed across multiple entities, including the City's Office of Emergency Services (OES), Richmond Police and Fire Departments, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers, Emergency Communications (EmComm) amateur radio operators, and local Fire Safe Councils, among others. While each of these groups performs valuable work, no standing body currently exists to formally coordinate across them, ensure consistent communication with the City Council, or provide ongoing public accountability and strategic oversight of citywide disaster preparedness efforts.
Directing staff to draft an ordinance (or resolution) to establish a Disaster Preparedness Commission for the City and to return with proposed bylaws, membership structure, and any necessary municipal code amendments within 90 days, would assist in filling this gap, by creating a formal, standing body charged with coordinating across these groups, identifying preparedness gaps, and advising the City Council on policy and resource needs.
PROPOSED COMMISSION STRUCTURE
Staff should consider the following elements in developing final bylaws and structure:
1. Membership: Representation from OES, Richmond Police Department, Richmond Fire Department, CERT, EmComm, local Fire Safe Councils, and atlarge community members, potentially including representatives from Contra Costa County agencies given the cross-jurisdictional nature of these hazards.
2. Duties: Advise the City Council on disaster preparedness policy, raising public awareness, and strengthening neighbor-to-neighbor collaboration; coordinate joint training and exercises among member organizations; review and recommend updates to the City's emergency operations plans; identify and advise the community about funding and grant opportunities for preparedness and disaster recovery projects; and serve as a public forum for disaster preparedness issues.
3. Meeting cadence: Regular public meetings (e.g., quarterly or bimonthly), consistent with the Ralph M. Brown Act.
4. Reporting: Semi-annual report to City Council on citywide preparedness status and recommendations.
Given Richmond's compounded hazard profile — seismic, industrial, wildfire, and coastal — the City would benefit from a permanent, formalized structure for interagency and community coordination, rather than relying on ad hoc collaboration. A standing commission would improve information-sharing among first responders, volunteer organizations, and residents; strengthen the City's eligibility and readiness for state and 663
October 20, 2026
federal disaster preparedness grants; and provide the City Council with a consistent advisory body on an issue directly affecting public safety.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
None.
664
October 20, 2026
City Council
DATE: October 20, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM: Councilmember Soheila Bana
Subject: Apply for Grant Funding to Acquire an Armored Rescue Vehicle and a Rapid Response Armored Vehicle for the
Richmond Police Department
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no direct fiscal impact associated with this item.
Staff time will be required to research funding
opportunities, evaluate vehicle options and costs, and
prepare a report to the City Council, and this work will be completed within existing departmental workloads. If
grant funding is awarded, any required City matching
funds or ongoing costs, such as maintenance, training, or storage, will be identified and brought back to the City Council for consideration.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Currently, the Richmond Police Department does not
own armored rescue and repaid response vehicles and
must rely on outside agencies to provide one when
needed, which department leadership has noted can take
hours to arrive on scene.
On September 3, 2026, a Richmond police officer was
shot and injured while accompanying Contra Costa
County's A3 crisis response team on a mental health
welfare check in the 2200 block of Key Boulevard.
AGENDA
REPORT
665
October 20, 2026
A second officer inside a patrol vehicle that was struck by gunfire was not injured. The incident required a largescale tactical response, including rescue and rapid response armored vehicles and specialized resources
from allied law enforcement agencies, and prompted a
shelter-in-place order for residents near the Richmond
and El Cerrito border.
Acquiring armored rapid response and rescue vehicles
would directly address this gap, improving both officer safety and the Department's capacity to protect residents during the most dangerous incidents it may face.
Pursuing grant funding, rather than General Fund dollars, would allow the City to address this need without
competing with other budget priorities.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: DIRECT the city manager to identify and apply for available federal, state, or other grant funding to acquire an “armored rescue” vehicle and a “armored rapid
response” vehicle for the Richmond Police Department,
and to report back within 30 days to the City Council on available funding sources, estimated costs, and a
proposed acquisition timeline - Councilmember Soheila
Bana (510-672-3490). This item was continued from
the October 6, 2026, meeting.
DISCUSSION:
On September 3, 2026, a Richmond police officer was shot and injured while accompanying Contra Costa County's A3 crisis response team on a mental health welfare check in the 2200 block of Key Boulevard. According to Richmond Police Chief Timothy Simmons, the suspect fired more than 30 rounds from inside the residence using a rifle, striking neighboring homes, vehicles, and a patrol car. Officer Justin Church, a 25-year law enforcement veteran, was hospitalized and later released. A second officer inside a patrol vehicle that was struck by gunfire was not injured. The incident required a large-scale tactical response, including rescue and rapid response armored vehicles and specialized resources from allied law enforcement agencies, and prompted a shelter-in-place order for residents near the Richmond and El Cerrito border.
666
October 20, 2026
Chief Simmons noted that the incident echoes a similar 2024 shooting in Montalvin Manor, in which a resident fired at officers from inside a home. In that incident, Chief Simmons stated that the Department had no capacity to safely approach the area to evacuate neighboring residents, and that patrol vehicles were struck by rifle rounds that penetrated the vehicles.
Currently, the Richmond Police Department does not own armored rescue and repaid response vehicles and must rely on outside agencies to provide one when needed, which department leadership has noted can take hours to arrive on scene. In a July 2026 discussion with the City Council, department leadership indicated it was exploring grant funding to acquire such a vehicle.
An armored rescue vehicle plus a rapid response armored vehicle would allow the Department to safely approach active-shooter or barricaded-subject situations, evacuate residents from immediate danger, and protect officers and residents alike during high-risk incidents, without the delay of waiting for mutual aid from other agencies.
The September 3, 2026, shooting, together with the 2024 Montalvin Manor incident, demonstrates a recurring and serious public safety gap: the Department's current inability to safely and promptly approach an active gunfire situation to protect officers and evacuate residents. Acquiring armored rapid response and rescue vehicles would directly address this gap, improving both officer safety and the Department's capacity to protect residents during the most dangerous incidents it may face. Pursuing grant funding, rather than General Fund dollars, would allow the City to address this need without competing with other budget priorities.
Staff is directed to:
1. Identify available federal, state, or regional grant programs for which an armored rescue vehicle and an armored rapid response vehicle acquisition would qualify;
2. Evaluate vehicle specifications, estimated costs (including any ongoing maintenance and training costs), and vendor options;
3. Apply for identified grant funding opportunities; and
4. Report back to the City Council within 30 days with findings, a recommended funding source, and a proposed acquisition and implementation timeline.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
None
667