TO: TRANSPORTATION AND
ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
FROM: John Ristow
SUBJECT: Vision Zero Program Status
Report
DATE: April 28, 2025
Approved Date:
5/6/25
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the Vision Zero program status report.
BACKGROUND
Vision Zero Overview
Vision Zero is San José’s commitment to eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries.
Adopted in 2015, San José was the fourth U.S. city to commit to this initiative, using a multidisciplinary, data-driven approach to improve street safety. Vision Zero traffic safety has been highlighted in the City Council’s Increasing Community Safety Focus Area. In February, the City Council adopted the 2025 Vision Zero Action Plan, San José’s fourth, strengthening this commitment through updated strategies, equity-focused initiatives, and alignment with national best practices. The plan sets a clear target: a 30% reduction in fatal and severe injuries by 2030, with the goal of eliminating them by 2040.
This memo provides an update on traffic crash data trends, recent developments since the new Plan’s adoption, and progress on Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-2025 safety initiatives.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and Vision Zero The Vision Zero Task Force was established in 2020 to unite stakeholders in addressing traffic safety. With the recent adoption of the 2025 Vision Zero Action Plan, the Task Force has sunset. Oversight and reporting functions have transitioned to the Transportation & Environment Committee, ensuring continued policy-level focus on Vision Zero. This shift allows staff to prioritize implementation over planning meetings, accelerating progress towards safer streets.
The San José Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) advises the Department of Transportation (DOT) on pedestrian and bicyclist safety. BPAC will T&E AGENDA: 5/19/25
ITEM: (d) 2
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Subject: Vision Zero Program Status Report
receive biannual updates from DOT and provide input on issues affecting walking, biking, and active transportation. Additionally, BPAC will report to the Transportation & Environment Committee as part of the annual Vision Zero Action Plan updates, ensuring that pedestrian and bicycle safety remain key components of the City’s broader traffic safety efforts. This integration streamlines reporting, enhances coordination, and strengthens the City’s commitment to protecting all road users. For a full report from BPAC on their role, priorities, and recent activities, see Attachment A.
ANALYSIS
DOT staff continue analyzing traffic fatality and severe injury trends, implementing lifesaving traffic safety projects, and advancing initiatives to ensure the Vision Zero initiative continues to align and support the City’s goals. The 2025 Vision Zero Action Plan is based on historical trends of crashes in which people were killed or severely injured (KSI) across all roadway users, including motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. This data-driven methodology ensures that Vision Zero strategies are effective, targeted, and consistent with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe System Approach.
Traffic Data Trends – Killed or Severely Injured
Annual traffic fatalities have fluctuated over the past decade, peaking at 65 in 2022 before declining to 49 in 2023 and 2024 (Figure 1). KSI traffic incidents, which include fatalities from Figure 1, peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic with 280 in 2020 and 295 in 2021, before declining to 237 in 2024 (Figure 2). While both crash types now show a downward trend, the number of KSI crashes remain a serious safety concern.
Figure 1 – 10-year Traffic Fatalities Figure 2 – 10-year Traffic KSI People walking and biking remain disproportionately represented in traffic-related crashes in San José. Between 2015 to 2024, crashes involving these vulnerable road users accounted for approximately 11% of total crashes and represented 42% of trafficrelated KSI crashes. Pedestrian KSI crashes peaked at 85 in 2019, dropped significantly in 2020 during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, then rose again in 2021 before
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Subject: Vision Zero Program Status Report
declining to 67 in 2024. Bicyclist KSI incidents have remained relatively steady over the past decade, with 36 reported in 2024 (Figure 3).
COVID-19 had an impact on travel patterns and behavior, leading to crash data fluctuations year-over-year. While pedestrian KSI decreased in 2020 during the stay-athome period, total KSI rose, driven largely by an increase in motor vehicle occupant KSI, due to more speeding on less-congested roads. Speed-related KSI spiked at 79 in 2020 but has declined to 58 in 2024. Red-light-running KSI has remained relatively stable, dropping from a peak of 35 in 2021 to 26 in 2024 (Figure 4).
Figure 3 – 10-year Pedestrian and
Bike Traffic KSI
Figure 4 – 10-year Speeding and
Red Light Running Traffic KSI
While traffic crash data reflects recent progress, high-severity crashes continue to represent a significant share of total crashes. In 2024, 237 crashes (4% of all crashes) resulted in KSI, compared to 295 (6%) in 2021. Building on the past 10 years' efforts primarily focused on fatalities, the City is expanding and focusing its Vision Zero initiatives to address both fatalities and severe injuries. Targeted actions to reduce speeding, improve vulnerable road users’ safety, and enhance overall roadway safety are central priorities.
The New 2025 Vision Zero Action Plan
The newest Vision Zero Action Plan was unanimously adopted by the San José City Council on February 25, 2025. Councilmembers also included recommendations submitted in a memorandum signed by Mayor Mahan, Vice Mayor Foley, and councilmembers Campos, Ortiz, and Doan.
Priority Action Areas
The 2025 Vision Zero Action Plan is organized around five Priority Action Areas:
1. Prioritize Equity and Vulnerable Road Users: Focus on underserved communities and high-risk populations to ensure equitable access to safe streets.
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Subject: Vision Zero Program Status Report
2. Center Data Analytics and Reporting: Use advanced data tools to track progress and target safety interventions effectively.
3. Strategize Traffic Enforcement: Deploy focused enforcement strategies, including speed and red-light camera systems.
4. Engineer for Safety: Enhance infrastructure through data-driven Quick-Build projects and capital improvements.
5. Engage the Community and Message Safety: Strengthen public outreach, education, and safety awareness efforts.
Priorities in the Near-Term
The near-term priorities, with existing staffing and resources, will focus on improving data accessibility, enhancing collaboration, and supporting safety efforts through structured before/after project evaluations and streamlined processes to:
• Create user-friendly public facing dashboards, available in multiple languages. • Collaborate with other jurisdictions on data sharing. • Provide timely reporting of findings from before/after project evaluations. • Lower speed limits through Engineering and Traffic Surveys. • Collaborate with the Police Department to partially automate/streamline the data entry process.
Before-and-After Project Evaluation
The before-and-after project evaluation program is a new Vision Zero initiative to assess the impact of quick-build corridor improvements. Before-and-after evaluations provide critical data on safety interventions, ensuring efficient resource use and guiding future projects. DOT has completed the one-year evaluations of Senter Road and Hillsdale Avenue, with plans to evaluate Curtner Avenue and Saratoga Avenue, as well as the two-year evaluations of Senter Road and Hillsdale Avenue. One-year assessments help identify any areas of concern and possible additional modifications to the roadway design, while two-year assessments evaluate the impact of these minor changes to the long-term roadway conditions. This approach reflects the intent of quick-build corridor improvements, with the expectation that they may undergo change after installation.
Highlighted Accomplishments
Completed and In-Progress Work Summary
The following tables summarize projects DOT has completed or is advancing in Fiscal Year 2024-2025, categorized by project type and Council District (see Attachment B for project list):
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Table 1 – FY 2024-2025 Accomplishments by Project Type
Project Type Completed In Progress Total
Capital Construction 0 6 6
Quick-Build Corridors 3 1 4
Pedestrian and
Roadway Safety 37 15 52
Traffic Signals 110 37 147
Bike Corridors 57 8 65
School Safety 110 21 131
Walk ‘n Roll 59 18 77
Table 2 – FY 2024-2025 Accomplishments by City Council District Council District Completed In Progress Total
District 1 22 11 33
District 2 22 8 30
District 3 67 16 83
District 4 50 10 60
District 5 40 7 47
District 6 42 13 55
District 7 27 13 40
District 8 41 10 51
District 9 46 13 59
District 10 42 18 60
Quick-Build Projects: Priority Safety Corridors
Redesigning streets to reduce fatal and severe injury crashes is DOT’s top strategy. We often use low-cost and easily installed materials to improve safety faster than capital construction projects. Quick-build safety improvements are prioritized on Priority Safety Corridors, often leveraging the planned work through the Traffic Capital Improvement Program and Citywide Pavement Program to expedite safety treatments for vulnerable road users. Quick-build improvements primarily consist of pavement markings, roadway signs, plastic bollards, traffic lane reconfiguration, streetlight upgrades, minor traffic signal hardware enhancements, and traffic signal timing changes.
Recent quick-build projects on Priority Safety Corridors:
Moorpark Avenue (Saratoga Avenue - Boynton Avenue, completed fall 2024, project timeline - approximately twelve months): Pavement resurfacing, reconfigured travel lanes, protected bike lanes, high-visibility crosswalks, and radar speed display signs.
Snell Avenue (Highway 85 – Santa Teresa Boulevard, completed fall 2024, project timeline - approximately ten months): New center turn lane for safer driveway and side street access, bike lanes, high-visibility crosswalk upgrades, restricted U-turns at Snell Way, reconfigured travel lanes, and dedicated left turn pocket into a local shopping center.
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Subject: Vision Zero Program Status Report
Quick-Build Projects: Intersection Treatments
Quick-build intersection treatments provide rapid, cost-effective safety improvements that advance safer roadway design. In the first nine months of FY 2024–2025, DOT completed six quick-build intersection projects and two quick-build sideshow projects.
Design and implementation of these standard quick-build improvements, depending on complexity, typically take fewer than six months, aligning with City Council’s directive to complete quick-build projects within a year. DOT will continue to explore opportunities to further expedite the quick-build process.
Grant Funds Awarded
In FY 2024-2025, DOT submitted five grant applications totaling $11 million for the pedestrian and bicycle safety program, multi-intersection signal improvements, King Road Transit First Complete Streets Planning Project, and a Bike Plan update. Two applications were awarded a total of $1 million for planned signal improvements (see Attachment C).
The City has several federal grant agreements from recent years, both executed and unexecuted, that have not yet been obligated. For DOT, these grant agreements total approximately $50 million, including over $21 million in combined U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets for All grants for funding safety intersections at key intersections and for the City’s new automated speed enforcement program. This grant funding is critical to increasing pedestrian and bicyclist safety and realizing Vision Zero.
With the change in presidential administration, there is uncertainty regarding the federal government’s actions related to fund grant obligations. The City Manager's Office is working closely with DOT to expedite funding agreements and advocate to the federal administering agencies.
School Safety Program
For FY 2024-2025, the School Safety Program aimed to enhance safety measures around K-12 schools across San José. Thirty-one access and circulation studies were completed, which involved analyzing traffic flow at school parking lots and surrounding streets, pedestrian, and student access (walking and biking), and overall traffic safety around the school areas. These studies help identify and recommend improvements to ensure safer environments for students, school staff and the community.
Additionally, 282 high-visibility school crosswalks were installed throughout the city as part of the School Safety Program. High-visibility school crosswalk enhancements are a proactive approach to creating safer pathways and reducing risks for students and parents walking to and from school. The selection of high visibility crosswalks for schools typically involves a combination of traffic safety assessments, community input, school requests and council inquiries. Proximity to schools, traffic volume and speed, pedestrian activity, visibility conditions, and community feedback are some of the parameters considered when selecting a location for the implementation of high visibility crosswalks.
The program’s goal is to have all 1,700+ school crosswalks enhanced with high-visibility
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Subject: Vision Zero Program Status Report
markings within five years. For a map of the School Safety Program’s crosswalk enhancement projects, see Attachment D.
Walk n’ Roll Program
The Walk n’ Roll Program aims to increase walking and biking to school among K-12 students to reduce school traffic congestion and promote healthy habits. Efforts toward this mission include providing traffic safety education through safety assemblies, bike rodeos and informational resources, as well as events designed to motivate students to try walking and biking to school. These events include Walk n’ Roll Days, International Walk to School Day, and open-streets events (like Viva EscuelaSJ). The program currently works with approximately 90 elementary, middle, and high schools throughout San José.
The City of San José launched the Walk n’ Roll Program in 2012, funded by various state grants. In 2016, Walk n’ Roll acquired long-term funding through Measure B, a Santa Clara County sales tax initiative that is in effect until 2047. The California Air Resources Board recently awarded a grant that provides Walk n’ Roll with funding to launch a comprehensive bicycle education program for three high schools in underserved communities. For a map of Walk n’ Roll schools, see Attachment E.
Speed Safety Systems: Speed Enforcement Cameras and Red-Light Running Cameras Vision Zero San José identifies speeding and red-light running as the leading causes of fatal and severe injury crashes in the City. Automated enforcement technologies, such as speed safety cameras and red-light cameras, are effective tools that support Vision Zero’s goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries. Speed safety cameras have been proven to reduce speeding on high-injury streets in cities across the country. With the passage of state Assembly Bill 645 in October 2023, San José – along with five other California cities – can now pilot automated speed enforcement.
DOT estimates that the one-time and ongoing costs for a five-year Speed Safety System Pilot Program will range from $15.4 million to $17.9 million. DOT was awarded $8.5 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets for All program.
However, the funding remains on hold pending Federal Highway Administration review of the grant agreement.
On October 29, 2024, the City Council adopted the Speed Safety System Use Policy and the Speed Safety System Pilot Program Impact Report, as required by AB 645. The Request for Proposal closed on January 20, 2025, and City staff is currently reviewing proposals. Additionally, the City expects to install and operationalize red-light cameras at four intersections in Summer 2025. For a map of Speed Safety System and Red-Light Camera locations, see Attachment F.
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Subject: Vision Zero Program Status Report
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Budget Office, the City Attorney’s Office, and San José Police Department.
/s/
John Ristow
Director of Transportation
For questions, please contact Heather Hoshii, Deputy Director for Transportation Safety, Operations, and Parking, at [email protected].
ATTACHMENT
Attachment A – Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Report Attachment B – Transportation System Safety Projects – Completed/In Progress FY 2024-2025
Attachment C – Grants Awarded for Safety Projects FY 2024-2025 Attachment D – School Safety Program Projects Map FY 2024-2025 Attachment E – Walk and Roll Schools Map FY 2024-2025
Attachment F – Speed Safety Systems: Speed Enforcement Cameras and Red-Light Running Cameras Map