TO: TRANSPORTATION AND
ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
FROM: John Ristow
SUBJECT: Vision Zero Traffic Safety
Status Report
DATE: September 14, 2026
Approved Date:
9/18/26
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the Vision Zero Traffic Safety status report.
BACKGROUND
Vision Zero represents San José’s commitment to eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries. San José was the fourth city in the United States to adopt Vision Zero, approving the initiative in 2015 and establishing a multidisciplinary, data-driven approach to improving street safety. Vision Zero goals and performance measures are also included in the City Council’s Increasing Community Safety Focus Area, reflecting the importance of traffic safety to the well-being of residents and visitors.
In February 2025, the City Council adopted an updated Vision Zero Action Plan (Plan), establishing a target to reduce the number of people killed or severely injured (KSI) in traffic crashes by 30% by 2030 and eliminate KSI crashes by 2040. The Plan incorporates the Safe System Approach and aligns San José’s traffic safety efforts with national best practices. This status report provides an update on traffic crash trends, key developments since adoption of the Plan, and progress on Fiscal Year 2025-2026 safety initiatives.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and Vision Zero The San José Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) advises the Department of Transportation (DOT) on pedestrian and bicyclist safety. BPAC receives semiannual updates from DOT and provides input on issues affecting walking, biking, and active transportation. DOT provided the latest update to BPAC on August 31, 2026.
Additionally, BPAC will report out to the Transportation and Environment Committee as part of this semiannual Vision Zero program status update, ensuring that pedestrian and T&E AGENDA: 10/5/26
ITEM: (d)3
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
September 14, 2026
Subject: Vision Zero Traffic Safety Status Report
bicycle safety remain key components of the City’s broader traffic safety efforts. A full letter from BPAC is provided as Attachment A.
ANALYSIS
DOT staff continue advancing the Safe System Approach, a public health-based framework that recognizes human mistakes are inevitable and focuses on reducing the risk of death and severe injury through safer speeds, safer streets, and multiple layers of protection. The approach aligns with the direction being advanced nationally by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration, as well as a growing number of state and local transportation agencies implementing Safe System principles through Vision Zero, systemic safety, speed management, and proactive safety investments. Crash data is used to identify where and when the greatest risks occur and to prioritize safety investments for people most vulnerable to severe injury.
San José's continued work to institutionalize the Safe System Approach builds on this broader national movement and seeks to integrate these principles into transportation planning, project development, operations, and safety investments.
Traffic KSI Data Trends
Traffic fatalities decreased from 49 in 2024 to 41 in 2025, a 16% reduction. However, KSI increased from 246 to 261, remaining within the range observed over the past decade. Through June 2026, there were 116 KSI, compared with 121 during the same period in 2025, while fatalities increased from 15 to 23, demonstrating that continued progress toward Vision Zero will require addressing the conditions that contribute to the most severe crashes.
Safe System Risk Factors
The data continues to show that severe crashes are concentrated among vulnerable road users and in higher-risk roadway environments. In 2025, pedestrians accounted for 31% of KSI, bicyclists for 16%, and motorcyclists for 16%. Approximately 58% of KSI occurred on roadways with posted speed limits of 35 mph or higher. Speeding was identified as the primary collision factor in 23% of KSI, while red-light running accounted for an additional 9%.
Impaired driving continues to contribute to the most severe crash outcomes. In 2025 and through June 2026, more than 20% of traffic fatalities were DUI-related, the highest proportion observed in the past 10 years.
Severe crashes are also concentrated by location and time. Approximately 43% of 2025 KSI occurred on the city's Priority Safety Corridors, and 41% occurred within Equity Priority Communities. More than half of KSI occurred during dark hours, 73% occurred outside peak commute periods, and 56% occurred on weekends. These patterns
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
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Subject: Vision Zero Traffic Safety Status Report
reinforce the importance of focusing safety improvements on the highest-risk streets, conditions, and populations rather than relying primarily on individual road-user behavior (Attachment B).
Consistent with the Safe System Approach, DOT will continue using this data to prioritize strategies that reduce exposure to risk and the potential for serious harm when crashes occur, including speed management, safer street design, targeted improvements for vulnerable road users, complementary education, outreach, and enforcement strategies. Together, these strategies provide multiple layers of potential protection to reduce the likelihood that mistakes or unsafe behaviors result in death or severe injury.
Vision Zero Projects and Efforts
2026 Priority Safety Corridors
DOT completed a minor update to the City's 2023 Priority Safety Corridor network by aligning the beginning and end limits of the Priority Safety Corridors with the AB 645 Safety Corridors within the City of San José where there is a history of fatal and severe injury crashes. This update will increase the Priority Safety Corridor network from approximately 150 miles to 154 miles.
The updated network (Attachment C) aligns the two networks to support more consistent implementation, reduce potential confusion regarding corridor limits, and allow the City to apply the same speed management strategies across both networks, including speed safety systems and speed limit reductions where appropriate.
Vision Zero Collaboration
Achieving Vision Zero requires a shared and coordinated effort across multiple disciplines and agencies. The Vision Zero program continues to strengthen partnerships across transportation, public health, law enforcement, and regional agencies to address traffic safety through coordinated, data-informed strategies. Law Enforcement Partnership: DOT continues to work closely with the San Jose Police Department (SJPD) to support targeted enforcement, crash data improvements, and coordinated public safety messaging. Ongoing collaboration also includes advancing crash data automation to improve the timeliness and quality of traffic safety analysis.
Public Health Collaboration: DOT is expanding partnerships with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department and regional trauma centers to incorporate a public health perspective into traffic safety. Current efforts include exploring secure data-sharing opportunities, analyzing trends in DUI-related fatal
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
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Subject: Vision Zero Traffic Safety Status Report
and severe injury crashes, coordinating on e-bike safety education, and developing consistent safety messaging.
Regional and National Leadership: DOT continues to collaborate through the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Regional Vision Zero Working Group and the national Vision Zero Implementer Peer Exchange, California Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force, sharing best practices with transportation agencies across the country. DOT staff also participate in the first Safe System Approach 2.0 Cohort with UC Berkeley SafeTrec and the Vision Zero Network, advancing strategies to institutionalize the Safe System Approach by integrating traffic safety into policies, project delivery, and organizational decision-making. Interagency Coordination: DOT continues to coordinate with Santa Clara County Roads and Airports on expressway fatality reviews and regional crash data sharing to improve safety on shared transportation corridors.
In response to the recent increase in DUI-related traffic fatalities and major summer events, including FIFA activities, DOT convened and strengthened coordination with the City Manager's Office, SJPD, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, and regional trauma centers. In addition, SJPD and the California Highway Patrol are coordinating opportunities for joint DUI checkpoint efforts. This collaborative effort reflects the Safe System principle that preventing fatal and severe crashes requires shared responsibility across agencies.
Key actions include:
Public Health Partners: DOT continues to raise DUI-related fatality trends during coordination meetings with County Public Health and regional trauma centers. While current public health efforts remain focused on e-bike safety education, partners are exploring opportunities to incorporate impaired-driving prevention into future outreach and public education efforts as resources allow. Law Enforcement: SJPD conducts DUI checkpoints, "Know Your Limit" education events, and other targeted traffic safety enforcement efforts to reduce traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries. This fiscal year, SJPD was awarded a $458,306 California Highway Patrol Cannabis Tax Fund Grant, which will fund a new mobile DUI processing trailer and tow vehicle, eight DUI checkpoints, and five "Know Your Limit" education and enforcement events. SJPD also received an Office of Traffic Safety Grant to support additional traffic safety efforts, including distracted driving enforcement, primary collision factor enforcement, school safety presentations, and racer detail enforcement. Looking ahead, DOT will continue exploring opportunities to collaborate with SJPD and CHP on coordinated enforcement and public education efforts to further improve roadway safety across San José.
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
September 14, 2026
Subject: Vision Zero Traffic Safety Status Report
Citywide Safety Messaging: Using existing resources, DOT deployed dynamic safety messages on changeable message signs along corridors with a history of DUI-related fatal and severe injury crashes, as well as through the City's Traffic Management Center, parking payment kiosks, and digital parking displays in downtown areas with higher concentrations of entertainment venues and special events. These efforts expanded public awareness without requiring additional funding.
Before-and-After Quick-Build Project Evaluations
Consistent with the Safe System Approach, DOT conducts before-and-after evaluations of quick-build safety projects to measure effectiveness, guide continuous improvement, and inform future roadway investments. Since the program has been established, DOT completed five project evaluations, including the Year 1 and Year 2 evaluations of the Hillsdale Avenue Quick-Build Project.
The Hillsdale Avenue evaluation demonstrated sustained safety benefits (Attachment D). Compared to both the first year after implementation and historical conditions, total crashes and injury crashes in Year 2 evaluation declined. The corridor experienced zero fatalities and zero severe injuries during the second year. The project also achieved its objective of reducing vehicle speeds while maintaining traffic operations, with no significant traffic diversion to adjacent streets. Pedestrian and bicycle crashes remained low, with no severe injuries or fatalities involving people walking or bicycling.
The completed evaluations continue to strengthen DOT's data-driven approach to delivering and refining Safe System improvements. The Hillsdale Avenue evaluation results are publicly available on the Vision Zero website.
Speed Safety
Speed management is a core principle of the Safe System Approach, recognizing that higher speeds increase both the likelihood of a crash and the severity of a crash. Speed management is a core component of the Safe System Approach. Lower speed limits and automated speed enforcement can reduce speeding and crash severity, while redlight cameras address another leading behavior associated with severe crashes. With the passage of Assembly Bill 645 in October 2023, San José, along with five other California cities, is authorized to pilot automated speed enforcement. Lowering Speed Limits: In Fiscal Year 2025-2026, DOT conducted engineering and traffic surveys in accordance with state law to lower the posted speed limit on 59 roadway segments. City Council approved speed reduction on 23 roadway segments (18 corridors) in August 2025, 22 roadway segments (19 corridors) in December 2025, and 14 roadway segments (13 corridors) in June 2026 (Attachment E).
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
September 14, 2026
Subject: Vision Zero Traffic Safety Status Report
Red-Light Running Cameras Red-light running cameras are currently being piloted at four intersections: Monterey Road and Branham Lane, Leigh Avenue and Parkmoor Avenue, Keyes Street and Third Street, and Bascom Avenue and Camden Avenue. Following an initial warning period, citations began being issued on January 9, 2026. The four red-light camera locations identified 6,639 red-light violations from January 9 through August 11, 2026 (Table 1).
Preliminary findings indicate that observed red-light-running activity has decreased overall at the four pilot locations. Collectively, average weekly redlight-running detections were approximately 43% lower following the start of citations compared with available valid before-enforcement observations.
Monterey Road and Branham Lane, which had the highest number of fatal and severe injury crashes among the four pilot locations, also showed the largest reduction in red-light running. These results are preliminary and reflect data from a system currently being piloted. Staff will continue monitoring red-light-running activity and traffic volumes to assess longer-term trends as additional postimplementation data become available. After the one-year pilot period, DOT will share an evaluation report with City Council, including a staff recommendation to continue, terminate, or expand the program.
Table 1: Red-light Camera Violations by Location
Locations Violations (1/9/2026 – 8/11/2026)
Monterey Road and Branham Lane 658
Keyes Street and Third Street 1,567
Leigh Avenue and Parkmoor Avenue 1,917
Bascom Avenue and Camden Avenue 2,497
Speed Safety Cameras The agreement with the speed safety camera vendor has been executed and the Notice to Proceed has been issued. In parallel, DOT has been working with consultant Fehr & Peers to advance the site designs and obtain the necessary permits needed to install cameras on City streetlight poles.
City staff have also been meeting monthly with staff from the other pilot cities to share implementation progress, understand challenges and lessons learned, and identify best practices as the City advances its program. Camera installation is anticipated to begin in late September and continue into October 2026, with warning notices anticipated to begin in December 2026 and citations anticipated to begin in February 2027. This schedule allows the City to maximize the fiveyear pilot period authorized under AB 645. Additional public outreach is underway to raise awareness of the program, communicate the implementation timeline, and help ensure the community is informed before warning notices and citations begin.
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
September 14, 2026
Subject: Vision Zero Traffic Safety Status Report
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Manager’s Budget Office, the City Attorney’s Office, the City Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement Department, and San José Police Department.
/s/
John Ristow
Director of Transportation
For questions, please contact Heather Hoshii, Deputy Director, at [email protected].
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A – BPAC Report
Attachment B – Safe System Risk Factor Figures
Attachment C – 2026 Priority Safety Corridors
Attachment D – Hillsdale Avenue Before and After Year 2 Attachment E – Lowering Speed Limits – Engineering and Traffic Survey