Traffic Safety

Traffic Safety is an important focus area with a number of safety projects and initiatives underway; a few are summarized below.  A plan is currently being developed to identify the areas with the most severe collisions and forming countermeasures to address.  We will also be kicking off a project to update the traffic calming program in June and will be holding a series of community workshops as part of the work.  The Police Department is rebuilding their traffic enforcement unit and working to increase efficiency through new technology integration.  Public Works engineering staff is including traffic safety elements within the Capital Improvement Program projects as part of bikeway projects and by addressing improved pedestrian and bicycle accommodations within street rehabilitation projects.  The City is collaborating with NVTA and the County on a grant application for a major project to improve bike and pedestrian facilities along Imola Avenue.  The City also recently applied for two grants to fund additional pedestrian beacons installation.  The Local Roadway Safety plan will prepare us for additional traffic safety funding grant applications this fall.  The sections below provide additional details on the traffic safety initiatives.

  1. Increased Traffic Enforcement
  2. Local Roadway Safety Plan
  3. Traffic Calming Program
  4. Traffic Safety Elements of Recent and Current Projects
  5. Traffic Safety Maintenance

Traffic enforcement is one component of the standard “three E’s” law enforcement and transportation engineering disciplines prioritized for improving traffic safety.  Education and engineering are the other two.  Emergency services, empowerment, and engagement are also sometimes included in addition to the “three E’s.”

In 2020, with many staffing vacancies, fewer drivers on the road, and reduced non-emergency public contact to preserve the health and safety of our workforce during the start of the pandemic, traffic enforcement activities were very limited.  The Police Department is rebuilding the traffic enforcement unit and has recently been able to assign a new traffic sergeant and two motor officers.   In 2021, 3,749 traffic stops were made with 2,087 citations issued.  Through mid-May 2022, 1,951 traffic stops were made with 1,258 citations issued to date.   It is important to recognize that the goal of traffic enforcement is to change behavior and that traffic stops, as well as citations, advance the goal of improved compliance for safety.   

In addition to the added staffing resources, in the upcoming year, the Police Department is committed to:

  • Developing a Request for Proposals to reinitiate a Red-Light Enforcement Program 
  • Applying for a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to fund additional enforcement, equipment, and community outreach
  • Updating the collision reporting software for more accurate data
  • Issuing handheld electronic ticket writing software to officers
  • Increasing the social media outreach for traffic safety 
  • Identifying future technologies and best practices to educate the public and increase enforcement presence
  • Hiring new officers