HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6b - 2026 Vision Zero Actio Plan Item 6b
Department: Public Works
Cost Center: 5010
For Agenda of: 5/19/2025
Placement: Public Hearing
Estimated Time: 90 Minutes
FROM: Aaron Floyd, Public Works & Utilities Director
Prepared By: Luke Schwartz, Transportation Manager
Dana Murray, Transportation Planner/Engineer
SUBJECT: 2026 VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN
RECOMMENDATION
1. Receive a staff presentation on the 2026 Vision Zero Action Plan and adopt a Draft
Resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo,
California, approving the 2026 City of San Luis Obispo Vision Zero Action Plan”
(Attachment A); and
2. Provide feedback on suggested Vision Zero project priorities listed in the Council
Agenda Report.
REPORT-IN-BRIEF
While the City has reduced overall traffic collisions by nearly 60% over the past 20 years
through its ongoing Traffic Safety Program, further action is needed to prevent the most
severe collisions resulting in death or life-altering injury. The City Council adopted the
“Vision Zero” goal in 2016, affirming that no loss of life or severe injury on City streets is
acceptable (Resolution No. 10746 (2016 Series).
However, 19 community members have been killed on city streets between 2020 and
20241, the highest five-year total since the City began formally monitoring collision trends
over three decades ago. The Vision Zero Action Plan (Plan) builds on the City’s Traffic
Safety Program by shifting toward a Safe Systems approach focused on preventing the
most severe outcomes of collisions.
The Plan identifies priority areas of focus, including engineering improvements, education
and enforcement strategies, post-crash care and emergency response coordination, and
advocacy for safer vehicle design.
The purpose of this report is to present the Vision Zero Action Plan for Council
consideration and adoption and to request feedback on identified near-term
implementation priorities.
1 The collision data presented in the Vision Zero Action Plan primarily reflects the most recently available
five-year period (2020-2024).
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POLICY CONTEXT
The information and recommendations presented in the Vision Zero Action Plan support
the City’s Major City Goal of Infrastructure and Sustainable Transportation; the City’s
adopted Vision Zero Goal to eliminate traffic-related deaths and severe injuries by 2030
(Resolution No. 10746 (2016 Series); several goals and policies adopted in the City’s
2021 Active Transportation Plan (ATP) supporting safety improvements for vulnerable
road users; and multiple goals and policies adopted in the General Plan Circulation
Element, including overarching Transportation Goal 1.6.1.3 to “provide a system of
streets that are well-maintained and safe for all forms of transportation.”
DISCUSSION
Vision Zero Background
Motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death in the United States, with
more than 40,000 people killed annually, a notably higher rate than experienced in most
other peer countries. This concerning trend is mirrored locally, with 19 community
members killed on City of San Luis Obispo streets between 2020-20242 alone, the highest
five-year total since the city began formally monitoring collision trends over three decades
ago. While the City has been effective at reducing overall traffic collisions by nearly 60%
over the past two decades through its ongoing Traffic Safety Program , further action is
needed to prevent the most severe types of collisions – those that result in life-altering
injury or death. The San Luis Obispo City Council formally adopted the goal of “Vision
Zero” in 2016, affirming that no loss of life or severe injury is acceptable on city roadways
(Resolution No. 10746 (2016 Series). The City’s first Vision Zero Action Plan presented
herein lays out a comprehensive blueprint of priority actions needed to accomplish this
ambitious, yet crucially important goal.
The Vision Zero Action Plan represents an evolution of the City’s traditional Traffic Safety
Program and Annual Traffic Safety Report, shifting focus to a more proactive “Safe
Systems” approach, with a target of not just reducing overall collisions, but cu ltivating a
more forgiving transportation system where human error and collisions may be inevitable,
but catastrophic injury or death is exceedingly rare. If “Vision Zero” is the goal, “Safe
Systems” are how to get there. Through use of data-driven analysis, review of proven
transportation safety countermeasures, and valuable public input from the community,
this Action Plan enables City staff and other stakeholders to more effectively identify
common risk factors, target high-risk areas and user behaviors, and prioritize resources
towards effective interventions. The graphic below compares the traditional approach to
traffic safety to a Vision Zero/Safe Systems approach.
2The collision data presented in the Vision Zero Action Plan primarily reflects the most recently available
five-year period (2020-2024). Since the conclusion of the Plan’s 2020-2024 focus period, three victims
have been killed in traffic collisions in San Luis Obispo in 2025, and one person has been killed in 2026
as of April 15th.
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The 2026 Vision Zero Action Plan is available via a link on the City’s Traffic Safety
website, and a Draft Resolution adopting the Plan is provided as Attachment A.
Navigating the Vision Zero Action Plan
The Vision Zero Action Plan is structured into the following sections:
Executive Summary: Overview of key findings and recommendations.
Chapter 1 – Introduction: Background on Vision Zero and the Plan’s goals and
performance measures.
Chapter 2 – Current Trends: Analysis of traffic safety trends over the most recently
available five-year period (2020-2024), identifying where the most severe collisions
are occurring, what road users are most directly affected, and what factors contribute
to these collisions.
Chapter 3 – Safer Streets: Introduces the toolbox of engineering safety
countermeasures, recommendations for systematic (proactive) street design policies
and improvements, and location-specific engineering recommendations to address
collision trends on the streets and intersections with the highest concentration of
severe collisions (the “High Injury Network”).
Chapter 4 – Safer People: Public education and enforcement recommendations.
Chapter 5 – Post-Crash Care & Emergency Access: Importance of efficient post-
crash medical care and recommendations to support emergency access needs in San
Luis Obispo.
Chapter 6 – Safer Vehicles: Relationship of vehicle design on traffic safety
outcomes.
Appendix A – High Collision Rate (“Hot Spot”) Locations: Street segments and
intersections with the highest collision rates, including locations both on and off the
designated “High Injury Network”.
Appendix B – Case Studies on Recently Completed Traffic Safety Projects
Current Traffic Safety Trends
The collision data presented in the Vision Zero Action Plan focuses primarily on the most
recently available five-year collision data (2020-2024). In that timeframe, there has
generally been a flat trend in overall collisions in San Luis Obispo. Pedestrian collisions
Source: Vision Zero Network
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have remained relatively stable, while bicycle collisions increased slightly in 2024, but
remain below historic levels. However, there has been a concerning increase in fatal
crashes, with 19 fatalities between 2020 and 2024 alone, an additional 3 fatalities in 2025 ,
and one reported thus far in 2026.
Figure 1: Total Collisions (All Travel Modes)
Figure 2: Fatal Collision Victims (All Travel Modes)
Figure 3: Fatal and Severe Injury Collision Victims (All Travel Modes)
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Figure 4: Pedestrian Collisions
Figure 5: Bicycle Collisions
Attachment B includes maps from the Action Plan, showing locations of fatal and severe
injury, pedestrian and bicycle collisions.
Key Takeaways from Citywide Collision Trends (2020-2024)
Most severe collisions occur on a small number of city streets
80% of fatal and severe injury collisions occur on just 11% of San Luis Obispo
roadways (the “High Injury Network”).
Multi-lane arterial streets with posted speeds ≥ 40 mph make up only 6% of city
road miles, but account for 56% of all fatal crashes.
Most traffic deaths involve a victim traveling outside of a motor vehicle
69% of fatal collisions involve a victim traveling on foot or by bicycle, despite only
26% of local trips by city residents made by walking or bicycling.
People traveling by motorcycle or motorized scooter account for 6% of fatal
collisions and 18% of combined fatal and severe injury collisions, despite
accounting for only 1% of citywide trips.
The majority (67%) of the City’s Active Transportation Plan (ATP) Tier 1 (highest -
priority) Network aligns with the High Injury Network.
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3
Figure 6: Fatal Collisions by Mode vs. Percent of Citywide Trips by Mode
Unhoused community members are disproportionately killed in traffic
Unhoused persons account for 1.1% of the citywide population but are involved in
25% of fatal traffic crashes.
Speed Kills
81% of fatal collisions occurred on streets with a speed limit of 35 mph or higher,
with prevailing speeds often exceeding the posted limit by 5 to 10 mph.
Impaired driving is a significant problem
1 in 4 fatal collisions (25%) involved a person driving un der the influence of drugs
or alcohol.
Extra vigilance is needed when traveling at night
44% of fatal collisions occur between sunset and sunrise, despite less than 10%
of trips typically occurring during these hours.
The High Injury Network (2020-2024)
The Vision Zero Action Plan identifies the High Injury Network, consisting of
approximately 11% of City roadways where a disproportionate share of fatal and severe
injury collisions occur (approximately 80%). The Plan recommends focusing the City’s
safety resources on these corridors. The table below summarizes the High Injury Network
roadways and recent collision statistics on these routes, while Figure includes a map of
these roadways.
Table 1: High Injury Network Statistics (2020-2024)
High Injury Network Segment Length
(mi)
Street
Classification
Total
Collisions
Fatal &
Severe
Injury
Collisions
Broad (Upham to City Limits) 3.0 Highway/Arterial 138 10
California/San Luis (Foothill to Johnson) 1.3 Arterial 74 6
3 More information on the 2024 Citywide Household Transportation Survey is available in the Active
Transportation Plan 2023 Progress Report Card: 2024 Addendum .
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High Injury Network Segment Length
(mi)
Street
Classification
Total
Collisions
Fatal &
Severe
Injury
Collisions
Chorro (Walnut to Marsh) 0.4 Arterial/Collector 48 4
Foothill (City Limits to California) 1.5 Arterial 101 10
Grand (Slack to Monterey) 0.5 Arterial 24 2
Higuera (Marsh to City Limits) 2.6 Arterial 184 13
LOVR (City Limits to Higuera) 2.5 Arterial 161 5
Madonna (Oceanaire to Higuera) 1.0 Arterial 90 2
Monterey (Santa Rosa to Buena Vista) 0.8 Arterial 60 3
Santa Rosa (Highland to Marsh) 1.5 Highway/
Arterial 153 9
Tank Farm (Higuera to City Limits) 0.6 Arterial 20 3
Figure 7: High Injury Network
(See Attachment C for enlarged map)
Vision Zero Action Plan Recommendations
The Vision Zero Action Plan presents priority recommendations to support eliminating
traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries, organized around the core Safe Systems
elements: safer streets (engineering), safer people (education and enforcement), post -
crash care and emergency access, and safer vehicles. Together, these Safe Systems
layers create a more forgiving transportation system, often described as the “Swiss
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Cheese Model,” that reduces the likelihood that human error leads to fatal or severe injury
crashes.
Detailed recommendations for each focus area are provided in the Vision Zero Action
Plan. At a high level, the Plan includes strategies that address key trends and risk factors
associated with severe collisions, including high-risk road user behaviors, vulnerable road
users, and the High Injury Network.
Safer Streets (Engineering) Recommendations
The Plan includes both proactive citywide and location-specific engineering strategies.
The Systematic (Proactive) Engineering Recommendations are a priority set of safety
strategies intended to be applied broadly across the City’s roadway system as
opportunities and resources allow. They include both (1) policy and planning updates to
strengthen the City’s overall transportation framework and (2) engineering solutions that
support safer street design. These recommendations focus on integrating proven safety
measures into standard City practice, including speed management, pedestrian and
bicyclist safety improvements, and enhanced roadway lighting.
The Plan also includes High Injury Network Engineering Recommendations, which outline
location-specific engineering strategies for streets and intersections located on the High
Injury Network. These recommendations focus on targeted, proven safety improvements
at locations with a demonstrated history of collisions. By prioritizing resources on the High
Injury Network, the City can make the greatest progress toward eliminating severe
collisions.
The High Injury Work substantially overlaps with the City’s Active Transportation Plan
(ATP) Tier 1 Network, with 67% of the ATP Tier 1 corridors also included in the High Injury
Network (see Attachment D). This overlap highlights the importance of continued
investment in and implementation of the Tier 1 Network as a core strategy for advancing
the City’s mobility and sustainability goals, as well as a chieving Vision Zero.
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The Plan also supports the ATP by increasing community awareness of existing low -
stress bicycle routes that run parallel to higher-speed arterial streets, particularly those
adjacent to the High Injury Network. In addition, the Plan recommends prioritizing
implementation of new low-stress bicycle facilities identified in the ATP that provide
parallel routes to higher-speed arterial streets. See Attachment E for priority existing and
future low-stress bicycle routes parallel to the High Injury Network.
Safer People (Education and Enforcement) Recommendations
The Plan recommends targeted education for all road users, including drivers, people
walking, people bicycling, focused on correctable high-risk behaviors that contribute to
severe collisions, as well as increasing awareness of common risks encountered when
navigating the city. It also recognizes populations overrepresented in these collisions,
including people walking, bicycling, and unhoused community members. It also
recommends focusing enforcement resources on the High Injury Network and the “Focus
on the Five”4 key behaviors that contribute to fatal and severe injury collisions. The Plan
further recommends seeking additional funding—through increases in City funds and
outside grant opportunities, where available—to support increased traffic enforcement
resources and dedicated staffing, allowing expanded enforcement, including during
nighttime hours where a disproportionate share of severe crashes occur.
Post-Crash Care & Emergency Access
The Plan emphasizes recommendations that support efficient post -crash medical care
and improve the likelihood of survival following traffic collisions. These recommendations
also support general emergency vehicle response and evacuation needs throughout th e
City. Notable strategies include expansion of Emergency Vehicle Pre-emption (EVP)
systems and efforts to reduce friction on priority emergency response corridors to improve
response times. This chapter identifies priority emergency response routes and includes
a focused discussion on the project development process for advancing street safety
infrastructure projects and the importance of incorporating emergency response and
evacuation needs into the project development process. Attachment F includes an
excerpt from the Plan illustrating this process.
As discussed in this chapter of the Plan, all Vision Zero projects will be developed in close
coordination with Police, Fire, and emergency medical service providers from the earliest
stages of project scoping and design.
Emergency response access, evacuation routes, and response time performance are
treated as fundamental design criteria alongside traffic safety objectives. Potential
conflicts are identified early in the design process and resolved thr ough collaborative
review, design refinement, or alternative treatment strategies.
4 “Focus on the Five” is a targeted enforcement initiative addressing the five most common behaviors
associated with fatal and serious injury collisions: (1) speeding; (2) impaired or distrac ted driving; (3)
failure to yield to bicyclists or pedestrians while turning; (4) pedestrians and bicyclists entering the
roadway or crossing at unsafe locations; and (5) dangerous nighttime driving behaviors.
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Emergency response and public safety performance remain a required consideration in
all final project approvals.
Safer Vehicles
The Action Plan includes Safer Vehicle recommendations focused primarily on the City’s
Legislative Action Platform and advocacy efforts at the state and national level to improve
motor vehicle safety and reduce collision severity. An example of this is supporting future
updates to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment
Program to consider addition of Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems as a standard
feature in new motor vehicles. ISA systems track a vehicle’s speed and provide feedback
to the driver to help ensure compliance with posted speed limits.
Vision Zero Action Plan Implementation Priorities
Projects Already in Progress:
The Vision Zero Action Plan emphasizes the importance of prioritizing City staffing and
funding resources on the High Injury Network (HIN). Several corridors within the HIN
already have major projects underway in various phases of development that will
implement safety improvements recommended in the Action Plan . Staff recommends
continuing to advance these safety projects as a top priority:
1. Higuera Complete Street Project (Construction start expected summer 2026)
2. Higuera/Prado Intersection Improvements as part of the Prado Creek Bridge
Replacement Project (In design, construction tentatively expected to start as soon
as late 2027)
3. California/Taft Roundabout (In final design, construction start late 2026/early 2027
pending right-of-way acquisition)
4. Foothill/California Intersection and Rail Crossing Safety Improvements (In design,
potential construction start in 2027, pending railroad and PG&E coordination)
5. South & King Crossing Upgrade (In construction, completion estimated fall 2026)
6. Foothill Complete Street Project (Planning phase underway)
7. South Broad Street Complete Street Project (Planning phase starting summer
2026)
8. Grand Avenue Paving/Complete Street Project (Pilot project monitoring underway,
future improvements planned with 2027 Paving Project)
In addition, several smaller-scale safety projects are currently in-progress and planned to
be completed by the end of 2026:
1. Higuera/Suburban Traffic Signal Modifications – Add protected-only left-turn
phasing and install a “Right Turn Yield to Bike” illuminated sign. (Currently in
construction)
2. Broad/Aerovista Left Turn Restrictions (Anticipated installation summer 2026 with
2026 Minor Signing/Striping Project)
3. San Luis Drive minor sign/striping enhancements from California to Johnson
(Included with 2026 Roadway Sealing Project, beginning fall 2026)
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4. Froom Ranch Way/San Luis Ranch Road Roundabout Pedestrian Crosswalk
Beacons (To be installed with planned sign/striping project summer 2026)
5. Pilot Speed Cushion Installations – Pilot installations planned for Mill Street,
Augusta Street and Sydney Street (Anticipated installation late 2026/early 2027
following 2026 Roadway Sealing Project)
Staff Recommendations for Project Priorities through Remainder of FY2026-27:
After accounting for funding committed to the above -mentioned projects already in
progress, there is $375,935 remaining in available funding for Vision Zero Action Plan
implementation through the remainder of the FY2025 -27 work program. (See Fiscal
Impact Section for funding details).
Vision Zero implementation is dependent on available staffing capacity within the Public
Works engineering and construction management/inspection teams, in addition to
available funding. Considering available funding and current staffing capacity, staff has
identified the following list of recommended short-term Vision Zero projects for
prioritization through the remainder of FY2026 -27. These project recommendations
represent priority systematic and location-specific projects identified in the Action Plan,
focusing on the High-Injury Network and advancing measures that can be substantially
completed with current staffing and funding resources over the next 12-18 months.
Table 2: Suggested Vision Zero Project Priorities Through FY2026 -27
Project Description Cost*
Traffic Signal Modifications on High-Injury Network
$130,000
Grand/Monterey
Protected left-turn phasing on Monterey Street (left
turns only when opposing traffic is stopped)
Separate signal timing for eastbound and westbound
Grand Avenue / Andrews Street movements
Bicycle detection push-button at the westbound
approach to improve bike responsiveness
High-visibility reflective signal backplates to improve
signal visibility and nighttime safety
LOVR/Descanso
Protected-only left-turn phasing (left turns occur only
when opposing traffic is fully stopped)
High-visibility reflective signal backplates to improve
signal visibility, especially at night
Nearside signal heads to improve driver visibility of
signal indications at intersections
Tank Farm/Long
Protected-only left-turn phasing (left turns only occur
when opposing traffic is stopped)
High-visibility reflective signal backplates to improve
visibility of signal indications, especially in low-light
conditions
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Speed Limit
Reductions &
Visibility
Enhancements
Collect new speed surveys and update Engineering &
Traffic Studies to support reduced speed limits along
High-Injury Network and other high-speed arterials,
where permitted per the California Vehicle Code. Install
measures to increase awareness and compliance with
posted speed limits. Estimate assumes:
Updated speed surveys for 20 roadway segments
Updated speed limit signs and warning flags for 20
locations
New "XX MPH" speed limit pavement marking at 10
locations
6 new radar speed feedback signs
$130,000
Traffic Signal
Emergency Vehicle
Preemption
Upgrades
Install emergency vehicle pre-emption equipment at 3
new intersections, with locations prioritized based on
input from SLO Fire and SLO PD.
$90,000
Crosswalk
Daylighting
Install red curb paint and/or signage at crosswalks
pursuant to recent "daylighting" laws, prioritizing
locations near schools, parks, and areas with
pedestrian crash history. Cost estimates assume limited
locations will require outside contractor to install, with
most locations assumed to be installed by City
maintenance crews.
$5,000
Pedestrian & Bike
Crossing Signage
Install warning/regulatory signage at locations with
crash history and/or with frequent observed conflicts
between turning vehicles and bicycles/pedestrians.
Signage may include "LEFT/RIGHT TURN YIELD TO
PED/BIKE", “NO RIGHT TURN ON RED”**, etc. Cost
assumes static (not electrically illuminated) signs
installed at 10-15 new locations.
$10,000
Total Project Costs $365,000
*Above listed costs are approximate based on preliminary engineer's estimates; final costs may vary
and could affect number of these projects that can be implemented within current funding resources.
**Locations proposed for right-turn-on-red restrictions will first be evaluated to confirm they do not
conflict with the City’s adopted LOS or queuing impact thresholds.
At this time, staff is seeking Council concurrence on the abovementioned project
recommendations, which represent a collection of low-to-moderate complexity safety
projects that staff believes could be substantially completed with current funding and
staffing resources in the short-term horizon (next 12-18 months). Existing Public Works
staffing resources and workload are limiting factors with initiating any new major/high -
complexity projects or programs at this time. If the Council would like to share preliminary
input on desired safety project priorities for future work programs, they are welcome to at
this time; however, note that more opportunities for detailed discussion on future safety
projects will be available as part of the 2027-29 Financial Plan development.
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Previous Council or Advisory Body Action
The Draft Vision Zero Action Plan was presented to the City’s Active Transportation
Committee (ATC) on December 12, 2024. The ATC staff report, which includes more
detailed discussion on pedestrian and bicycle safety considerations, can be reviewed
here. Key comments provided by the ATC include:
1. Include consideration for implementing and increasing awareness of alternative
low-stress pedestrian/bicycle routes parallel to High Injury Network corridors and
other high traffic volume/speed roadways as a strategy to improve safety for
vulnerable road users.
2. Consider recommendations for increased police enforcement of illegal vehicle
window tints as a strategy to improve safety for people walking and bicycling.
3. Include some case studies or additional data on the effectiveness of recent city
safety and active transportation projects.
4. Soften recommendations in the Plan regarding enforcement of illegal pedestrian
crossings and wrong-way and sidewalk riding by bicyclists. Instead, include
considerations to first evaluate if design strategies are feasible to provide safe and
legal opportunities to accommodate these walking and bicycling desire lines before
prohibiting these behaviors completely.
These recommendations have been incorporated into the Action Plan , and staff plans to
present the final adopted Action Plan and short-term priorities to the ATC in summer 2026.
Public Engagement
To supplement quantitative collision data review, staff solicited community input to guide
development of the Vision Zero Action Plan analysis and recommendations. Community
members shared more than 400 comments on citywide traff ic safety observations,
concerns and priorities via an online Vision Zero Public Input Map distributed in early
2024. This input often aligned closely with the collision data but also helped identify
locations with frequent conflicts or close calls that may not be evident in collision data
alone, and provided additional context to help guide the detailed safety recommendations
presented in the Plan. While the online input map has been closed to new comments,
previous comments remain available for review on the City’s Traffic Safety website and
will be used by staff to guide future project planning. Staff intends to re-open the input
map to guide future updates to the Vision Zero Action Plan.
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Screenshot of Online Vision Zero Input Map
A draft version of the Vision Zero Action Plan was published in early December 2024 for
public review, and comments were collected via the Open City Hall platform through
January 15, 2025. Where possible and appropriate, these comments have been used to
guide the edits to the final draft of the Vision Zero Action Plan. Since this time, the Plan
has been updated to incorporate collision data through 2025, refinements based on the
ATC’s feedback on the draft Plan, including recommendations to advance low-stress
pedestrian and bicycle routes parallel to the High Injury Network (as shown on
Attachment E), and additional detail regarding emergency response and evacuation
considerations.
Measuring Progress
As currently proposed, it is recommended that the City endeavor to update the
comprehensive Vision Zero Action Plan every five years , as resources allow. However,
the Plan also recommends that staff continue publishing data on general traffic safety
trends and progress updates on priority Vision Zero projects and programs annually. The
Action Plan identifies specific performance measures that will be used to track progress
towards the City’s Vision Zero goals, with metrics that include 5-year average rates of
fatal/severe injury collisions, bicycle and pedestrian collision rates, consistent with the
performance measures identified in the ATP. In addition, the Plan recommends that the
city create and maintain an online collision dashboard, which provides transparent
information to decision-makers and the general public. This collision dashboard is now
live and available via the City’s Traffic Safety webpage.
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City of San Luis Obispo Online Collision Dashboard
CONCURRENCE
The City Police and Fire Departments have reviewed the Vision Zero Action Plan and
concur with its findings and recommendations. Additional details on coordination are
provided in the Street Design Review Process Flowchart (Attachment F) and in Chapter
5 (Post-Crash Care & Emergency Access) of the Action Plan, which discuss how the City
Public Works, Police, and Fire Departments will continue to address emergency access
and evacuation considerations during the planning and design of road safety
improvements.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The recommended action is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
because it is an administrative planning document and does not approve any specific
construction project. It is not a “project” as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
Any future improvements identified in the Plan will undergo environmental review as
required before implementation.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: 2025-26, 2026-27
Funding Identified: Yes
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Fiscal Analysis:
Funding
Sources
Total Budget
Available
Current
Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing
Cost
General Fund* $318,964 $ $ $
State
Federal
Fees
Other: (TIF) $43,716
Total $362,680 $ $ $
*$250,000 in additional general funds programmed FY2026-27
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with adopting the Vision Zero Action Plan itself ,
and staff is not requesting appropriation of additional funding with adoption of the Plan at
this time.
Currently, there is $362,680 total in existing capital funding to support implementation of
the Vision Zero Action Plan5, excluding funding programmed to other major stand-alone
capital projects (i.e. California & Taft Roundabout, Foothill Complete Streets, etc.). An
additional $250,000 in new funding is programmed for FY2026-27, providing $612,680 in
total funding available as of July 1, 2026.
$236,745 of this funding is committed to current safety project priorities already in
progress, as described earlier in this report (i.e. contribution to Higuera Complete Streets
Construction, Speed Cushion Pilot Project, Higuera/Suburban Minor Traffic Signal
Modification).
This leaves $375,935 available for new projects to support Vision Zero Implementation.
The discussion earlier in this report identifies the list priority projects suggested by staff
for the remainder of the FY2025-27 work program—as noted previously, staff welcomes
Council input on these short-term priorities and potential near- and long-term priorities to
consider for future financial planning cycles.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council may choose not to adopt the Vision Zero Action Plan at this time. The
Council may choose not to adopt the Vision Zero Action Plan at this time. Council may
direct staff to make modifications to the Action Plan or near -term project
recommendations and return at a future date for final approval.
ATTACHMENTS
A - Draft Resolution Adopting the 2026 Vision Zero Action Plan
B - 2026 Vision Zero Action Plan Collision Maps
5 This includes $224,758 in Account No. 2000073 (Vision Zero Program Implementation) and $137,922 in
Account No. 2091607 (Traffic Safety Report Improvements).
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C - 2026 Vision Zero Action Plan High Injury Network Map
D - High Injury Network Compared to ATP Tier 1 Network Map
E - Low-Stress Bicycle Routes Parallel to High Injury Network Map
F - Street Design Project Development Process
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R ______
RESOLUTION NO. _____ (2026 SERIES)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS
OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN
WHEREAS, the safety, health, and wellbeing of all persons traveling within the
City of San Luis Obispo is a fundamental City priority, and no person should be killed or
seriously injured while traveling on City streets; and
WHEREAS, the San Luis Obispo General Plan Circulation Element establishes
policy direction to provide a safe, efficient, and multimodal transportation system that
supports walking, bicycling, transit, and reduced reliance on single -occupant vehicles;
and
WHEREAS, Vision Zero is based on the principle that while human error is
inevitable, the transportation system should be designed to anticipate mistakes and
prevent them from resulting in severe injury or death; and
WHEREAS, the City of San Luis Obispo adopted a Vision Zero policy in October
2016 with the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries by 2030; and
WHEREAS, 19 people in the City of San Luis Obispo lost their lives to traffic deaths
in between 2020 and 2024 and traffic crashes are among the leading cause of deaths in
the United States; and
WHEREAS, the implementation of the measures recommended in the Vision Zero
Action Plan will build on the City’s previous Traffic Safety Program and Active
Transportation Plan with the overall goal of improving safety for all road users and
expanding access to safe, sustainable transportation options; and
WHEREAS, adoption of the Vision Zero Action Plan will support the City’s eligibility
and competitiveness for Federal and State grant opportunities related to multimodal
transportation safety and infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the Vision Zero Action Plan provides a coordinated set of strategies
across of engineering, education and awareness, enforcement, post-crash care, and
vehicle safety to reduce severe and fatal collisions and improve overall transportation
safety; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has considered the 2026 Vision Zero Action Plan and
the recommendations contained therein.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis
Obispo as follows:
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Resolution No. _____ (2026 Series) Page 2
R ______
SECTION 1. Approval. The City of San Luis Obispo Vision Zero Action Plan is
hereby adopted.
SECTION 2. Implementation. City staff are directed to implement the Vision Zero
Action Plan within available staffing capacity and budgetary resources, and to return to
Council as necessary to advance priority projects and programs.
SECTION 3. Administrative Authority. The City Manager, or designee, is
authorized to make minor, non-substantive revisions to the Vision Zero Action Plan as
necessary to correct errors, clarify intent, or reflect updated data, provided that such
changes do not materially alter the policy direction of the Plan.
Upon motion of Council Member ___________, seconded by Council Member
___________, and on the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
The foregoing resolution was adopted this _____ day of _______________ 2026.
___________________________
Mayor Erica A. Stewart
ATTEST:
______________________
Teresa Purrington
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________
J. Christine Dietrick
City Attorney
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the
City of San Luis Obispo, California, on ______________________.
___________________________
Teresa Purrington
City Clerk
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Broad
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Figure 19: Low-Stress Bicycle Routes Parallel to High Injury Network
San Luis Obispo, CA
City Limit
High Injury Network
Low-Stress Bicycle Network - Existing
Low-Stress Bicycle Network - Proposed
Cerro Romauldo
Neighborhood Greenway
Planned Marsh Street
Undercrossing Shared-Use Path
Madonna Road Shared-Use Path
Planned Madonna Road Separated Bikeway
Shared-Use Path (Madonna Inn to Higuera)
Oceanaire Neighborhood Greenway
Bob Jones Trail
Planned Bob Jones Trail Extension
(LOVR to Octagon Barn)
Existing Railroad Safety Trail
(Cal Poly to Mill)
Planned Pepper St Bikeway
Improvements
Existing Downtown
Neighborhood Greenways and
Bike Lanes
Planned Railroad Safety Trail on
West Side of UPRR Tracks (High
Street to McMillan)
Railroad Safety Trail (Orcutt to
Amtrak Station)
Planned Railroad Safety Trail
Extension (Tiburon to Orcutt)
Railroad Safety Trail (Tank Farm
to Tiburon)
Dalidio & Froom Ranch Way
Shared-Use Paths
Planned Bikeway Connection
between Tank Farm and Prado
Woodbridge/Victoria
Neighborhood Greenway
North Chorro
Neighborhood Greenway
2020-2024
Potential Bicycle/Pedestrian
Connection (Ferrini to Boysen)
Flora-Fixlini Neighborhood Greenway
(Southwood to SLO High School)
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187
Figure 21: Street Design Project Development Process
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