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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/19/2026 Item 6b, Mills Russell S Mills < To:E-mail Council Website Subject:FW: SLO Could Get New Traffic Safety Plan Next Week Attachments:Bicycle Riding on Sidewalks.pdf Mayor and City Council: This discussion should include consideration of allowing bicycle riding on sidewalks, especially in areas with high collision rates and without truly safe bicycle infrastructure. Most cities I’ve checked allow riding on sidewalks to some extent. SLO is an outlier by banning sidewalk riding for everyone, everywhere. Russell Mills ATC Member From: City of San Luis Obispo <communications@slocity.org> Reply-To: City of San Luis Obispo <communications@slocity.org> Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 12:57 PM To: Russell Mills < Subject: SLO Could Get New Traffic Safety Plan Next Week View this email in your browser To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. SLO Could Get New Traffic Safety Plan Next Week The City Council on May 19 will consider adopting a proposed roadmap with a goal to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries in San Luis Obispo. Post Date: 05/12/2026 12:28 PM To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. 1 In one week, the San Luis Obispo City Council will consider adopting a proposed four-year plan detailing how the City will aim to eliminate traffic deaths or serious traffic-related injuries on San Luis Obispo streets. City staff will present the final draft Vision Zero Action Plan during the City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at about 6:30 p.m. Community input was incorporated into the plan. The plan comes after a rise in traffic deaths in recent years, including 19 people killed on City streets between 2020 and 2024. According to the plan, key contributors to severe crashes locally include speeding, impaired driving, and safety challenges on a small number of major streets, and nearly 70% of fatal crashes involved people walking or biking. “We are looking at making safety upgrades where the most serious crashes happen, focusing on the streets with the highest number of severe crashes,” said Luke Schwartz, the City’s Transportation Manager. “We are proposing safer crosswalks, protected bike lanes, lower speeds in some areas, better lighting, upgraded traffic signals, and other changes designed to improve safety for people walking, biking, and driving.” Vision Zero is a global initiative aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries while improving safety, health, and mobility for all. Adopted by City Council in 2016, the guiding principle is simple: no loss of life on our streets is acceptable. While the City has successfully reduced overall traffic collisions by nearly 60% over the past two decades, traffic fatalities have recently increased. If adopted, the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan would guide a “Safe Systems” approach to reduce the likelihood that everyday mistakes result in life-changing or fatal crashes. The plan also addresses education and enforcement, emergency medical care after crashes, and safer vehicle improvements. Members of the public may provide input during the meeting, or at least 3 hours prior to the meeting either by (1) submitting written comments by email to emailcouncil@slocity.org, (2) calling (805) 781-7164 and leaving a voice message, or (3) sending letters to the City Clerk’s Office at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. View the full Agenda Packet here. 2 Learn more about complimentary parking validation for public meetings here. About the Vision Zero Action Plan Key Facts from Vision Zero Action Plan Citywide collision trends show several consistent risk factors associated with severe crashes:  High Injury Network: 80% of fatal and severe injury collisions occur on just 11% of streets, identified as the City’s “High Injury Network” (see map below).  People walking and biking: 69% of traffic deaths involve someone outside of a motor vehicle, such as a pedestrian or bicyclist.  Speed: 81% of fatal collisions occur on streets with speed limits of 35 mph or higher.  Impaired driving: 25% of fatal collisions involve alcohol or drug impairment.  Nighttime travel: 44% of fatal collisions occur at night.  Disproportionate impacts: Unhoused community members represent roughly 1% of the citywide population but are involved in 25% of fatal traffic crashes. These patterns help guide targeted strategies focused on high-risk locations and behaviors. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. City of SLO High Injury Network Community Input During Plan Development During development of the Action Plan, the City received more than 400 public comments through an online input map in early 2024, highlighting safety concerns and near misses. A draft plan was later released for public review, with additional feedback helping to shape the final document. What Does This Mean for Me? If adopted, residents may see changes on City streets aimed at improving safety and reducing severe crashes, particularly along the High Injury Network. Street improvements 3 may include reduced speed limits, enhanced speed limit visibility, traffic calming measures, traffic signal changes, turn restrictions, enhanced bicycle and pedestrian crossings, among other strategies. For more information about the City’s Vision Zero efforts and latest traffic collision trends, please visit the City’s Traffic Safety webpage. Media Contact: Luke Schwartz, Transportation Manager, lschwartz@slocity.org, (805) 781-7190 To help protect To help protect To help protect To help protect To help protect To help protect your privacy, your privacy, your privacy, your privacy, your privacy, your privacy, Microsoft Office Microsoft Office Microsoft Office Microsoft Office Microsoft Office Microsoft Office prevented prevented prevented prevented prevented prevented automatic automatic automatic automatic automatic automatic download of download of download of download of download of download of this picture frthis picture frthis picture frthis picture frthis picture frthis picture fr Copyright © 2026 City of San Luis Obispo, All rights reserved. You are receiving this message because you provided your email address via a city service, event, or program. Our mailing address is: City of San Luis Obispo 990 Palm Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevente 4 Bicycle Riding on Sidewalks R. Mills Researched 8/01/2021 Summary: There is no universal theme regarding bicycle riding on sidewalks. However, there are three common approaches: it is not allowed; it is allowed only for children (age restriction varies); it is allowed outside certain business districts. In the City of San Luis Obispo, bicycle riding on sidewalks is not allowed anywhere by anyone. State of California – not addressed There is no state-wide law restricting or allowing bicycle riding on sidewalks. According to California Vehicle Code (CVC) §21206, city and county governments are responsible for drawing up and enforcing laws of bicycles in pedestrian areas. Selected municipalities, listed alphabetically. All are municipalities that are recognized as supporting cycling. Chico - allowed outside the downtown area No person shall ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk in that portion of the central business district of the city bounded and described as follows: the area bounded on the north by the northerly property line of First Street; on the south by the southerly property line of Fifth Street; on the east by the center line of Wall Street and on the west by the center line of Salem Street; except that this restriction shall not be deemed to apply to a three-wheel or tricycle-type of bicycle being operated by a physically disabled person nor to any person operating a bicycle and desiring to access the Children’s Playground bicycle path located at West First and Broadway Streets. For the purpose of this exception, “disabled person” shall mean a person disabled by a physical disability or age. A person may ride a bicycle on a sidewalk outside of the area described in subsection A, above, provided the person yields the right-of-way to and gives an audible signal before overtaking any person standing, walking, in a wheelchair, or on a tricycle or similar three- wheeled vehicle on the sidewalk. Municipal Code 10.40.090 Davis – allowed outside the downtown area No person shall ride or propel a bicycle or skateboard upon a sidewalk or any improvements constructed or placed on a sidewalk within the central traffic district as defined in Section 16-1 of this Code, except a person may ride a bicycle or skateboard across a sidewalk only as may be necessary to enter or leave property adjacent to that sidewalk. Whenever any person is riding a bicycle upon a sidewalk, such person shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian. Municipal Code 6.02.060 Palo Alto – allowed outside a business district No person shall ride or operate a bicycle upon any sidewalk in a business district. No person shall ride or operate a bicycle upon any sidewalk in the University Avenue undercrossing below Alma Street and the Palo Alto train station or in the California Avenue undercrossing below Alma Street and the California Avenue train station when others are present. Any person riding or operating a bicycle upon any sidewalk shall exercise due care and shall yield the right-of-way to all pedestrians. No person riding or operating a bicycle upon any sidewalk where a bicycle lane or path has been established shall travel in a direction other than as posted. Municipal Code 10.64.130 San Francisco – allowed for children only Bicycle riding on any sidewalk is prohibited except that children under the age of 13 may ride a bicycle on any sidewalk except as otherwise posted. Transportation Code Sec. 1007 San Luis Obispo – not allowed No person shall ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk. Municipal Code Chapter 10.72 County of Santa Barbara – allowed for children only No person over the age of fifteen shall ride a bicycle vehicle upon, or along any public sidewalk in the county. Code of Ordinance Sec. 9-2 City of Santa Barbara – not allowed No person shall ride a bicycle on any sidewalk except at a driveway; provided, that a person may ride a bicycle on any area designated by the City Council as a bikeway. Municipal Code 10.52.030