Nearly $300 million in funding for 288 projects aimed at reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries on city and county roads across California was recently announced by Governor Gavin Newsom.
“We’re making roads safer up and down the state with significant investments,” Newsom said. “I’m proud of the lifesaving work Caltrans has done to protect drivers, pedestrians, and bikers as they go about their daily commutes.”
The funding is provided through the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), a federal-aid initiative designed to reduce fatal and serious traffic injuries nationwide. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is implementing a Safe System approach, which emphasizes multiple layers of protection, including safer road designs, with a goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries on state roadways by 2050.
Caltrans’ adoption of the Safe System approach builds on its ongoing efforts to embed safety in the state’s transportation infrastructure. When feasible, Caltrans-funded projects will include “complete street” features, providing safe and accessible options for walking, biking, and public transit.
“California remains committed to ensuring that every Californian has access to safe and reliable transportation, no matter who they are or where they live,” said California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin. “These investments highlight our people-first approach, because we know it will pay the most important dividend of all – their safety.”
The funding will support safety improvement projects throughout the state, spanning from Del Norte County in the north to San Diego County in the south.
Examples of funded projects include:
Central Valley: A $3.7 million investment will fund a new roundabout in Fresno County, a $4.5 million project in Tulare County will add rumble strips, left-turn lanes, and flashing beacons, and a $2.6 million project in San Joaquin County will upgrade 42 traffic signals.
Bay Area: A $5 million project will install Class IV bike lanes in Contra Costa County, a $4.4 million project will add high-visibility signage in San Francisco, and a $1.75 million project will improve intersection lighting and pedestrian pathways.
Central Coast: A $4 million project in Santa Barbara County will implement new pedestrian improvements and traffic signals, while a $2 million project in Santa Cruz County will enhance pedestrian crossings and daylighting.
Northern California: Nearly $6 million will be used for retro-reflectivity striping in Trinity County, while Humboldt County will receive $1 million to improve guardrails.
Southern California: A $3.6 million project in Fullerton will install a protected left-turn lane, a $1 million project in Orange County will upgrade nearly 60 signalized intersections, and a $3 million investment in Riverside County will install protected bike lanes and ADA-accessible curb ramps.
A full list of funded projects is available on the website.
Since 2007, California has invested $1.5 billion in local safety projects, including the installation of rumble strips, flashing beacons, warning signs, roadway lighting, delineators, and new sidewalks to improve roadway safety.
For more information on transportation projects and funding, visit Build.ca.gov.
