HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2503-4455CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Monday, June 02, 2025
Council Chambers & Hybrid
5:30 PM
Agenda Item
6.Adoption of a Resolution Approving the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Safety Action Plan as
Recommended by the Policy & Services Committee
City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Transportation
Meeting Date: June 2, 2025
Report #:2503-4455
TITLE
Adoption of a Resolution Approving the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Safety Action Plan as
Recommended by the Policy & Services Committee
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the Resolution approving the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Safety Action Plan (Attachment
A) as recommended unanimously by the Policy & Services Committee.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report presents the Final Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Safety Action Plan (Attachment B) and
associated resolution (Attachment A), including a summary of how public, Policy & Services
Committee, and Council comments were incorporated to shape the final plan. The Plan
positions the City for federal roadway safety funding eligibility by aligning transportation
planning with the Safe System Approach, identifying safety focus areas and a High Injury
Network, and selects a target date for elimination of fatal and serious injury collisions of 2035.
A planning level estimate to add treatments to the 22.2-mile High Injury Network is
approximately $7.8 million, for which the plan prioritizes grant funding from federal and state
sources.
BACKGROUND
Federal Highway Administration requires City to have a Safe Streets for All (SS4A) compliant
plan in order to be eligible for certain federal funding, Therefore, in late 2023, the City of Palo
Alto and its consultant, Fehr & Peers, began the SS4A Safety Action Plan. Council received two
subsequent informational reports about the SS4A Safety Action Plan; the first introduced the
planning effort and provided background on the Safe System Approach while the second
provided an overview of the collision analysis and stakeholder engagement (Staff Report 2309-
2039).1 The Draft Safety Action Plan was presented at a Council study session on March 3, 2025,
and included a draft resolution stating the City’s commitment to the goal of eliminating traffic
fatalities and serious injuries while acknowledging tradeoff decisions in pursuit of this goal. A
summary of board, committee, and commission (BCC) feedback accompanied the report (Staff
Report 2409-3522)2
Safety Focus Areas
Analysis of the 1,132 injury collisions that occurred during the 5-year period from 2018 through
2022 found that speeding was the number one reported cause of crashes in Palo Alto. Using a
map-based analysis to plot crash data along with contextual information on roadway
characteristics, the project team identified seven collision profiles that each represent 6-15% of
the most dangerous collisions, those resulting in fatalities and severe injuries, also known as KSI
collisions. There were 47 KSIs during the 5-year study period. The seven Safety Focus Areas are:
1. Alcohol Involved
2. Drivers on Residential Arterials
3. 90-Degree Angle Conflicts
4. Pedestrians on Arterials at Night
5. Minors Riding Bicycles
6. Pedestrians on Major Downtown Streets
7. Walk and Roll Routes Crossing Higher Stress Streets
Project Purpose
The primary focus of this plan is to identify - and in so doing, become eligible for funding for -
proactive, citywide opportunities to improve safety for all road users in support of eliminating
roadway fatalities and serious injuries by a target year. This Plan complies with Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) SS4A requirements for a safety action plan3 and will confer eligibility for
implementation funding from the annual $1 billion Safe Streets for All federal funding program
as well as state grants that require such a plan, such as the Caltrans Highway Safety
Improvement Program which awarded $299.6M to jurisdictions around the state in 2025.
Relationship to Other Plans
The Safety Action Plan (Attachment B) is a policy document for all modes of travel, using a
safety lens to evaluate existing plans and proposed projects, ultimately setting the City up to
1 City Council, November 27, 2023; Agenda Item #18; SR #2309-2039,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/api/compilemeetingattachmenthistory/historyattachment/?historyId=36025
c95-52b1-4da0-bc8b-fad9df86f7e8 and City Council, April 29, 2024; Agenda Item #3, SR #2404-2839,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/api/compilemeetingattachmenthistory/historyattachment/?historyId=79d7c
1d2-b1a1-4eb9-acca-039fab91
2 City Council, March 3, 2025; Agenda Item #2; SR #2409-3522,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/meetings/ItemWithTemplateType?id=7195&meetingTemplateType=2&comp
iledMeetingDocumentId=13287
3 US Department of Transportation, SS4A Action Plan Components,
https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2022-06/SS4A_Action_Plan_Components.pdf
institutionalize a new safety framework. By contrast, the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian
Transportation Plan (BPTP) Update focuses on bicyclist and pedestrian needs, identifying new
projects, and building off the policy framework identified in the Safety Action Plan. As shown in
Figure 1, the Safety Action Plan sets the policy foundation for transportation planning while the
BPTP Update designates networks and facilities for implementation. Specific or Area Plans, like
the upcoming San Antonio Road Area Plan, will prepare more detailed land use and
transportation designs for implementation.
Figure 1: Relationship of the Safety Action Plan to Other Plans
ANALYSIS
4 Staff
distributed information about the Draft Plan through the City’s project website5 and citywide
communication channels and by presenting at the boards, committees, and commissions (BCCs)
noted in the Stakeholder Engagement section below. Public comments were accepted via the
project website and email through March 15, 2025. Staff consolidated over 300 individual
comments received from the community, BCCs, City departments, and Council, noting the
following key themes:
4 Draft SS4A Safety Action Plan,
https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/transportation/projects/ss4asafety-action-plan/palo-
alto_public-draft-safety-action-plan-121624.pdf
5 Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Safety Action Plan website,
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Transportation/Transportation-Projects/Safety-Action-Plan
E. Requests to better integrate Safe Routes to School (SRTS) education and
encouragement programs into the plan
F. Requests to include the forthcoming San Antonio Road Area Plan
G. Requests for a target year of 2035 for eliminating severe injuries and fatalities
H. Requests to include development of regulations for minors riding e-bikes
The Final Draft incorporates these comments except for Theme H about regulating minors on
ebikes. At this time, only Marin County is able to restrict the use of e-bikes by minors as a pilot
program due to special authority granted to it by the State.6
Target Date Discussion
For consistency with Federal funding requirements from the SS4A Self-Certification Eligibility
Worksheet7, this item includes a resolution with a policy that commits to eliminating traffic
deaths and serious injuries by a specific target year. When the project was first brought to BCCs
and shared with Council via informational reports, the zero-goal year was identified as 2030.
Discussions with stakeholders and City staff identified that more time would be needed to align
internal processes and protocols and implement safety projects. This starts with more
systematically addressing key risk factors and barriers to safety that exist in Palo Alto and
fortifying the City’s commitment to make design, maintenance, and operation decisions in
alignment with the Safe System Approach. Given the policy, planning, design, and
implementation needed to create a roadway system that is self-enforcing and proactively
reduces speeds, staff recommends that Council identify a zero-goal year of 2035 or 2040 with
Final Plan adoption. The Resolution in Attachment A uses the target year of 2035 based on
feedback from Council in March, but it is at Council’s discretion to choose a different year.
Policy and Services Committee Discussion
The Final Draft Safety Action Plan was reviewed by the Policy and Services Committee on May
13, 2025,8 endorsing it unanimously with a 2035 target date and making no other changes.
However, there was extensive discussion about the possibility of regulating minors’ use of e-
bikes (specifically the motorbike kind of e-bike). As noted above, state legislation would be
required before the City could move forward on this. Per Committee feedback, City's legislative
liaison staff will work with the City’s legislative advocates to determine opportunities for the
City in this area as the opportunities regarding legislation may occur beyond this current state
legislative session. OOT staff will provide any updates regarding legislative advocacy in the
forthcoming Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan Update.
6 See CVC 21214.5,
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=21214.5
7 Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Self-Certification Eligibility Worksheet,
https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2024-02/SS4A-FY24-Self-Certification-Worksheet.pdf
8 Policy and Services Committee, May 13, 2025; Agenda Item #1; SR # 2504-4514,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/meetings/ItemWithTemplateType?id=7952&meetingTemplateType=2&comp
iledMeetingDocumentId=14240
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
9
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
9 City Council, June 19, 2023; Agenda Item 35; SR #2305-1525,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/meetings/ItemWithTemplateType?id=2511&meetingTemplateType=2&comp
iledMeetingDocumentId=7329
Commission. Plan progress and collision data would be shared with the three bodies that would
make recommendations to the City Council about Plan activities.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
ATTACHMENTS
APPROVED BY:
*NOT YET ADOPTED*
132_20250418_ts24
Resolution No. ___
Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Approving the Safe Streets for All
Safety Action Plan
R E C I T A L S
A.The Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was signed into law in November
2021. The law authorized $1.2 trillion for transportation and infrastructure spending
through FY 2026. This included the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program.
B.The National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) was signed into law in January 2022. Through
the NRSS, the United States Department of Transportation committed to a national vision
of zero roadway fatalities and identified priority action aligned with the five Safe System
elements.
C.Caltrans’ Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) was last updated in January 2023. In 2020,
State transportation leaders recognized that a change, known as “The Pivot,” was
necessary to combat the rise in fatalities and serious injuries on California’s roadways
through the implementation of the Safe System Approach.
D.On June 19, 2023, the City Council approved and authorized the City Manager to execute
a grant agreement with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to develop the Palo
Alto Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A)-funded Safety Action Plan.
E.In August 2023, the City of Palo Alto contracted with Fehr & Peers to complete the SS4A
Safety Action Plan. The project included two community outreach events, an online survey
and interactive map, and project status updates to City Council, Planning and
Transportation Commission (PTC), Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee (PABAC), and
City/School Transportation Safety Committee (CSTSC).
F.To comply with the SS4A program requirements, the Palo Alto SS4A Safety Action Plan
must include a public commitment to the eventual goal of zero roadway fatalities and
serious injuries from a high ranking official and/or elected body in the jurisdiction,
including a timeline or target for achieving that goal.
G.The City of Palo Alto’s SS4A Safety Action Plan states that traffic fatalities and serious
injuries on the City’s roadways will be reduced to zero by the year 2035.
H.The City of Palo Alto’s SS4A Safety Action Plan is aligned with the Safe System Approach
and calls for changes to citywide policies, programs, and practices to clarify our multi-
modal safety priority. The City Council acknowledges that these changes will result in
tradeoff decisions that proactively provide the opportunity to reduce severe injuries and
fatalities and may result in parking loss or increased vehicle delay at times.
*NOT YET ADOPTED*
132_20250418_ts24
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Palo Alto RESOLVES as Follows:
SECTION 1. The Council hereby approves the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A)
Safety Action Plan (attached as Exhibit A) and the goal of eliminating transportation fatalities and
serious injuries in the City of Palo Alto by 2035.
SECTION 2. The Council finds that this Resolution and the SS4A Safety Action Plan are
statutorily exempt from CEQA under Public Resources Code 21080.20.
SECTION 3. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon adoption.
INTRODUCED:
PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:
__________________________ _____________________________
City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED:
__________________________ _____________________________
Assistant City Attorney City Manager
_____________________________
Chief Transportation Official
Exhibit A
Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan
The plan is available at:
https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/transportation/projects/ss4a-safety-
action-plan/palo-alto-safety-action-plan_final_june_2025.pdf
*NOT YET ADOPTED*
132_20250418_ts24 3