WEST SACRAMENTO — West Sacramento city leaders are preparing to take a major step toward improving traffic safety.
On Wednesday, they will consider adopting Vision Zero, a comprehensive plan aimed at reducing serious vehicle collisions by 50% over the next decade.
Traffic safety advocate Dana Aika Miranda says the city needs to do more to slow drivers down.
"A lot of it is attributed to really wide streets that encourage drivers to want to speed," said Miranda, manager of the Civic Thread Project.
Research found that there were 101 serious vehicle collisions in West Sacramento over a seven-year period, resulting in an average of four deaths each year. Just 3% of the streets are responsible for 70% of the major crashes.
"Perhaps the environment isn't actually doing what it should," Miranda said. "Signs are only signs and paint is only paint."
The most dangerous road by far is West Capitol Avenue, which is a busy commercial corridor and a former state highway. Four of its intersections had nine or more serious crashes.
The city is now meeting with community members to identify danger spots and look for ways to improve safety.
"Really, our focus here is how do we prioritize where our limited resources are going to go in order to improve those conditions?" said Andrea Ouse, director of West Sacramento community development.
So what kinds of traffic safety measures are being considered?
"Improving sidewalk networks throughout the city, improving the bike infrastructure throughout the community and really maintaining a safe environment for all modes of transportation to reduce the fatalities and serious injuries," Ouse said.
Some progress has already been made, like installing bike lanes along West Capitol and a new bike and pedestrian bridge to get across Highway 50.
But advocates say more money and resources need to go towards preventing any more crashes.
"It is one of those problems that can be solved," Miranda said.
The city has allocated $350,000 toward its Vision Zero goal, with the majority of the money coming from a federal Safe Streets grant.
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