To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Public Infrastructure
Staff Name and Phone Number: Johannes J. Hoevertsz, 707-565-2231
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Sonoma County Local Road Safety Plan 2020
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a Resolution adopting the Sonoma County Local Road Safety Plan 2020.
end
Executive Summary:
The Sonoma County Department of Public Infrastructure (SPI) is requesting the Board of Supervisors adopt a Resolution adopting the 2020 Sonoma County Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP). The purpose of this LRSP is to identify ‘hotspot’ collision areas on roadways within the County and explore both short and long-term corrective measures that may reduce collision rates and improve roadway safety.
The LRSP was developed using grant funds awarded by Caltrans and beginning in 2022 is required for local jurisdictions to qualify for Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant funds.
Discussion:
The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST) was signed into law on December 4, 2015. The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is one of the programs created by the FAST Act. HSIP is a federal-aid program that focuses on reducing fatalities and serious injuries on public roadways. To that end, HSIP provides municipalities with funding for projects that have the sole purpose of reducing crashes and improving roadway safety. Local HSIP projects must be identified on the basis of crash severity, crash potential, crash rate, or other data-supported means. Beginning 2022, a Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) will be required for an Agency to be eligible to apply for HSIP funds. Due to this requirement and the County's commitment to improving transportation safety for all users on local roadways, the Sonoma County Department of Public Infrastructure (SPI) has developed this LRSP.
In 2020, Sonoma County was awarded a state grant from Caltrans to create a LRSP. The LRSP is a collaborative process with local leadership groups that represents the 5 E’s and public outreach: Engineering, Enforcement, Education, Emergency Services, and Emerging Technologies. The LRSP adds in Emerging Technologies which is absent from the SHSP guidelines. Examples of Emerging Technologies include Intelligent Transportation Systems, improved bicycle detection, upgraded traffic signal controllers, enhanced communication and data collection, and changeable message signs.
The attached 2020 LRSP identified 'hotspot' collision areas on roadways within the County and explores potential short-term and long-term corrective measures that may reduce collision rates and improve roadway safety. This report focuses on a five-year period (2015-2019) of collisions within the County. During this timeframe, the County has experienced 5,542 reported collisions, 78 of which were fatal (resulting in 84 fatalities total, i.e. some collisions resulted in multiple fatalities). Based on the five years of data, there has been an average of 1,108 collisions/year and 16 fatalities/year on the County’s roadways.
The LRSP, or similar document, is required to be eligible to compete for Cycle 11 of the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant funds and failure to adopt this Resolution will jeopardize future grant funding opportunities for safety improvements on County roads.
Environmental Impact:
This action does not constitute a "project" within the meaning of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines Section 15378 and is also exempt under CEQA Guidelines 15262 (planning or feasibility studies). Therefore, no environmental review is required. Future project-specific environmental review will be conducted as required.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Healthy and Safe Communities
Goal: Goal 3: Continue to invest in critical road, bridge, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure.
Objective: Objective 3: Invest $5 million by 2024 on new pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and adopt maintenance guidelines on roads to consider bicyclists and pedestrians.
Prior Board Actions:
None.
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
There is no direct fiscal impact as a result of this Board Action. Future safety projects and/or grant funding will be brought to the Board for approval.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None.
Attachments:
Resolution
Sonoma County Local Road- Safety Plan 2020.
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.