Challenge

Between 2018 and 2022 on roadways in the San Luis Obispo region, 155 people died and 832 people sustained serious, life-changing injuries. In October 2023, San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) announced a goal of achieving zero roadway fatalities and serious injuries by 2050. To support this vision and develop a plan, SLOCOG secured a federal Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant.

The resulting Regional Safety Action Plan builds on the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Road to Zero Coalition, a data-driven campaign aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Both the coalition and the plan are built on the belief that traffic fatalities are preventable and that zero traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries is the only acceptable outcome.

Solution

Kittelson helped SLOCOG prepare the Regional Safety Action Plan, which outlines regionwide visions to foster a culture of road safety and aligns its goals with FHWA’s Safe Systems Approach. The plan incorporates historical crash data, identifies risk factors, proposes evidence-based countermeasures to reduce these risks, and highlights non-infrastructure safety strategies to engage the public.

To more comprehensively address regionally-specific roadway experiences and concerns, the plan integrates public feedback and direct community involvement. This included a regional safety forum in October 2024 that provided the tools for local roadway safety champions to act on their visions. Another component of the plan includes a public-facing Safety Dashboard and map that provide crash data information in support of accessible safety education for all road users.