Contra Costa County Vision Zero

Overview of Findings

Prepared by Fehr & Peers

April 7, 2022

Two schoolchildren walking on an improved section of sidewalk near Walnut Heights Elementary School

Contra Costa is committed to Vision Zero.

Vision Zero is a safety strategy with the fundamental concept that no one should be killed or seriously injured while using our roadways. This safety strategy has been adopted by communities across the country and around the world.

Vision Zero is a change in how we think about and approach fatalities and major injuries on our roadways. Instead of accepting collisions that result in fatalities and serious injuries as inevitable, Vision Zero requires us to instead think of these collisions as preventable through a Safe System Approach . A Safe System Approach addresses the five elements of a safe transportation system through a shared responsibility and redundancy: safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads, and post-crash care.

This Vision Zero effort began with an engineering-focused Systemic Safety Analysis Report (SSAR), which identified systemic and hot spot safety improvement projects by completing a system-wide, multi-year, data-driven analysis of collision data.

That effort was followed by a Vision Zero Action Plan , which builds upon the infrastructure-focused work of the SSAR to provide a comprehensive safety strategy for the County that includes a multidisciplinary, holistic approach to safety. Proven countermeasures that are competitive for grant funding are identified and can be implemented through the current and future Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and key partnerships with safety stakeholders.

On March 1, 2022, Contra Costa County adopted the Action Plan from the Vision Zero Final Report that was developed collaboratively between the County’s Public Works Department, the Department of Conservation and Development, and the Department of Health Services.

A map of Contra Costa County with the communities in its unincorporated areas. These are, in West County — Kensington, El Sobrante, North Richmond, Rodeo, Crockett, Port Costa, Bayview-Montalvin, East Richmond Heights, Rollingwood, and Tara Hills; in Central County — Canyon, Pacheco, Vine Hill, Clyde, Contra Costa Centre (Pleasant Hill BART station), Saranap, Alamo, Blackhawk, Tassajara, Briones, Diablo, and Mountain View; and in East County — Bay Point, Bethel Island, Knightsen, Discovery Bay, and Byron.

A text-based graphic stating that, from 2014 to 2018, there were 2,174 collisions that resulted in death or severe injury in unincorporated Contra Costa County, of which 252 collisions resulted in death or severe injury.

A text-based graphic stating that, in 2018 alone, there were 71 collisions that resulted in death or severe injury in unincorporated Contra Costa County, which translates to someone getting killed or seriously injured on the road every 5 days.

A stacked line chart showing the total number of KSI collisions per year, broken down by mode, in unincorporated Contra Costa County, with totals rising from roughly 40 in 2014 to roughly 70 in 2018.

Two stacked bar charts showing breakdowns of collision severities by mode. The first shows that out of all collisions, 3% are fetal, 9% result in severe injury, and 88% result in other, lesser injuries; out of collisions involving only motor vehicles, 2% are fetal, 8% result in severe injury, and 90% result in other, lesser injuries; out of collisions involving bicycles, 3% are fetal, 12% result in severe injury, and 85% result in other, lesser injuries; out of collisions involving pedestrians, 10% are fetal, 20% result in severe injury, and 70% result in other, lesser injuries. The second shows that out of all collisions, 5% involved pedestrians, 8% involved bicycles, and the remaining 87% involved only motor vehicles; out of KSI collisions, however, 13% involved pedestrians, 10% involved bicycles, and the remaining 77% involved only motor vehicles; out of fatal collisions, 19% involved pedestrians, 9% involved bicycles, and the remaining 72% involved only motor vehicles.

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A cyclist biking along a two-lane roadway with no bike facilities alongside vehicles.

A pedestrian crosswalk with yellow paint and a Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacon (RRFB)

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green-painted bike lane along San Pablo Dam Road

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A bicyclist proceeding down Iron Horse Regional Trail near Walnut Creek

A pedestrian using a push button at a signalized pedestrian crossing

A bicyclist on a road with no dedicated bike facilities alongside motor vehicles.

Want to Learn More?

That effort was followed by a Vision Zero Action Plan, which builds upon the infrastructure-focused work of the SSAR to provide a comprehensive safety strategy for the County that includes a multidisciplinary, holistic approach to safety. Proven countermeasures that are competitive for grant funding are identified and can be implemented through the current and future Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and key partnerships with safety stakeholders.

The County has a webpage for its Vision Zero effort that acts as a central hub for related resources, including the full text of the SSAR and Vision Zero Action Plan.

County Vision Zero Webpage

Questions?

Contact Craig Standafer (craig.standafer@pw.cccounty.us) or Monish Sen (monish.sen@pw.cccounty.us) at Contra Costa County. Their contact information can also be found on the County Vision Zero Webpage linked above.