Riverside council accepts $6.2 million state grant for roadway safety upgrades

The Riverside City Council voted to accept a state roadway safety grant of approximately $6.2 million to fund signal controller upgrades, pedestrian-visibility improvements and bicycle safety measures across multiple corridors.

Engineering staff told the council the grant involves a state competitive program administered through Caltrans and that total project cost is roughly $7.6 million, with local matching funds and previously approved phases accounting for the remainder. Staff said the grant will fund a second phase of signal-controller replacements and technology upgrades that prepare intersections for new applications, including future automated and AI-enabled traffic management tools.

Victor Chyama, a city traffic engineer, told the council the grant will fund 164 new signal controllers and pedestrian-high-visibility improvements at 35 intersections; other elements include bike facility separations on corridors such as Van Buren Boulevard and Magnolia/University crossings. Chyama said previous phases replaced and improved 240 controllers and that the new equipment is expected to reduce vehicle delay by 8–18 percent.

Councilmembers praised staff for securing the competitive funding. No members of the public registered to speak on the item.

The council approved the staff recommendation without recorded opposition. Staff said the project aligns with the city's strategic priorities and with the city's existing bicycle- and pedestrian-safety plans; implementation will involve the Public Works/Transportation Division and coordination with the police department on enforcement and safety messaging.

Motion and vote: council approved acceptance of the state roadway-safety grant (agenda item 18); the motion passed unanimously.