Sacramento council reviews Vision Zero update and directs staff on high-injury network

City staff on Monday reviewed an update to Sacramento27s Vision Zero Action Plan and asked the City Council for input on how to define a High-Injury Network that will guide where the city prioritizes safety investments.

Jennifer, division manager for sustainability in Public Works, told the council the update replaces older crash data with 20152024 figures and aligns the city with new state guidance that allows planners to weigh crashes involving vulnerable road users and sensitive areas such as schools and disadvantaged communities. Staff said the city27s 10-year records show more than 22,000 injury crashes and about 1,600 severe or fatal crashes, and noted that people walking and bicycling are overrepresented among killed or seriously injured road users.

"This is how we decide our priorities for transportation investments," Jennifer said, describing the process to produce a data-driven High-Injury Network and outlining community outreach the department has done, including in-person and virtual workshops and visits to neighborhoods and high schools.

Two public commenters told the council the program matters to people who have been injured or lost family members. "I have lost a friend as a pedestrian hit by vehicle," Richard Miller said, urging the council to invest in safer infrastructure and community outreach.

Council members from across the dais commended staff27s outreach and pressed for explicit prioritization of vulnerable road users. Council Member Maple said the city should "prioritize walking, biking, kids, seniors and communities" and insisted the High-Injury Network include schools, youth and disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Mayor Pro Tem Guerra emphasized identifying near-hit locations and engaging earlier with engineering and school communities so the city can reach dangerous sites before serious injuries occur. Vice Mayor Talamantes and others highlighted enforcement, noting recent vehicle stops and asking how automated enforcement and police resources would be coordinated with engineering work.

Staff and the police chief described recurring coordination between Public Works and the Police Department, said daytime and evening enforcement resources are in use, and noted legislative changes (Senate Bill 720) that change how jurisdictions may operate automated red-light enforcement. The police chief and city attorney flagged staffing and privacy/legal constraints around citation programs and said the city is exploring pilot and legislative options.

Council members raised costs and timing: staff described a multi-billion-dollar pipeline of planned improvements and said the city currently budgets roughly $14 million a year for pavement upkeep while an estimated $90 million a year would be needed to maintain current pavement condition. Staff said the High-Injury Network will be limited to no more than 20% of the street network, per state rules, and will be used to prioritize quick-build projects and longer-term investments.

After discussion, the council provided review and direction for staff to continue community engagement, prioritize locations that disproportionately injure vulnerable road users and disadvantaged neighborhoods, and return with recommended criteria and implementation steps. The item was a review and council comment; no formal vote was taken.

The council asked staff to report back with a proposed High-Injury Network and an implementation timeline and to include coordination with school districts on safe routes.