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Soledad City Council adopts Vision Zero action plan to pursue federal safe-streets funding
Summary
The council approved Resolution 6352 to adopt a locally tailored Vision Zero Action Plan identifying high-injury corridors and pedestrian conflict points; staff said adoption makes the city eligible to apply for SS4A and other safety grants.
Soledad City Council on a unanimous vote adopted Resolution 6352 to approve a Vision Zero Action Plan tailored to the city, a roadmap staff said will guide safety investments and make the city eligible for federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) funding.
The plan, presented by Alex Ramos, the city’s engineering project manager, outlines a data-driven approach to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries by prioritizing projects that address intersections and pedestrian conflicts. "Tamzy was awarded $640,000 through the SS4A grant to essentially create a comprehensive countywide safety action plan," Ramos said, explaining the regional partnership and the local plan’s role in leveraging larger funding opportunities.
Why it matters: councilmembers said the plan gives the city an actionable list of projects and a shared regional strategy that can be used to apply for competitive grants. The plan identifies Soledad’s high-injury network and recommends strategies such as traffic calming, intersection safety improvements, striping and quick-build pilot projects, and outreach tied to Safe Routes to School.
During a lengthy question-and-answer session, staff and a regional consultant described the plan as a living document: projects can be added or refined to match immediate funding opportunities. Doug (regional partner) explained that the regional agency will keep the umbrella plan updated and that jurisdictions can add local projects to improve grant competitiveness. Ramos and consultants said the plan does not obligate immediate construction or spending; it establishes priorities and a mechanism to pursue grants.
Councilmembers pushed staff to align recommended projects with the city’s capital-improvement priorities and asked that high-injury corridor improvements be considered in the five-year CIP while grant applications are pursued. Staff said examples under consideration include pedestrian and striping improvements for Orchard Lane and key collector streets and that the plan complements other applications such as ATP and RSTP.
Next steps: by adopting the plan the city can include listed projects in forthcoming SS4A and other grant applications; staff said they expect to submit applications in the coming funding cycle and will return to council as project-level proposals and funding opportunities are developed.
