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Fremont council adopts Safe Streets action plan, green-lights grant pursuit for Vision Zero goals
Summary
The City of Fremont unanimously adopted the Safe Streets for Fremont Safety Action Plan and authorized staff to pursue federal supplemental funding, committing to a goal of zero roadway fatalities and zero serious injuries by 2036 and prioritizing corridors including Bell, 23rd, Military, Lincoln and Broad.
The Fremont City Council on May 12 unanimously adopted Resolution 2026-121, approving the Safe Streets for Fremont Safety Action Plan and committing the city to a goal of zero roadway fatalities and zero serious injuries by 2036. Councilman Jensen moved to adopt the resolution and Councilwoman Gannon seconded; the motion carried 7-0.
Anna Allen, the city engineer, told the council the plan was developed with a 2024 planning grant and consultant support from JEO and emphasized both data analysis and community outreach. “As we looked at crashes from 2019 to 2023, there were 45 crashes that resulted in a fatality or serious injury,” Allen said, and added that the five-year dataset showed five fatalities and about 2,800 total crashes. Allen and JEO consultants also reported 51 vulnerable-road-user crashes in the period, including one fatality.
The plan identifies the city’s top priority corridors by a combined safety index: Bell Street, 23rd Street, Military Avenue, Lincoln Avenue and Broad Street, and lists a menu of 28 FHWA-recommended countermeasures such as crosswalk visibility enhancements, pedestrian refuge islands and rectangular rapid-flashing beacons. Consultants described the approach as a “safe systems” strategy that combines engineering, education, policy change and targeted projects.
Council members thanked staff for the outreach and data work but raised questions about implementation sequencing and funding. Councilmember Horner said he supported the plan but cautioned against losing momentum on projects the council had previously approved, citing a 5–3 vote last year on a traffic signal at 23rd and Summers that has not yet been completed. Anna Allen and consultants responded that the action plan is a menu of options designed to be incorporated into existing and future projects, not a wholesale replacement of previously approved work.
Grant coordinator Angie Olson outlined immediate next steps: apply for SS4A supplemental funds to refine priority projects and later pursue implementation grants. Olson noted grant applications typically require matching funds and emphasized that having an adopted plan strengthens the city’s competitive position. “We could apply for supplemental funding and possibly, down the road, for implementation funds as well,” Olson said.
The council also discussed noninfrastructure elements such as traffic safety education and the evolving role of vehicle technologies; staff said many vehicle-safety features depend on national standards and manufacturer adoption and that maintaining clear signage and pavement markings supports driver-assist systems.
The resolution adoption enables staff to begin seeking supplemental SS4A funding and positions Fremont to apply later for implementation grants linked to the plan’s prioritized projects. The council then voted 7-0 to authorize staff to apply for supplemental funding and to authorize the mayor to sign required grant documents under Resolution 2026-119.
Next procedural steps: staff will incorporate the plan’s priorities into future project programming and pursue SS4A supplemental grants to define and fund near-term projects.
