Contra Costa Health (CCH) announced it received a $202,692 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to support its Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Program. This grant will allow CCH to promote safe practices for pedestrians and bicyclists and provide education about the importance of sharing the road.
Local data show an increase of nearly 30% in fatal crashes involving pedestrians over the past 10 years in Contra Costa County, and that pedestrians and bicyclists are 2.4 times more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a traffic crash compared to drivers. The OTS grant funds multiple efforts to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
“Everyone deserves a safe environment to travel, regardless of how people get to places,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “The safety of people walking and biking on our roads is a high priority. Education plays a pivotal role in creating a strong road safety culture that prioritizes traffic safety, especially for our most vulnerable road users.”
Grant funds will support a variety of activities focused on bicycle and pedestrian safety:
Support for local jurisdictions to include public health in road safety plans and address the community conditions that create unsafe environments for non-motorized road users.
Local bicycle and pedestrian safety campaigns.
Community bicycle and walk “audits” of streets with high rates of pedestrian or bicyclist fatalities and serious injury crashes.
Bicycle training courses that teach youth on how to stay safe on the road.
Community events that promote bicyclist and pedestrian visibility and the importance of sharing the road, slowing down, and staying alert to bicyclists and pedestrians while driving.
The grant program will run through September 2024.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
More ugly street painting and poles for motorists to run into. 🙁
The onlything that really helps is being alert!
Here’s where we can start: tell cyclists that they are to follow the same rules as vehicles. The number of cyclist I personally know who ASSERT that they don’t have to follow the laws of the road (including my husband, you says that it’s “just known” that cyclists don’t have to stop at stop signs or lights) is absolutely mind-blowing. I’d be curious how many fatal accidents could have been avoided if the cyclist was obeying traffic laws to begin with.
I completely agree. If I could drive my car the way cyclists navigate the streets (on the sidewalk, against traffic, running red lights), I could be at work in half the time.
Waste of money most bicyclist don’t follow the rules now.How many do you see stop at stop signs?
So they pass a law to make jaywalking legal.
And now they decide to be concerned about pedestrian safety.
As Mr. Spock would say, “highly illogical”.
Following traffic laws reduces cyclists’ collision risk but hardly assures safety.
There are two kinds of scofflaw cyclists: Those who know how to break the law safely and those who get creamed by cars. The attritional effect quite efficiently culls reckless riders from the roads.
The laws of physics determine cyclists’ safety far more effectively than any traffic ordinance.
Break the law safely …. Is this a joke?
Umm, yeah. No.
There is one type of cyclist: those who do not belong on the road. End of.
The biggest safety thing they could do for cyclist is an education campaign. A campaign that says, yes you too need to stop and follow the rules. You are not immune cause you are on two wheels!
Why build the bike lanes, they won’t stay in them.
Population control policies at work.
More emboldened latex warriors – they disregard red lights and stop signs, some places closing streets to vehicles even though gas taxes paid for them – more of the entitled “me first” woke crowd – another classic Newscum political ploy
Have you ever wondered where the grant money came from? More likely the tax payers.
The weasels won’t lock up criminals to keep us safe, but bend over backwards to protect the 2% that bike places and follow the rules. Fancy green paint and never once seen a bike sitting in it. Joke
No sympathy for cyclists until I see them follow the rules of the road, including stopping at stop signs!
What a bunch of negative nancies and grumblers you are!
I try to only ride on trails because of all the idiots on their phone while driving. All it takes is one distracted driver to swoop over and take out a pedestrian or cyclist.
I pay taxes, why shouldn’t I have a safe way to ride my bike? Geez.
LoL!! Really?! Do you know how many times I had to slam on my breaks at the crosswalk on Citrus Ave due to those idiot bicyclists WHO DON’T STOP AT THE STOP SIGN! And no sorry, I am NOT on my phone or distracted when passing that crosswalk. My mom worked at a police department and 9 times out of 10, it was the bicyclists fault when he/she was injured due to not following the rules of the road. You bicyclists are also pretty rude and entitled on the trails. I walk the contra costa trail almost every day so yes I experience it.
I follow the traffic laws 100 percent / and haven’t had ANY problems (bicycling 4 transportation) EVER . My only complaint is that there is nobody else out here doing this. I use the bicycle for most of my errands + Medical Appointments (I have Kaiser) and live off of Geary Road (near Larkey Park). I am also 61 years of age, 5’3″ – 112 lbs. The reason I am in this kind of excellent shape is due to Bicyling 4 transportation. We have miles and miles and miles of bike trails, and well marked Bicycle Access in our area. We are blessed with beautiful weather (only problem is when it’s over 100 degrees / and yes I got overheated once). I figured out a damp scarf under my helmet is essential on hot days – and I am careful not to bicycle during the hottest part of the day. It’s so freeing to not have to worry about parking. I know many cannot do this (due to work) – but I did it while working. I also bicycled with my daughter to middle school / and she has continued to bicycle – and is grown and relocated. She works at a Municiple Transit Authority (to promote bicycling) – and also works as a “courier” (in a PNW Meteo Zone). I work from home now, as many in Tech do these days. Get out here people! Do it while you can. It does take time to build endurance (and you can get an e-bike if it too much for you). I’d love to see other women out here – come join me.