Sacramento (Aug. 25, 2022) – Students at Oak Ridge Elementary school and eight other schools will have an easier time getting to school thanks to some new traffic safety improvements coming from the City of Sacramento.

An infusion of $2.2 million in federal dollars will help fund pedestrian-friendly improvements around schools, including new curb ramps, high visibility crosswalks, additional bike lanes and buffers for bike lanes. The safety upgrades are part of a broader array of investments made throughout the city as part of the Vision Zero pedestrian, bike, and vehicle safety plan. Through Vision Zero, the City of Sacramento is aiming to create safer streets and eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2027.

“This is going to save lives. Not just here, but throughout our entire city,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg

Here is the entire list of schools selected to receive improvements in this round of federal funding:

Aspire Capitol Heights Academy (elementary)
Father Keith B. Kenny Elementary School
Natomas High School
Oak Ridge Elementary
St. Hope Public School 7 (K-8)
Smythe Academy of Arts and Sciences (elementary)
The Met Sacramento High School
West Campus High School
William Land Elementary

“It is incredibly important that we do not lose sight of the projects happening on our neighborhood streets, the projects that are so important to people living here. That really make an impact on all of us. This is what makes Sacramento, I think, stand out. It makes a difference on a daily basis and we’re making sure that they get the attention they deserve,” said Congresswoman Doris Matsui

The $2.2 million of federal funding for traffic safety around schools was among several community projects championed by Congresswoman Matsui as part of the FY22 government funding package.

Each school was chosen using a combination of factors, including prioritizing sites through an equity lens that considered if the school is in a historically disadvantaged community and whether there had been any recent investments or traffic improvements in the area. The City of Sacramento’s Transportation Planning team also prioritized streets near schools with the highest number of severe injuries and fatalities resulting from traffic crashes.

The nine schools that will see improvements from this funding are among the 20 schools highlighted in the Vision Zero School Safety Plan, a targeted effort to improve traffic safety and biking and walking access at schools under the broader Vision Zero Program.

A robust outreach effort was also used to learn what improvements and changes were needed for each school. Staff worked directly with school employees, students, and parents directly to find out what their chief concerns are on top conducting intensive site visits and traffic observations.

“Throughout the Vision Zero School Safety Study, I had the opportunity to visit schools throughout the city and meet students and parents who are not comfortable biking and walking to school because they don’t feel safe doing so,” said Leslie Mancebo, Senior Transportation Planner at the City of Sacramento. “I’m excited to have funding to make these safety improvements for our kids, who are often the most vulnerable traveling on our streets.”

In addition to making safety upgrades, the City of Sacramento has also reduced the school speed limit to 15 MPH at 115 schools throughout the city on a total of 225 streets.

Specific timelines for implementation each school will vary based on several factors, including when the funding is officially transferred over to the city from the federal government and when contractors are chosen through a competitive process. Many of the planned improvements can be constructed quickly once the federally mandated processes are completed.

Since being adopted in 2017, the city has invested $20.5 million in Vision Zero improvements through local funding and competitive grants.