The city of San Jose received a $100,000 grant to beef up bicyclist and pedestrian safety as part of a year-long program, city officials said Thursday.
The state's Office of Traffic Safety gave the grant for the city to operate a year-long safety improvement program, with a focus on senior safety education and outreach, safety presentations, walking safety audits of public infrastructure and safety equipment and materials, according to city officials.
"San Jose's Vision Zero traffic safety education reaches tens of thousands of children and adults annually, including over 7,000 seniors," Lily Lim-Tsao, San Jose's deputy director of traffic, safety, operations and parking, said. "This grant gives us the resources we need to reach road users of all ages so that they walk, bike, and drive safely, moving us toward our goal of zero traffic fatalities."
The city says bike and pedestrian collisions have increased over the last five years throughout California. According to a news release, 867 pedestrians were killed on the state's roads in 2016, marking a supposed 33-percent increase in pedestrian deaths since 2012.
Additionally, 147 bicyclists died in crashes in the state, marking a 14-percent increase in such deaths since 2012.
This year, 16 pedestrians died in San Jose, according to the city, which said that five bicyclists died and eight were severely injured from the start of the year to July.
"No matter which way you get around, you play a part in roadway safety," the state's Traffic Safety Director Barbara Rooney said in a statement.
