Attachment 2 Traffic Safety Ad Hoc Letter Ad Hoc Committee on Traffic Safety Background and Charter
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The following information is excerpted from information provided by the ad hoc Traffic Safety
Committee.
Background
The CSTC has created a new Ad Hoc committee on Traffic Safety. This need has been raised
previously, due to concerns about speeding and reckless driving since the pandemic, but has
been brought into sharp attention recently, due to the two fatalities on Blossom Hill Road this
year.
While this new ad hoc committee still has work ahead of them, they have identified the fact
that there are existing studies and roadmaps to understand and improve town traffic safety.
The Los Gatos Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP), completed in April 2022, analyzes collision
history from 2015-2019, identifies emphasis areas where collisions are more frequent, and
makes recommendations to improve safety.
Likewise, the Los Gatos Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP), first adopted in 2017 and with
a progress report created this year, with an online story map, lays out recommended
infrastructure improvements designed to increase safety for cyclists and pedestrians.
The General Plan 2040 (GP2040) Mobility Element (Chapter 5) encompasses many of the
recommendations from these two documents.
The Traffic Safety Ad Hoc committee will be reviewing these documents and making
recommendations for the highest priority actions, as well as bringing any new
recommendations they identify based on new information. We'll also be highlighting
recommendations that will impact traffic safety quickly, so that we can see improvements
without waiting for long-term infrastructure projects to be completed.
The bottom line is that this is not a new area: studies and prioritizations have already been
done and clearly outline the same road and safety problems on our roads. CSTC strongly urges
the Town Council to allocate budget for the implementation proposals recommended in the
BPMP, LRSP and GP2040.
Charter of the Ad Hoc Committee on Traffic Safety
Prepare a report for the Commission and the Town Council on traffic safety that outlines the
most pressing issues, as well as general recommendations for potential solutions. The report
should include:
• A review of feedback from town residents on traffic safety issues
• Assessment and information gathering about traffic safety measures being implemented
by other towns in our area;
• A review of priorities laid out by:
- The General Plan 2040 Mobility Element
Ad Hoc Committee on Traffic Safety Background and Charter
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- The Local Roadway Safety Plan
- The Bike and Ped Master Plan
• General recommendations on how to move forward to improve traffic safety. These
may include roadway design but should also consider other tools, including:
- Policy
- Technology
- Vehicle safety education
- Bike/ped safety education
- Lighting / visibility
- Signage
- Speed
- Enforcement