Our Push for Safe Streets in San Jose and Beyond

Written By SVBC Staff

Silicon Valley is widely known for its tech innovation. What isn’t common knowledge is the fact that Silicon Valley is also home to some of the Bay Area’s deadliest roadways.

As Bike Month approaches, we are calling attention to some alarming and unfortunate stats:

  • In San Jose — the Bay Area’s largest city — 1 person on average dies every week due to car crashes and related injuries. The majority of fatalities are disproportionately people walking and biking.

  • El Camino Real, a critical corridor that extends from San Francisco to San Jose, was recently named the Bay Area’s deadliest road with 129 fatalities since 2002.

  • Car crashes remain the leading cause of unintentional injuries and deaths — second only to poisonings and on par with falls in San Mateo County. These deaths are premature, and avoidable with the right interventions.

  • Even worse, the California DMV continues to allow dangerous drivers back on the road! Since 2019, 400 drivers accused of causing a deadly crash have received a ticket, got in another collision, or did both after they first allegedly killed someone while driving.

These statistics reveal how desensitized our society has become to the daily reality of placing our physical safety in the hands of countless strangers behind the wheel. We view traffic incidents as inconveniences or annoying delays, rather than serious consequences of our flawed system. In response, Americans are buying increasingly larger vehicles to protect their families. Meanwhile, insurance companies have normalized these dangers as just part of the cost of owning and operating a vehicle.

Fortunately, some cities are beginning to acknowledge the problem: roads designed to move cars fast are dangerous by design. At SVBC, we’re catalyzing a movement to redesign our roadways to prioritize the safety of our most vulnerable neighbors: children, seniors, people with limited mobility, and those who walk, bike, or scoot.

Recent advocacy victories give us hope for change…

In February, the San José City Council unanimously approved the 2025-2029 Vision Zero Action Plan—a major step forward for safer streets in our community. This plan is a direct response to the need to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries, people who bike and walk remain disproportionately vulnerable.

The urgency of this plan is reinforced by the alarming trend of fatal crashes as displayed in the chart below:

Since 2019, 1 person on average has died every week in San Jose due to traffic violence, the majority of whom are people walking and biking.

Between 2019 and 2023, only 11% of total crashes involved people walking and biking, but these events disproportionately led to a majority of all traffic deaths (59%). Pedestrians alone made up nearly half (47%) of all fatalities, with a significant portion occurring after sunset.*

Source: SJ DOT, 2025 Vision Zero Action Plan

*In both 2023 and 2024, 49 individuals lost their lives on San José streets.

The 2025 Vision Zero Action Plan prioritizes targeted safety measures to address these persistent risks with a focus on protections for people walking and biking, improved street design, and equitable enforcement. These data underscore the ongoing need for stronger safety measures and infrastructure improvements to reduce traffic-related injuries and fatalities.

SVBC member, Jordan Moldow, making public comment at a San Jose City Council Hearing.

The Plan sets ambitious goals: a 30% reduction in traffic deaths by 2030 and reaching zero fatalities by 2040. It prioritizes quick-build safety projects, protected intersections, and improved public data reporting to ensure transparency and accountability. The City has also committed to focusing on Vision Zero corridors, which are high-injury roads where the need for safety improvements is greatest. The plan has a comprehensive list of initiatives, supplementing the initial Vision Zero goals established by the city in 2015, when a Vision Zero plan was first drafted.

Thanks to the advocacy of the SVBC San Jose Local Team and other volunteers, the City Council also approved additional instructions to strengthen the plan brought forth by the office of Council Member Foley, including exploring options to complete quick-build projects within one year and continuing inter-departmental collaboration as well as collaboration with the broader community. Additionally, the plan names a commitment to evaluating project effectiveness to ensure continuous improvements.

While this plan is a strong foundation, there is still more to be done. Implementation will require budget resources, sustained advocacy, and continued community involvement to ensure the city follows through on its commitments. We must ensure that quick-build projects move forward on schedule, that Vision Zero strategies are embedded across city departments, and that data-driven decision-making remains a priority.

This win was possible because of the entire community of supporters—everyone who spoke up, attended meetings, wrote letters, and pushed for change. Your voices made a difference, and your continued involvement will be crucial as we move into the next phase of making San José’s streets safer for everyone.

Read San Jose’s Vision Zero Action Plan 2025 here

We’re building momentum on Vision Zero and putting a spotlight on El Camino Real — recently named the Bay Area’s deadliest corridor.

Bay Area News Group analyzed the most recent data from California’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration between 2002 to 2022, to see which state and local roads recorded the most traffic deaths in the Bay Area. El Camino Real was named the deadliest corridor, with a total of 129 fatalities over the period (71 fatalities in San Mateo County and 58 in Santa Clara).

Since the data was published just a few weeks ago, El Camino Real has already claimed the life of one more pedestrian. A 73-year-old Mountain View resident was killed while walking in the early morning last Wednesday, April 9.

For Bike Month, join SVBC’s fight for Vision Zero at our 5th Annual El Camino Real Ride.

This year, we remember the lives lost due to traffic violence while we celebrate progress in Mountain View, Los Altos, and Palo Alto. In the coming months, Caltrans will repave El Camino and install painted bike lanes with physical flex post divisions!

This ride remains a call to action for continued safety improvements that prevent injuries and fatalities on El Camino Real, and for safer access for bicyclists and pedestrians to use this direct and convenient route.

During this ride, we will bike at a relaxed pace through Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park and stop for free refreshments along the way.

This year's highlights:

  • Bike infrastructure currently being installed along El Camino Real in Mountain View, Los Altos, and Palo Alto.

  • "Bike Buses" to make it safer and easier for riders to stay together

  • Rest stop at a new pedestrian plaza on Cal Ave in Palo Alto

  • Free bike parking to get lunch in Menlo Park at the end of the ride

Join us in the fight for safe streets. Let’s celebrate this progress and stay engaged in the work ahead! Reserve your spot today!

For more information on SVBC's work on El Camino Real, visit our El Camino Real webpage.

SVBC Staff
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