In 2023, Santa Cruz County ranked worst in the state in reported cyclist deaths and injuries according to the California Office of Traffic Safety. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
Santa Cruz Transportation and Public Works Meeting
- 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17
- Santa Cruz Council Chambers, 809 Center Street, Santa Cruz
- To comment ahead of the meeting, email [email protected] no later than 12 p.m. Monday Aug. 17.
SANTA CRUZ >> In an effort to reduce traffic injuries and deaths, the Santa Cruz city transportation planners are proposing to lower speed limits in school zones and neighborhoods with heavy foot traffic. Vehicle speed is a major factor in likelihood of death for pedestrians and cyclists in crashes.
On Monday, the Santa Cruz Transportation and Public Works Commission is set to review the Santa Cruz Road Safety Action Plan, and recommend city council adopt an array of speed reducing measures.
The commission’s recommendations include reducing speed limits to 15 mph from 25 mph in school zones when children are present, and to 20 or 25 mph from 30 mph in pedestrian heavy streets, such as Pacific Avenue and Laurel Street.
Law enforcement data for vehicle crashes in the city of Santa Cruz from 2020 to 2024 suggests that unsafe speed was the primary factor in 17% of crashes that caused injury or death, according to the city’s Santa Cruz Road Safety Action Plan.
The council’s ability to reduce speed limits comes after a 2021 state law passed, which granted cities and counties in California the option to lower school and neighborhood speed limits to help reduce fatal accidents. Santa Cruz created the safety action plan that same year.
Now with school back in session, the safety risks are even greater with many students walking or biking.
“I think reducing speeds, especially around children in school zones, make neighborhoods more walkable and bikeable,” said Councilmember Renee Golder, who is also principal of Bay View Elementary School.
Bay View Elementary sits at Mission and Bay streets. Mission Street, which is also Highway 1, is a hot spot of fatal traffic accidents, with one as recently as January that resulted in the death of a pedestrian struck near Bay Street.
With Mission Street being one of the top priority streets for local transportation planners to address, other roadways the commission is seeking improvement on include Water Street, Soquel Avenue and Center Street.
The commission is also looking to launch a “20 is Plenty” campaign, a grassroots movement that originally started in the United Kingdom, which advocates for the idea of lowering speed limits on residential streets, particularly for cyclist safety.
In 2023, Santa Cruz County ranked worst in the state in reported cyclist deaths and injuries according to the California Office of Traffic Safety. The state data does not incorporate how many people regularly cycle.
Originally scheduled to be completed by 2030, the action plan was given a new projected completion date of 2050, after the city recognized that there was “more work to be done” and a “more realistic timeline” needed to be implemented, according to the draft of the action plan.
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Born and raised in San Mateo, Erika spent many summers driving over Highway 17 to visit Santa Cruz with her grandfather, parents, and older brother. Over the years, she developed a deep appreciation for the town and its community, and knew that one day, she wanted to write about it.
As Santa Cruz Local’s government accountability reporter, Erika brings detailed, accountability-driven reporting to the people of Santa Cruz County. Her work focuses on dissecting major government decisions, tracking the promises of elected officials, housing and more.
Erika earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and her master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism in 2025.Before joining Santa Cruz Local, she spent two years reporting at UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program. Her capstone project was on a child welfare facility that involved 100+ public records and 50+ interviews.
In her free time, Erika enjoys finding the perfect matcha latte, spending time with her family and hanging at the beach.
