VTA wants the public's help to reduce traffic fatalities
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority wants the public's help to reduce traffic fatalities in Santa Clara County.
They're developing a county-wide road safety plan and need to know exactly where the traffic trouble spots are. They're hoping this information will lead to funding and to fixes for these problem areas.
They figure the people most familiar with dangerous intersections are the ones who live or work near them. They want those people to step up and report exactly what they're seeing.
VTA doesn't just deal with buses and light rail. They are also Santa Clara County's Congestion Management Agency and they're trying to get a comprehensive picture of all the local problem areas.
"We want them to tell us exactly what do they think they need in order for us to improve the safety in their communities," says Sandra Bermudez, a VTA Spokesperson.
That could be traffic lights, lower speed limits, or bike lanes among other things.
They want people to access the website for their Local Roads Safety Plan, report their area of concern, and mark it on the interactive map.
All the information will be compiled and shared with local cities.
Sunnyvale says the data will be helpful, especially when it comes to applying for state and federal funding.
"That will help us score a lot better in comparison to other people who haven't done this outreach. That will get us more money," says Dennis Ng, Transportation and Transit Manager for the City of Sunnyvale.
Santa Clara County recorded about 170 traffic fatalities last year. There's been 48 so far in 2022.
SEE ALSO: Woman killed by San Jose hit-and-run driver, remembered
VTA hopes their plan leads to funding and to change.
"With this money what we're trying to do is prevent so many traffic fatalities or incidents in our county," says Bermudez.
Residents can report their concerns until April 22nd. Cities will then get the information which they can use to apply for traffic safety funding later this spring.
For a link the Local Roads Safety Plan and to record your concerns click here: https://tjkmweb.wixsite.com/vtalrsp