Vision Zero is a community effort to make our streets safer for everyone. It is a bold system-wide commitment to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries on roadways. Tragically, between 2019 and 2023 a total of 111 people died in Humboldt County as a result of motor vehicle collisions.
The Vision Zero Action Plan will outline strategies and street designs to make our streets safer.
Right now, you can make your voice heard and contribute valuable insights about street safety from your experience as a community member here in Humboldt County. Please take ten minutes to complete the Vision Zero survey. The survey includes a link to a site where you can place comments directly on a map.
The Safe Systems Approach is a comprehensive framework to significantly reduce and eventually eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries on roadways.
Principles:
1. Death and serious injury on public roadways is unacceptable.
2. Humans make mistakes.
3. Humans are vulnerable.
4. Responsibility is shared.
5. Safety is proactive.
6. Redundancy is crucial.
Vision Zero Action Plan
The project has a steering committee comprised of local agency staff, tribal representatives, ambulance providers, advocates, transit providers, Caltrans, and law enforcement. The Project Task Force (or PTF) will meet every two months throughout the project to provide feedback and guide development.
Project Task Force #1 June 2025:
Project Task Force #2 on Tuesday September 23, 2025:
Presentation slides on public engagement, crash analysis, and demonstration projects and meeting notes
Vision Zero demonstration projects coming Spring 2026
HCAOG is working with local agency staff to install temporary traffic calming measures in Arcata, Eureka, Fortuna, and Ferndale as part of the federally funded Humboldt County Vision Zero Action Plan. Between 2018 and 2024, there were 165 fatal collisions in Humboldt County. These demonstrations are a direct step toward changing that.
Each project uses temporary materials so engineers can study real-world outcomes before recommending permanent improvements. Here's what's going in:
- Arcata — Six rubber speed humps at locations on 11th and K Streets, plus several radar speed feedback signs.
- Ferndale — Speed humps, pavement markings, striping, and a radar feedback sign along 5th Avenue between Arlington Street and Shaw Avenue.
- Eureka — Temporary mini roundabout striping, wheel stops, and delineators at Pine Street and West Hawthorne Street, and at Humboldt Street and G Street.
- Fortuna — Programmable radar speed feedback signs on the 12th Street and Ross Hill Road school corridors.
After installation, HCAOG will collect speed and crash data and gather community feedback. Results will directly inform the final Vision Zero Action Plan recommendations expected later in 2026.
GHD led the countywide collision analysis. Using California Highway Patrol California Crash Reporting System and Transportation Injury Mapping System data, the report uses a seven year history from 2018 to 2024 to analyze the trends of roadway fatalities and serious injuries. The report highlights the 'hotspots' in the County and serves as the basis for the High Injury Network analysis and recommended policies and countermeasures.
Resources
The Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) is a traffic safety planning document for local agencies to address unique roadway safety needs in their jurisdictions. These documents evaluate crash data and integrate public feedback to identify strategies and countermeasures for improving road safety on local roads. LRSPs help local agencies qualify for federal grant funding such as the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). The Regional Vision Zero Action Plan is similar to an LRSP, but is better positioned to analyze road segments that cross jurisdictional boundaries.
- The Vision Zero Action Network is a non-profit dedicated to helping communities achieve their Vision Zero campaigns. See their extensive list of resources for planners and advocates.
- Zero Deaths and Safe System - US Federal Highway Administration