Senator Portantino’s Landmark Safe Streets Bill Signed by Governor
For Immediate Release: September 29, 2022
Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400
Senator Portantino’s Landmark Safe Streets Bill Signed by Governor
Sacramento, CA - Senate Bill 932, authored by State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank) to prioritize pedestrian and cyclist safety, was signed into law by Governor Newsom. The bill requires all California cities to take concrete steps to reduce traffic collisions and fatalities and has garnered an impressive list of supporters, including Streets For All, ActiveSGV, CalBike, and Streets Are For Everyone.
“SB 932 is a bold step towards improving overall pedestrian and active transportation safety,” stated Senator Portantino. “I thank the Governor for signing this important public safety bill that will yield positive change for our communities. I am grateful to Streets for All and the greater active transportation community for bringing this issue to me and working collaboratively for a better and safer California.”
Recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documenting a nearly 20% increase in traffic fatalities in the first six months of 2021 highlights the need for SB 932. Though California has been part of a national trend to create safer streets, many cities lack data on how to address traffic violence, deaths caused by accident, serious injuries to pedestrians, cyclists, and other human-powered-transit users. In certain cities where the most dangerous streets and corridors have been identified, no plans exist to remedy these deadly situations.
"SB 932 is a transformative policy that will require cities and counties to plan for biking and walking as transportation. This bill will also have cities address their high injury networks of streets in a time when roadway fatalities of drivers and pedestrians is at an all-time high,” stated Marc Vukcevich, State Policy Advocate for Streets for All. “We thank Senator Portantino for authoring this bill and Governor Newsom for signing it.”
SB 932 requires a county or city to include a map of the high injury network in its General Plan and would further require a county or city to identify and prioritize safety improvements that would address serious and injurious traffic collisions. The bill would increase or decrease the 15-year implementation period, based on whether the measures introduced by a county or city achieve results to reduce percentages of traffic violence. It would also create a grant program to award funding to cities and counties that implement timely and effective short-term efforts to mitigate bicycle, pedestrian, and other human-powered transportation injuries and fatalities.
Senator Portantino is a former Mayor and Councilmember who worked for safer streets while in local government. SB 932 continues those efforts but with an even more personal story. Like many Californians, he used the isolation of the pandemic to improve his own health. Over the past 20 months, the Senator has become an avid and almost daily bike rider both in Sacramento and across the 25th State Senate District.
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