Sacramento Leaders Debate Road Safety Measures to Reduce Traffic Deaths

City council discusses ways to improve dangerous roadways and secure funding for safety improvements.

Mar. 18, 2026 at 5:50am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

More than a dozen people have been killed by cars so far this year on Sacramento streets, prompting the city council to debate what can be done to reduce future traffic fatalities. Traffic safety advocates are calling for the city to prioritize improvements on high-injury network roadways, which account for 79% of all vehicle crashes despite making up just 14% of the city's streets.

Why it matters

Sacramento has the highest traffic fatality rate per capita in California, underscoring the urgent need for the city to address dangerous roadways and improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. Reducing traffic deaths is a critical public health and equity issue, as crashes disproportionately impact disadvantaged communities and vulnerable road users.

The details

The city is exploring ways to improve safety, such as building new crosswalks and bike lanes, but officials say the overall cost of the necessary roadway improvements is estimated to be more than $6 billion. A new state law allows cities to prioritize safety projects in areas with high usage by children, older adults, and disadvantaged populations.

  • In the first two weeks of 2026, six people were killed by cars on Sacramento's high-injury network roadways.
  • In 2023, traffic safety advocate Sherry Martinez was seriously injured when a driver hit her while she was biking.

The players

Sherry Martinez

A traffic safety advocate who was seriously injured when a driver hit her while she was biking in 2023, leaving her with four broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and a concussion.

Jennifer Donlon Wyant

Sacramento's mobility and sustainability manager, who stated that the city has the highest traffic fatality rate per capita in California and that 79% of all vehicle crashes happen on just 14% of the city's streets.

Caity Maple

A Sacramento City Councilmember who believes the city should prioritize safety improvements in locations frequently used by children, older adults, and disadvantaged communities.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I had four broken ribs, a broken collarbone, a concussion.”

— Sherry Martinez, Traffic Safety Advocate

“The city of Sacramento has the highest traffic fatality rate per capita in California.”

— Jennifer Donlon Wyant, Sacramento Mobility and Sustainability Manager

“I think we should prioritize those locations. I think it's the right thing to do, and I think it's overdue.”

— Caity Maple, Sacramento City Councilmember

What’s next

The city plans to go after grant money to help pay for roadway improvements and aims to have an official action plan in place by the end of the year.

The takeaway

Reducing traffic deaths in Sacramento is a critical public health and equity issue that requires significant investment in improving dangerous roadways, particularly in disadvantaged communities and areas with high usage by vulnerable road users. The city's efforts to prioritize safety and secure funding for these improvements are a necessary step to save lives and make the city's streets safer for all.