California Expands Data-Driven Road Safety Efforts to Bay Area Corridor

New I-880 safety corridor designation emphasizes prevention, strategic investments and partnerships

SAN LEANDRO, CA – California is expanding its efforts to prevent fatal and serious injury crashes by designating a stretch of Interstate 880 (I-880), between Union City and San Leandro in Alameda County, as the Bay Area’s first State Priority Safety Corridor (SPSC). California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin joined Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and other state and local leaders today to announce the next corridor selected under California’s statewide road safety initiative. Two additional corridors will be announced later this year.

The newest designation, which uses crash data and targeted investments, builds on California’s statewide policy on road safety that was introduced in October 2025. The policy commits California to a prevention-first, Safe System Approach to eliminate fatal and serious traffic injuries. It embeds safety across departments—through design, operations, policy and investment—with a focus on equity and measurable, population-level impact. This effort establishes an interim goal of reducing fatal and serious injury crashes by 30% by 2035, with a long-term vision of zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050.

“Prevention is a critical component of any road safety initiative aimed at saving lives,” said Secretary Omishakin. “Advancing Governor Newsom’s commitment to roadway safety, our State Priority Safety Corridor initiative brings together state and local government partners in a data-driven effort to guide transportation investments where our communities need them the most.”

“By working closely with our state and local partners, we’re holding drivers accountable for dangerous driving behavior, preventing serious and fatal crashes, and helping everyone who travels these roads get home safely.” “These proactive, comprehensive safety efforts target the root causes of serious crashes and create long-term, tangible investments that support our primary goal at Caltrans—to deliver proven enhancements designed to save lives and create safer roadways for everyone,” said Caltrans Director El-Tawansy.

“This project puts data-driven enforcement where it can make the greatest difference – on corridors where lives are at risk,” said California Highway Patrol Commissioner Sean Duryee.

“The State Priority Safety Corridor initiative is how traffic safety partners throughout California are working together to reduce preventable crashes and protect everyone using our transportation system. Through public education, enhanced enforcement and other proven safety measures, we are driving behavior change and building a statewide culture that puts safety first on every trip.” said Office of Traffic Safety Director Stephanie Dougherty.

“Every person deserves to get where they’re going safely, whether they’re driving, walking, biking or taking transit. Designating this stretch of I-880 as a State Priority Safety Corridor is an important step toward preventing serious crashes and saving lives,” said CA Senator Dave Cortese (D-San José), Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. But designation alone is not enough. We must turn this commitment into action through safer road design, responsible speeds, targeted enforcement and measurable results. We cannot accept preventable deaths and serious injuries as the cost of getting around. It’s time to make safety a fundamental priority in every transportation decision and hold ourselves accountable for protecting every person who uses our streets and roads.”

The comprehensive approach combines infrastructure improvements, community engagement, public education, enforcement partnerships and data-driven investments to create safer transportation corridors. Planned and ongoing strategies may include:

• Safe Streets and Intersections: Improvements to roadway infrastructure, crossings and intersections to reduce conflict points and improve safety for all users.
• Wrong-Way Driver Prevention: Enhanced signs, pavement markings and other safety countermeasures at freeway ramps and interchanges to help prevent wrong-way driving.
• Connected Mobility Options: Infrastructure improvements supporting safer walking, bicycling and transit access in communities surrounding the corridor.
• Education and Engagement: Public outreach and awareness efforts, including the SLOWCAL campaign, to encourage safer roadway behaviors and community involvement.
• Law Enforcement Partnerships: Coordination with the CHP and local law enforcement agencies to address roadway safety concerns and support prevention efforts.
• Data-Driven Investments: Prioritizing transportation improvements and resources where they can have the greatest impact on reducing fatal and serious injury crashes.

The SPSC initiative uses crash data from public roadways, including state highways, city streets and county roads, to identify locations with elevated concentrations of fatal and serious injury crashes. Corridor selection is guided by a High Injury Network methodology developed with UC Berkeley’s Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC), which uses crash severity, roadway conditions, community context and the readiness of project partners to help prioritize locations.

Progress will be measured through reductions in fatal and serious injury crashes. Additional indicators, including vehicle speeds, roadway conflict points and available traffic data, will help identify emerging risks and guide future safety improvements.

For more information about the State Priority Safety Corridor Initiative and corridor fact sheets, visit the CalSTA Enforcement and Safety webpage.

For more information on California’s infrastructure investments, visit build.ca.gov.