Pleasanton wants state money to make 19 signalized intersections safer by giving drivers a protected green arrow for left turns, the biggest piece of a $6.57 million package of traffic safety projects going to the City Council on Oct. 20.
The council's consent calendar asks members to authorize three applications to Caltrans' Highway Safety Improvement Program, which funds projects meant to cut fatal and serious-injury crashes. The applications are due Nov. 2. Together they would request $5,857,830 in grants, with the city adding $714,870 in matching money, according to the staff report.
The three projects
- Citywide signal upgrades, $5.71 million total. The 19 intersections would switch from permissive left turns, where drivers wait for a gap in oncoming traffic, to protected left turns. A project map also shows reflective backplates at 110 signal locations and larger 12-inch signal heads replacing 8-inch ones at 65 locations. The city would request $5,137,830 and contribute $570,870.
- Pedestrian crossings, $414,000 total. Seven crossings would get rectangular rapid flashing beacons, concrete curb bulb-outs, new crosswalks and curb ramps. Locations come from the 2018 bicycle and pedestrian master plan and the draft 2026 update.
- Owens Drive bikeway, $450,000 total. A Class IV separated bikeway would run on both sides of Owens Drive between Willow Road and Hacienda Drive, using green plastic posts and raised mixed-use paths. Staff said that stretch is the top-ranked corridor for bicycle safety in the city's transportation safety action plan.
How the grants work
Caltrans has $370 million in this cycle, split into two pools, staff wrote. About $306 million goes to projects that show a strong benefit-to-cost ratio, with awards of up to $10 million each. The rest pays for standard safety work, like crosswalk and bike improvements, with a cap of $360,000 per category. The state covers 90% of a project and the local agency 10%.
