Community Pedestrian Bicycle Safety Program (CPBSP)

Launched by the UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) in collaboration with California Walks, the Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program aims to reduce fatalities and serious injuries incurred by pedestrians and bicyclists in California communities. The CPBSP prioritizes working in communities that are at disproportionate risk for road traffic injuries to address the safety needs of people who are underserved by traditional transportation resources and planning, e.g., older adults, people with lower incomes, people with disabilities, people who use a mobility device, immigrant or refugee populations, and more.

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A large group of workshop participants stand and smile at the camera.

SafeTREC and Cal Walks staff members facilitated a CPBST workshop in East Bakersfield, California.

Six people wearing safety vests and standing next to an electric box painted with "We love Mira Mesa" smile for the camera

Planning committee members participated in a CPBST site visit in Mira Mesa, California.

Seven workshop participants sit at tables during a workshop activity.

Participants engage in a workshop activity during a CAyS workshop in Orange Cove, California.

The CPBSP engages residents and non-traditional partners in active transportation planning, and the program strengthens the capacity of community partners to create safer and more accessible streets for those walking and biking in their neighborhoods. 

We do this by: 

  • Educating participants on pedestrian and bicycle safety strategies and best practices, including the Safe System framework and Safe Routes to School;

  • Training communities to conduct walking and biking safety assessments to identify concerns and opportunities for improvements and other data collection to advance their safety goals;  

  • Providing site-specific support, including traffic crash data analysis, outreach, pedestrian and bicycle safety research, and activities to develop a community-driven safety action plan; 

  • Sharing resources on open-source mapping technology and crowdsourced data strategies; 

  • Engaging communities with large monolingual Spanish-speaking populations in active transportation safety discussions and creating shareable educational content; and

  • Offering follow-up services to communities that previously received training to support their pedestrian and bicycle safety efforts.

CPBSP Projects

The Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Training Program (CPBST)

The Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Training (CPBST) program works with local residents and health, transportation, and safety advocates to understand a community’s walking and biking safety concerns, as well as to advance their pedestrian and bicycle safety goals. We work to strengthen collaboration between all safety partners, discuss transportation safety information and local crash data, and collectively develop a community-driven safety action plan. Our team works with a local Planning Committee to customize the workshop andfit the unique needs of each community.

Applications are now closed for the 2025 CPBST program. Thank you to all who applied for your time and interest in the program. If you would like more information about the program, or have questions, please contact us at safetrec@berkeley.edu

Comunidades Activas y Seguras (Active and Safe Communities)

The CPBSP program team developed Comunidades Activas y Seguras (CAyS) to better serve communities with large monolingual Spanish-speaking populations. This program takes a culturally and linguistically sensitive approach to engaging communities in active transportation discussions and decision-making. Comunidades Activas y Seguras uses a cohort model to encourage communities across the state to share resources and support each other in developing audiovisual content to share their experiences and advocate for pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements. 

Applications are now closed for the 2025 CAyS Program. Thank you to all who applied for your time and interest in the program. If you would like more information about the program, or have questions, please contact us at safetrec@berkeley.edu

Implementing the Safe System Approach ToolkitCover of the Implementing the Safe System Approach Toolkit

Explore our toolkit which aims to help participants create safer communities for walking and biking across California through the use of the Safe System Approach. The toolkit contains potential Safe System strategies which are organized into key categories and can be easily navigated using listed keywords.

There are many ways to plan a bikeable and walkable community; this toolkit is just a starting point. 

Download the full toolkit:

Funding for the CPBSP is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

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