The City of Santa Maria has received a $55,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to support bicycle and pedestrian safety education and community outreach.
The funding will help promote safer streets for people walking and biking through educational resources, community events, and helmet distribution.
According to Santa Maria Police Department Traffic Sergeant Shane Armstrong, the department recorded 75 bicycle- and pedestrian-related traffic collisions from Jan. 1 through Oct. 15, 2026. Those collisions resulted in 56 injuries and one fatality. The fatal collision involved a vehicle striking a pedestrian.
Data from the California Office of Traffic Safety also shows the impact of bicycle and pedestrian collisions in Santa Maria in 2023. The city recorded 32 pedestrian victims, including seven children under 15 and three people ages 65 and older. The data also listed 20 bicyclist victims, including two children under the age of 15.
For some cyclists in Santa Maria, riding on less busy streets is one way to stay safe. However, distracted drivers remain a concern.
I saw a person on a cell phone not paying attention to turn right. She would turn right, right in front of us, said John Bird of Santa Maria. We just try to be as safe as we could possibly.
Zoe Glick, a senior civil engineer with the City of Santa Maria, said the grant will support multiple things.
Specifically in this grant, there’s safety videos, community bicycle rides, helmets, helmet fitting, a lot more education for people in Santa Maria that might not necessarily know it or have access to it, Glick said.
Carlos Mendoza, a mechanic at Bici Centro in Santa Maria, said he has seen the need for bicycle safety education firsthand through partnerships with local schools.
Some of the kids don’t have any experience of riding; some of them have some experience. They don’t think about signaling, watching for cars, wearing the proper gear, none of that, Mendoza said.
Mendoza said he hopes the program will help young people develop safe riding habits and encourage them to continue cycling as they grow older.
It’s going to encourage those kids to continue, like growing up, to continue cycling, and using alternative modes of transportation as they get older, he said.
Bird also emphasized the importance of encouraging young people to stay active.
For me, it’s about getting the youth to be more active, Bird said.
Planned activities include community safety events, bicycle rides, and the distribution of 84 helmets.
Glick said the grant-funded program will run through September 2027.