Sierra County Approves Local Roadway Safety Plan

LOYALTON — On Tuesday, the Sierra County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP), developed by the Sierra County Department of Transportation. The plan provides a comprehensive framework to identify, analyze, and prioritize roadway safety improvements across the county’s roads, aiming to reduce traffic fatalities and severe injuries.

The Department of Transportation relies on accurate collision data to make informed decisions. The LRSP incorporates 2018–2022 data from the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol. Despite the potential underreporting of minor incidents, the analysis revealed 157 collisions, including 7 fatalities, 54 severe injuries, 57 visible injuries, and 35 complaints of pain. The data highlighted that collisions often occur on highway sections with sharp curves, winding roads, and poor visibility.

The LRSP identified several high-incident locations, with Yuba Pass recording the highest at 23 collisions from 2019 to 2022. Other notable areas include Sierraville, Highway 49 near Camptonville, and Highway 89 near Upper Little Truckee Campground. The plan recommends focusing engineering, education, and enforcement efforts in these areas, while emergency services consider targeted training and prepositioning assets nearby.

Driving Under the Influence (DUI) remains a key focus for reducing injury-related collisions. Although DUI arrests in Sierra County decreased from 2019 to 2022, enforcement continues to be a priority for the Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol.

Motorcycles are disproportionately involved in crashes, accounting for 52 of the 157 reported incidents (33%) from 2018 to 2022. The California Highway Patrol’s Motorcycle Safety Program Unit is collaborating with state agencies to develop strategies to enhance motorcyclist safety statewide.

Speeding is recognized by the LRSP as a leading cause of traffic collisions in Sierra County. According to the plan, rural roads and limited signage create “a sense of freedom for drivers.” The number of speeding citations within the county has not changed dramatically since 2019. However, the Sheriff’s office began to use radar speed guns in 2022, resulting in most citations being issued by the local agency instead of the Highway Patrol.

To address speeding, the Department of Transportation proposes engineering solutions such as narrowing lanes to accommodate buffered bike lanes, wider parking stalls, or medians, and exploring advanced traffic signal systems. These align with Caltrans’ philosophy that roadway design influences driver speed more effectively than signage alone. If implemented, such changes could support lower speed limits in communities, a topic of recent local discussion.

The Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program is Sierra County’s primary source of roadway safety grants, and an approved LRSP is required for funding eligibility. Transportation Planner Kaylon Hall presented the plan to the Board of Supervisors, emphasizing its role in securing future grants to enhance safety.