In a recent council meeting, the Gonzales City Council approved the ordinance for the Safe Routes to School program, paving the way for critical pedestrian safety improvements in the community. The ordinance, which received unanimous support, includes clarifications requested by council members and is set to be implemented by December 2024.

The meeting highlighted the results of a participatory budgeting process led by the Gonzales Safe Routes to School steering committee, which comprised 14 local residents. This initiative aimed to enhance pedestrian safety around schools in Gonzales and neighboring cities, including Soledad, Greenfield, and King City. The steering committee facilitated a voting process in which 492 residents selected their preferred projects from a total of six proposed improvements.

The top two projects, which will receive funding from the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC), focus on enhancing pedestrian safety at the Fifth Street and Rincon Road intersection and along Fifth Street, particularly at the on and off ramps of the 101 interchange. TAMC has allocated $250,000 to support these initiatives across the four cities involved in the program.

This funding and the subsequent projects underscore the city’s commitment to improving safety for students and residents alike, reflecting the community's priorities as determined through direct resident engagement.