About the Safety Action Plan
117 people lost their lives on Mesa County roads between 2016 and 2022.
There were more than 17,000 total crashes and 594 people were fatally or seriously injured during that same time period.
The Mesa County Safety Action Plan aims to identify solutions to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads across Mesa County. The plan will cover the entirety of Mesa County, including the cities of Grand Junction and Fruita and the towns of Palisade, Collbran, and De Beque.
The Mesa County Safety Action Plan will look at local data and peer research and will ultimately be built on a foundation of partnerships between a diverse group of stakeholders who strive to find solutions to make Mesa County roads safer for all users.
Funding and Schedule
In 2023, the Mesa County Regional Transportation Planning Office announced $260,000 in funding from the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program. Mesa County, the City of Grand Junction, City of Fruita, and Town of Palisade committed an additional $65,000 to develop the Safety Action Plan – bringing the project total to $325,000.
$260,000
$325,000
The Mesa County Safety Action Plan kicked off in October 2023 and will be developed throughout 2024. The final plan will be published in October 2024.
? Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program
In 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the SS4A program with $5 billion in appropriated funds between 2022 and 2026. The program provides financial support for the planning, infrastructure, behavioral, and operational initiatives to prevent death and serious injuries on roads and streets involving all roadway users. After completion of the Mesa County Safety Action Plan, additional funding is available and will be pursued to implement recommendations from the plan.
Winter/Spring 2024
- Identify safety concerns
- Conduct existing conditions analysis
- Develop goals
- Online public event #1 and pop-up events
Summer 2024
- Draft safety solutions and strategies
- Create criteria for prioritization
- Online public event #2 and pop-up events
Fall 2024
- Present draft plan
- Finalize and publish plan
- Identify next steps for implementation
Crash Data
The project team analyzed seven years of data (2016-2022) and thousands of crashes to identify how, why, where, and when crashes occur in Mesa County. Understanding this crucial data will allow Mesa County to direct resources where they are needed most, and best address the root causes of crashes.
| Stat | Total Crashes | Fatal or Serious Injury Crashes | Fatal Crashes | Pedestrian Crashes | Bicycle Crashes | Motorcycle Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average per Year | 2,458 | 85 | 17 | 31 | 36 | 64 |
| 2016 - 2022 | 17,208 | 594 | 117 | 217 | 249 | 451 |
Total Crashes
Fatal or Serious Injury Crashes
Fatal Crashes
Pedestrian Crashes
Bicycle Crashes
Motorcycle Crashes
Fatal/Serious Injury Crashes by Year
From 2016-2022, there were 17,208 total crashes with 594 of those resulting in people getting killed or seriously injured. Of the 594 fatal and serious crashes, 117 of those crashes resulted in a fatality.
From 2019-2021, fatal crashes stayed relatively the same, while serious injury crashes increased. While there was a decline in the overall total of serious and fatal crashes in 2022, that year saw the most fatal crashes.
- Lighter orange colorEvident, Incapacitating Severity
- Darker orange colorFatal Severity
All Crashes by Location
12% of all crashes occurred in rural areas, however these crashes constitute 23% of all serious injury crashes and 35% of all fatal crashes.
- Lighter teal colorRural
- Darker teal colorUrban
Explore the Urban Data
Between 2016 and 2022, there were 14,710 total urban crashes with 440 of those being killed or seriously injured crashes. Of the 440 killed or seriously injured crashes, 76 of those crashes resulted in a fatality. There were also 212 urban pedestrian crashes, 308 urban bicyclists crashes, 354 urban motorcycle crashes. pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists all have a significantly higher killed or seriously injured rate than other crashes.
Crash Severity
- Lighter orange colorEvident, Incapacitating Severity
- Darker orange colorFatal Severity
-
98%of Pedestrian and Bicyclist Fatality and Serious Injury crashes occur in urban areas
-
24%of motorcycle crashes in urban areas resulted in death or serious injury
98%
Crash Locations
- 60% of urban crashes were intersection related. About half, 56% of these crashes were at un-signalized intersections.
60% of urban crashes were intersection related. About half, 56% of these crashes were at un-signalized intersections.
Contributing Factors
-
Impairment is a factor in 23% of urban fatal and serious injury crashes.
-
Speeding is a factor in 22% of urban fatal and serious injury crashes. Aggressive driving is the most common contributing factor.
-
Vulnerable road users (such as pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists) are involved in 16% of urban fatal and serious injury crashes.
-
31% of urban crashes involved drivers under the age of 25.
Impairment is a factor in 23% of urban fatal and serious injury crashes.
Speeding is a factor in 22% of urban fatal and serious injury crashes. Aggressive driving is the most common contributing factor.
Vulnerable road users (such as pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists) are involved in 16% of urban fatal and serious injury crashes.
31% of urban crashes involved drivers under the age of 25.
Explore the Rural Data
Between 2016 and 2022, there were 2,049 total crashes in rural Mesa County with 147 of those being crashes where people were killed or seriously injured. Of the crashes where people were killed or seriously injured, 41 of those crashes (almost 28%) resulted in a fatality. There were also 5 rural pedestrian crashes, 4 rural bicyclists crashes, 84 rural motorcycle crashes.
Crash Severity
- Lighter orange colorEvident, Incapacitating Severity
- Darker orange colorFatal Severity
-
2%of Pedestrian and Bicyclist Fatality and Serious Injury crashes occur in rural areas
-
49%of motorcycle crashes in rural areas resulted in death or serious injury
2%
Crash Locations
- 85% of rural crashes were non-intersection crashes. The majority, 73% occurred on state highways.
85% of rural crashes were non-intersection crashes. The majority, 73% occurred on state highways.
Overturning accounts for 33% of rural fatal and serious injury crashes.
Wild animals contribute to 12% of urban fatal and serious injury crashes (that do not include a vehicle-to-vehicle collision).
61% of rural crashes involved male drivers.
During our comment period, participants dropped pins on the map to provide feedback on areas where they had safety concerns. Click or tap View Comments to see what people said.