STA Wins Award for SR 12 Safety Campaign

STA Wins Award for SR 12 Safety Campaign

Suisun City, CA – The Solano Transportation Authority (STA) has received an award for its State Route (SR) 12 Safety Campaign from the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO). STA was recognized for their achievement of Award of Merit in the category “Public Safety Program or Campaign." CAPIO received 149 submittals statewide for their thirteen awards categories, which are designed to showcase outstanding communications strategies, products and skill.

STA Board Chair Eddie Woodruff, Mayor of Rio Vista, said, “the State Route 12 Safety Campaign is an excellent example of collaborative efforts that bring real results; in this case, increased traffic safety on SR 12.” The STA initiated the SR 12 Safety campaign in response to a series of accidents and fatalities that occurred on the stretch of SR 12 from I-80 in Solano County to I-5 in San Joaquin County. This area covers three counties, three regional government jurisdictions, three Caltrans districts, multiple state Senate and Assembly districts, and involves the various state and federal agencies dealing with the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta region.

The STA’s four-pronged approach – Enforcement, Legislation, Education and Engineering – helped provide short-term and mid-term breathing room as well as a long-term permanent solution. The STA partnered with the California Highway Patrol (CHP); the Office of Traffic Safety; Police Departments of Fairfield, Rio Vista and Suisun City; Caltrans; San Joaquin and Sacramento Council of Governments; and with several community organizations. The joint efforts included increasing traffic enforcement on SR 12; coordinating a public outreach campaign; implementing engineering improvements; and lobbying for state legislation. “These kinds of regional partnerships are critical for the STA to attain our goal of ensuring mobility and travel safety," Woodruff stated.

Assemblywoman Lois Wolk authored Assembly Bill (AB) 112 creating a double-fine zone on SR 12 from I-80 to I-5, and Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 7 designating a portion of SR 12 as the “Officer David Frank Lamoree Memorial Highway,” in memory of a Rio Vista police officer killed in an accident on SR 12.

CAPIO was founded in 1971 and affiliated with the League of California Cities in 1991.
More than 350 members strong, CAPIO’s mission is "To promote awareness of the public information profession and its value, by advancing standards of integrity, recognizing excellence, and offering training and support for members."

The first multi-jurisdictional SR 12 Corridor Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled to meet May 22, 2008, in Lodi. For further information on the SR 12 Safety campaign, contact STA Marketing and Legislative Program Manager Jayne Bauer at (707) 424-6075, or log onto www.solanolinks.com/sr12safetyeffort.html.