Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Training Program

Adults and youth wearing safety vests participate in a walking and biking assessment.

Community members and agency representatives participate in a walking and biking assessment during a CAyS workshop in Tulare, California.

Instructors lead a discussion for a large group at a workshop.

Instructors conduct a CBPST workshop on pedestrian and bicycle safety in Bakersfield, California.

Adults wearing safety vests listen to an instructor leading the group.

Community members and agency representatives participate in a walking and biking assessment during a CAyS workshop in Knights Landing, California.

Adults wearing safety vests pose for a photo during a site visit.

Agency representatives and community members participate in a CPBST site visit in Kingsburg, California.

The Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Training (CPBST) program is a joint project of UC Berkeley SafeTREC (SafeTREC) and California Walks (Cal Walks). The Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Training Program (CPBST) works with local residents, agency and organization staff, and transportation safety advocates to understand a community’s walking and biking safety concerns and advance their pedestrian and bicycle safety goals. We work to strengthen collaboration between all safety partners, discuss transportation safety information and local crash data, and collectively develop a community-driven safety action plan. Our team works with a local Planning Committee to customize the workshop to fit the unique needs of each community.

The CPBST is jointly planned with a local Planning Committee of community leaders,  residents, schools, agencies and other safety partners over the course of two to three months. During the workshop, the Project Team reviews local crash data and the community’s traffic safety experiences, reviews an adapted Safe System approach framework and pedestrian and bicycle safety best practices, guides participants on a walking and biking safety assessment, and helps participants identify actionable next steps. 

The program began in 2009 as the Community Pedestrian Safety Training (CPST) program. In 2016 it was expanded to incorporate strategies to improve bicycle safety and renamed the Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Training (CPBST) program.

2025 CPBST and follow-up support

This year, the CPBST program will partner with up to five communities throughout California to discuss, plan, and implement active transportation safety improvements. Applications are now live and you can apply online

  • For early consideration, please apply by Wednesday, December 18, 2024. Decisions will be released by January 17, 2025. 

  • For regular consideration, please apply by Friday, January 24, 2025. Decisions will be released by February 28, 2025. 

  • Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis as space permits. 

We are also offering follow-up support to three former CPBST sites in California to support their community’s implementation of programs, projects, and recommendations outlined in their community action plan. We will partner with these communities in two overarching areas: strengthening data-driven narratives and community leadership and capacity strengthening. 

If you would like more information about the CPBST program or follow-up support, or have questions, please contact us at safetrec@berkeley.edu

Our past work

As of 2024, SafeTREC and Cal Walks have conducted 134 pedestrian and bicycle safety trainings throughout California. Explore our interactive map of the Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program (CPBSP) to view summary reports where available of each workshop proceeding, including ideas identified during the process and recommendations for pedestrian/bicycle safety projects, policies, and programs.

The interactive online map of the CPBSP Program where summary reports are available for each CPBST site across California.

View a web accessible, text version of the CPBSP Interactive Map

Impacts of the CPBST

Research and Program Evaluation

The CPBSP team reviews the program and its impact on a regular basis. Please see below for a list of recent follow-up surveys, research briefs, and an evaluation of the effectiveness of the CPBSP:

Safe Systems Strategies for Bicyclists and Pedestrians ToolkitTable of strategies for improving bicyclist safety

Explore our Safe System Strategies for Bicyclists and Pedestrians Toolkit, which provides a starting point for anyone looking to plan a bikeable and walkable community. It lists potential community improvements that can help create a safer community with the Safe System Approach. 

We’ve created a table of potential community improvements that can help you create a safer community with the Safe System Approach. There are many ways to plan a bikeable and walkable community; this toolkit is just a starting point. 

Download the full Toolkit.


Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).