Aria is the Policy Manager at Circulate Planning & Policy. Prior to working at Circulate, Aria spent three years working as a legislative staffer in the United States Senate. She primarily worked on transportation and appropriations policy. Aria graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2022 with a double major in Global Studies and Finance. She also minored in Chinese Language and Culture.
During her free time, you can find her hiking, going to the beach, exploring new neighborhoods, and crocheting.
Aria Grossman's activity stream
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Aria Grossman published MEDIA ADVISORY: Circulate Planning & Policy to Announce New Report on California Housing Policy in Press Room 2026-04-10 10:36:19 -0700
MEDIA ADVISORY: Circulate Planning & Policy to Announce New Report on California Housing Policy
MEDIA ADVISORY - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:Colin Parent — (619) 567-6856, [email protected]
Aria Grossman — (619) 736-0072, [email protected]
In-Person Press Conference and Online Briefing to Announce Release of Circulate Planning & Policy’s Latest Report on California Housing Policy
San Diego—TODAY, Circulate Planning & Policy will host an in-person press conference and an online media and policy professional briefing to discuss the publication of their latest report.
The report is titled “Win-Win Bonus: How Bonus Law quietly transformed California’s housing approvals.” It will be published online after the press conference. Embargoed copies are available upon request.
The report documents the success of California Density Bonus Law (Bonus Law), which provides homebuilders with a package of benefits if their projects include deed-restricted affordable homes.
Never-before seen data shows that Bonus Law has become the most widely used streamlining law in California. The report documents how Bonus Law was used to approve over 140,000 homes in the past four years.
When:
- In-person press conference on Friday, April 10, at 9:00 am
- Online media briefing on Friday, April 10, at 11:00 am.
Where:
- In-person press conference: One Mississippi Apartments, 4234 Mississippi St, San Diego, CA 92104
- Parking can be difficult, so please arrive early. There is a temporary loading zone in the front of the building for media equipment.
- Online media briefing: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89689805711?pwd=Dcfl9h9sRjlcGiao0EPZbLEYXpMy4y.1
Who:
In-Person Press Conference
- Assemblymember Chris Ward, 78th Assembly District
- Colin Parent, Report author and CEO, Circulate Planning & Policy
- Francis Barraza, Vice President of Policy, San Diego Housing Commission
- Sirpirina King, Resident, One Mississippi Apartments
- Maria Walker, Associate Planner, Circulate Planning & Policy, available for interviews in Spanish
Virtual Briefing
- Colin Parent, CEO, Circulate Planning & Policy
- William Fulton, Co-Director, Center for Housing Policy and Design Professor of Practice, UC San Diego
- Michael Lane, State Policy Director, SPUR
- Mahdi Manji, Director of Public Policy, Inner City Law Center (from LA)
Visuals
- Press conference event at an affordable housing development
- Elected official and affordable housing resident speaking at a podium
- Poster sized graphics of the report cover
- Charts showing growth in Bonus Law use
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PRESS RELEASE: Circulate Planning & Policy Releases New Report Outlining Success of California Bonus Law
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 10, 2026
Contact
Colin Parent, (619) 567-6856, [email protected]
Aria Grossman, (619) 736-0072, [email protected]
Mariah Almasco, (619) 295-7043, [email protected]
Sandy Young, (619) 295-7140, [email protected]Win-Win Bonus: New report finds California’s Bonus Law was used to approve more than 140,000 homes, outpacing all other housing streamlining laws
SAN DIEGO – California Density Bonus Law (“Bonus Law”) has quietly become the state's most powerful housing tool, according to a new report released today by Circulate Planning & Policy. It was used to approve more than 140,000 affordable homes between 2021 and 2024, and it was used 10 times more than every other housing streamlining law combined in 2024.
Circulate’s report, titled “Win-Win Bonus: How California’s Bonus Law quietly transformed housing approvals,” shows that incremental, targeted policy changes made Bonus Law the most powerful housing tool in the state. In 2024 alone, Bonus Law was approved for use in 47% of all homes in multifamily projects and 78% of homes in completely affordable projects.
Bonus Law provides valuable benefits to homebuilders that include permanently affordable homes in new residential projects, which means that they are legally restricted from increasing the resale prices or rent levels. Projects that provide enough affordable on-site units can build up to twice the number of units as underlying zoning would allow.
“Many people have questioned the effectiveness of California’s recent housing reforms, but our research proves that Bonus Law is a solid winner,” said report author Colin Parent, CEO and general counsel with Circulate Planning & Policy. “These reforms are a win-win result for homebuilders and the communities that need more affordable homes – exactly what our state needs.”
“California’s Density Bonus Law is proof that smart policy produces real results,” said California Assemblymember Chris Ward, who was on hand for the press conference announcing the release of the report. “When we make it easier and more financially viable to build affordable homes, homebuilders and residents across California benefit.”
Since its start in 1979, Bonus Law has been changed and amended numerous times. The most recent enhancements to California’s Bonus Law were developed first in the San Diego region. City of San Diego Mayor Kevin Falconer adopted a 50% bonus as a local enhancement to the state policy in 2016. Circulate sponsored legislation to expand the 50% bonus statewide in 2020 with AB 2345, authored by Asm. Lorena Gonzalez. Circulate sponsored legislation with Assemblymember David Alvarez in 2023 to enact AB 1287, which created an additional 50% bonus. Combined, the two pieces of legislation allow for a full 100% bonus.
The two state laws dramatically increased Bonus Law’s effectiveness, becoming a major tool for multifamily homebuilders in California today. The report offers lessons learned and a quantitative analysis of the results: more affordable and market-rate homes for the Golden State.
The report offers recommendations to expand the use of Bonus Law, including:
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Name Update: Change the policy’s name to the “Affordable Homes Bonus Law” to better reflect the law’s core purpose of creating affordable homes. Data in the report shows that many projects build affordable units to take advantage of the law, and do not add any additional density.
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More Deeply Affordable Homes: Ensure that homebuilders can deed-restrict their units at levels more affordable than the levels outlined in the current statute. This will close a current loophole that limits the benefits available to 100% affordable homebuilders compared to those creating mixed-income projects.
- Streamlining Approvals: Simplify the approval process for homebuilders to make sure that homes are approved more quickly and face fewer barriers. Policy reforms should include making the benefits automatic, so homebuilders do not have to worry about retaliation from resistant local governments.
This report is part of a research collaboration between Circulate Planning & Policy and the Center for Housing Policy and Design at UC San Diego.
In the report, Circulate refers to the policy throughout as “Bonus Law,” not its long-form full statutory title of “California Density Bonus Law.” The statute’s name is misleading because the purpose of the policy is to create affordable homes, and many projects use the policy without adding any additional density whatsoever. The term “Bonus Law” also avoids the potential stigmatization that may come from the term “density.”
The full report is available at CirculateSD.org/WinWinBonus.
A press kit, including specific data about the Top 10 cities in California, video from the in-person and virtual press conferences, project photos, and report graphics, is available at CirculateSD.org/WinWinBonusPress.
About Circulate Planning & Policy
Circulate Planning & Policy is a nonprofit think tank based in San Diego, dedicated to advancing mobility and making the region a better place to move, work, learn, and play. Our work focuses on creating great mobility choices, more walkable and bikeable neighborhoods, and land uses that promote sustainable growth. For more information, visit CirculateSD.org.
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Name Update: Change the policy’s name to the “Affordable Homes Bonus Law” to better reflect the law’s core purpose of creating affordable homes. Data in the report shows that many projects build affordable units to take advantage of the law, and do not add any additional density.
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Aria Grossman published Policy Letter: San Diego's Transit System Depends on Maintaining Service Levels in Policy Letters 2026-04-06 11:27:37 -0700
Policy Letter: San Diego's Transit System Depends on Maintaining Service Levels
Policy Letter: San Diego's Transit System Depends on Maintaining Service Levels
The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is facing an operational deficit, and must decide how to address this funding shortfall. While raising fares is never ideal, when the alternative is service reductions, it must be done. Circulate Planning & Policy sent the MTS board a letter urging them to adopt fare increase Package B with a phased implementation to soften the immediate impact on San Diegan's budgets.
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Aria Grossman published Policy Letter: Housing Coalition Writes in Support of the Affordable Homes Bonus Law in Policy Letters 2026-03-23 16:26:43 -0700
Policy Letter: Housing Coalition Writes in Support of the Affordable Homes Bonus Law
Housing Coalition Writes in Support of the Affordable Homes Bonus Law
Last week, the Home Building Alliance (HBA), a group of pro-housing organizations, wrote in support of AB 2433, the Affordable Homes Bonus Law. Circulate is the lead cosponsor of this legislation.
The HBA brings people together from across the political spectrum to advance legislation and administrative actions that will increase housing production in California. The Coalition of signatories includes builders, researchers, advocates, and public housing agencies.
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Aria Grossman published Policy Letter: Affordable Homes Bonus Law Support in Policy Letters 2026-03-23 16:18:06 -0700
Policy Letter: Affordable Homes Bonus Law Support
Policy Letter: Affordable Homes Bonus Law Support
Circulate Planning & Policy sent a letter in support of the Affordable Homes Bonus Law, the Bonus Law reform bill that Circulate is sponsoring. The letter previewed research in Circulate's upcoming policy report that shows that Bonus Law is the most utilized streamlining policy in the state of California. In 2024, Bonus law was used for ten times more approvals than all other housing streamlining laws tracked by the Department of Housing and Community Development combined.
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Aria Grossman published Media Toolkit for Electric Bicycle Coverage Released by Circulate San Diego in Press Room 2026-03-16 11:34:06 -0700
PRESS RELEASE - Media Toolkit for Electric Bicycle Coverage Released by Circulate San Diego
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2026
Contact
Aria Grossman, (619) 736-0072, [email protected]
Media Toolkit for Electric Bicycle Coverage Released by Circulate San Diego
SAN DIEGO – Today, Circulate San Diego is releasing a toolkit to help media, elected officials, and San Diegans identify electric bicycles (E-Bikes) and the current associated regulations.
Circulate has a long history of supporting street safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and all vulnerable road users. We believe that all road users should follow the law to keep themselves and others safe. Parents have a responsibility to educate themselves about the law, and to purchase only the E-Bikes for their children that are appropriate for their age and level of skill.
Community concern over the safety of E-Bikes has been increasingly appearing in the media. However, so has misinformation about what exactly is considered an E-Bike.
Recent press coverage has misidentified certain vehicles as E-Bikes. Electric dirt bikes, seated electric vehicles without pedals, and mopeds are considered E-Motos or Motor-Driven Cycles, not E-Bikes. Under California law today, it is already illegal for children under the age of 16 to ride an E-Moto or Motor-Driven Cycle on local streets.
“Parents, teachers, and even elected officials should be looking for ways to make it safer for children to ride a bicycle,” said Aria Grossman, Policy Manager at Circulate San Diego. “Unfortunately, much of the discourse surrounding E-Bike safety has not been rooted in factual information about electric bikes.”
“Education is the most important path for progress on this issue,” said Carlisle Dockery, Director of Planning and Community Engagement at Circulate. “We’ve spoken with principals who had no idea that some of the E-Motos being ridden to campus weren’t street legal for their students. This is an opportunity to connect with families without dampening the growing enthusiasm for biking in San Diego.”
California has many laws already on the books to protect the safety of children riding bicycles and E-Bikes.
· For a traditional bicycle, children under 18 are all required to wear a helmet, and to follow the rules of the road, including speed limits.
The State of California defines Class One, Two, and Three E-Bikes as follows:
· Class One E-Bikes can reach up to 20 miles per hour with a pedal assist. This is less than the speed at which a traditional bicycle can travel. Children under 18 are required to wear a helmet.
· Class Two E-Bikes can reach up to 20 miles per hour with a pedal assist and throttle. This is less than the speed at which a traditional bicycle can travel. Children under 18 are required to wear a helmet.
· Class Three E-Bike can reach up to 28 miles per hour with a pedal assist. Only some Class Three E-Bikes have a throttle, and the use of those functions are capped at 20 miles per hour. Riders must be 16 years or older to ride a Class Three E-Bike. All riders of a Class Three E-Bike, regardless of age, must wear a helmet.
Below is an education toolkit produced by Circulate San Diego, sponsored by the California Office of Traffic Safety, with factual information on E-Bike classifications.
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Aria Grossman published PRESS RELEASE - Circulate San Diego and Assemblymember Alvarez Announce the Affordable Homes Bonus Law to Create More Affordable Homes in Press Room 2026-03-10 16:33:35 -0700
PRESS RELEASE - Circulate San Diego and Assemblymember Alvarez Announce the Affordable Homes Bonus Law
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2026Contact
Colin Parent, (619) 567-6856, [email protected]
Aria Grossman, (619) 736-0072, [email protected]
Circulate San Diego and Assemblymember Alvarez Announce the Affordable Homes Bonus Law to Create More Affordable Homes
SAN DIEGO – Today, Circulate San Diego and Assemblymember David Alvarez announced new legislation to create more affordable homes. The Affordable Homes Bonus Law (AB 2433) will boost homeownership, create more affordable homes, and streamline housing approvals.
The bill reforms California Bonus Law, a state law that streamlines approvals by granting benefits to projects that build affordable homes. Bonus law is California’s most utilized housing incentive program. The reforms under AB 2433 will take this already effective program and make it even more conducive to building more affordable homes more quickly.
”We are grateful to Assembly Member Alvarez for continuing to fight for more affordable homes in California. The Affordable Homes Bonus Law will help create even more affordable homes that families can afford,” said Colin Parent, CEO and General Counsel with Circulate San Diego.
"California's housing crisis has been decades in the making, but Bonus Law is proof that the right policies work”, said Assemblymember Alvarez. “AB 2433 builds on that success by making it easier to build homes families can actually purchase. If you dream big and work hard, you should be able to own a piece of the California dream.”
The bills reforms focus on boosting homeownership, creating more affordable homes, and streamlining approvals through the following policy reforms:
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Create More For-Sale Affordable Homes: Grants additional incentives to homebuilders creating deed-restricted for-sale homes for low- and moderate-income families.
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Deeply Affordable Housing: Ensures that homebuilders can deed-restrict their units at levels more affordable than the levels outlined in statute. This will ensure that 100 percent affordable homebuilders can access the full stacked bonus available under AB 1287.
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Name Update: Changes the program name to the “Affordable Homes Bonus Law” to better reflect the law’s core purpose of creating affordable homes, improving clarity for homebuilders, local governments, and advocates.
- Streamlining Approvals: Streamlines the approval process for homebuilders to make sure that homes are approved more quickly and face less barriers. Policy reforms include making benefits automatic, reaffirming the non-discretionary approval of benefits, and clarifying that Bonus Law projects receive development certainty after their initial application.
California Bonus Law has strong roots in San Diego. Bonus Law has been on the books since 1979, but has only been widely effective in recent years, thanks in part to reforms born and bred in San Diego. Mayor Falconer adopted an enhanced bonus in the City of San Diego. In 2020, Circulate sponsored this policy for statewide adoption, with AB 2345 (Gonzales). Circulate later sponsored legislation with Assemblymember Alvarez to enact AB 1287 in 2023, which created an additional bonus. Now, homebuilders who build enough affordable units qualify for an additional 100 percent capacity bonus.
"AB 2433 modernizes and refines a key tool for producing mixed-income housing developments and neighborhoods,” said Michael Lane, State Policy Director at SPUR. “The new and improved Affordable Homes Bonus Program builds on past success by incentivizing developers to include below market-rate homes in their apartment buildings and subdivisions while enhancing feasibility. We are grateful to Assemblymember Alvarez for his commitment to ensuring this program can be implemented seamlessly at the local level to produce the housing we need."
“As a leading nonprofit housing builder, Community HousingWorks has been utilizing the CA State Density Bonus Law to bring more affordable homes to National City, the San Diego region, and throughout California,” said Sean Spear, CEO of Community HousingWorks. “By reducing the red tape and cost of building much-needed housing, these enhancements will allow us to provide substantially more homes and on a faster timeline.”
"Assembly Bill 2433 is a critical step toward expanding the supply of affordable housing in the San Diego region and across California,” said San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Chris Cate. “The bill addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing businesses in our region: attracting and retaining talent amid persistently high housing costs and a severe shortage of available homes. By expanding housing opportunities, this legislation helps strengthen our workforce and supports the long-term economic competitiveness of the San Diego region. We commend Assemblymember Alvarez for his leadership on this urgent issue and look forward to working with the Legislature to move AB 2433 forward and deliver real advancements on housing affordability.”
“AB 2433 makes important improvements to California’s affordable homes bonus program. Inner City Law Center is excited to support this effort to build more affordable homes across California,” said Mahdi Manji, Director of Public Policy, Inner City Law Center.
Circulate San Diego is the bill’s lead sponsor. The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, SPUR, and the Inner City Law Center are co-sponsors.
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Create More For-Sale Affordable Homes: Grants additional incentives to homebuilders creating deed-restricted for-sale homes for low- and moderate-income families.
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Aria Grossman published Policy Letter: Neighborhood Homes Program in Policy Letters 2026-02-24 10:10:57 -0800
Policy Letter: Neighborhood Homes Program
Policy Letter: Neighborhood Homes Program
Circulate sent a letter to the City of San Diego Planning Department making recommendations to inform the City's Neighborhood Homes for All of Us Program. As the City works to establish this program intended to create new missing middle housing, it must ensure that the program remains broad and flexible to maximize its impact. A program designed to create homes for families must be flexible enough to ensure that a family seeking a one-bedroom home in a suburban area near school and a family seeking a three-bedroom home near transit will both benefit.
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Policy Letter: Speed Management Plan Implementation
Circulate and members of the Vision Zero Coalition sent a letter to Chair Whitburn and members of the Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee expressing support for the City's Draft Speed Management Plan. The letter urges the City to adopt a formal policy prioritizing implementation in school zones to ensure that kids walking to school benefit from this plan as soon as possible. Adoption and funding of this policy must be made a priority, children's lives depend on it.
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Aria Grossman published Preservation and Progress Package A in Policy Letters 2026-01-13 11:03:37 -0800
Policy Letter: Preservation and Progress Package A
Policy Letter: Preservation and Progress Package A
Circulate sent a letter to Chair Lee and members of the Land Use and Housing Committee expressing support for Preservation and Progress Package A. Historic preservation regulations serve an important function, but too often create an unintended barrier to the development of new homes. This package is a critical first step in reforming the City's Heritage Preservation Program to reduce barriers to new homes in San Diego.
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Aria Grossman published Policy Letter: Community Parking District Revenue Priorities in Policy Letters 2026-01-09 09:57:23 -0800
Policy Letter: Community Parking District Revenue Priorities
Policy Letter: Community Parking District Revenue Priorities
Circulate led the Vision Zero Coalition in sending Mayor Gloria a letter urging the City to use Community Parking District (CPD) revenues to make San Diego safer for pedestrians and cyclists. If the City continues to prioritize making space for people to store their cars, the revenue ought to go towards preventing death and injury from them.
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Aria Grossman published Policy Letter: Housing for the 21st Century Act in Policy Letters 2025-12-16 09:31:01 -0800
Policy Letter: Housing for the 21st Century Act
Policy Letter: Housing for the 21st Century Act
Circulate joined a coalition of 35 organizations nationwide in sending the House Financial Services Committee a letter in support of advancing the Housing for the 21st Century Act.
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Aria Grossman published Policy Letter: Comments on SANDAG's 2025 Regional Transportation Plan in Policy Letters 2025-12-10 15:03:16 -0800
Policy Letter: Comments on SANDAG's 2025 Regional Transportation Plan
Policy Letter: Comments on SANDAG's 2025 Regional Transportation Plan
Circulate San Diego sent a letter commenting on the San Diego Association of Government's (SANDAG) Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). Overall, the 2025 plan represents a more realistic projection of revenues and expenditures when compared to previous plans. Circulate applauds this development and improvements to near-term transit frequency, and encourages SANDAG to continue progress in these areas in future plans.
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Aria Grossman published San Diego Unified School District Redevelopment Efforts in Policy Letters 2025-12-08 17:02:00 -0800
San Diego Unified School District Redevelopment Efforts
POLICY LETTER: SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (SDUSD) REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS
Circulate San Diego led a coalition letter urging the School Board to prioritize maximizing the number of units built as it makes redevelopment decisions. SDUSD has a unique opportunity to support its employees and the broader community by enabling the development of a dense, transit-connected community. The School Board ought to take all measures possible to maximize the public benefit of this opportunity.
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Aria Grossman published Policy Letter: Automatic License Plate Readers in Policy Letters 2025-12-08 16:52:22 -0800
Policy Letter: Automatic License Plate Readers
POLICY LETTER: AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS
Circulate San Diego sent a letter in support of the City's use of Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR). Enforcement is a critical part of traffic safety. ALPRs are an important enforcement tool at the City's disposal that should continue to be employed to make our streets safer.
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Aria Grossman published Policy Letter: Clairemont Community Plan Update in Policy Letters 2025-11-21 12:06:49 -0800
Policy Letter: Clairemont Community Plan Update
Policy Letter: Clairemont Community Plan Update
Circulate San Diego sent a letter in support of the Clairemont Community Plan Update. The proposed plan would increase density near commercial and transit-connected areas, more than doubling allowable building heights in critical zones.
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Aria Grossman published College Area Community Plan Update Letter of Support in Policy Letters 2025-11-21 11:45:32 -0800
Policy Letter: College Area Community Plan Update
Policy Letter: College Area Community Plan Update
Circulate San Diego submitted a letter in support of the proposed College Area Community Plan update. The update would provide for new higher-density housing near transit, integrate pedestrian and cyclist facilities, and enable transit priority features.
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Aria Grossman published PRESS RELEASE: Victims of Traffic Violence, Advocates Honored Lives Lost to Traffic Crashes in Press Room 2025-11-16 13:13:49 -0800
PRESS RELEASE: Victims of Traffic Violence, Advocates Honored Lives Lost to Traffic Crashes
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Aria Grossman, (619) 736-0072, [email protected]Victims of Traffic Violence, Advocates Honored Lives Lost to Traffic Crashes
San Diego, November 16, 2025— Elected officials, Families for Safe Streets San Diego, and Circulate San Diego gathered today to observe World Day of Remembrance and honor lives lost to traffic crashes. They were joined by community members who dispersed across the San Diego region to place memorial signs at crash sites in honor of the 538 victims who died in traffic crashes in the past two years.
Speakers honored family, friends, and neighbors who were tragically killed in traffic crashes and called on elected officials to support policies and funding to prevent future road deaths.
“As a cofounder of Families for Safe Streets San Diego — and as someone who lost my husband in a preventable crash — I know the devastation behind every statistic,” said Laura Keenan. “Across San Diego County, 538 lives were taken in two years. In the City of San Diego alone, 146 people were killed on city streets — excluding freeway locations — and in Encinitas at least nine more. We are impacted families, and we know these were not accidents; they were failures of design and policy. We have proven tools to prevent these tragedies; what we need is the will to use them. Our leaders must invest in safety proactively, not only after tragedy strikes, so no more families are forced to endure this pain.”
“We must remember that many of the deaths we commemorate today were preventable,” said Aria Grossman, Policy Manager at Circulate San Diego. “We know what must be done to prevent future tragedies, and it’s time the City actually make these infrastructure investments and policy changes. A goal of zero road deaths is not enough. It’s time to take bold action.”
Councilmembers LaCava, Whitburn, and Campillo, and District Attorney Summer Stephan attended the event in a show of support for making San Diego roads safer. Councilmembers also participated in hanging memorial signs to honor San Diegans whose lives were lost too soon.
“Today, we mourn the friends, family, and neighbors that have tragically perished on our roads. As we remember them, we must recommit ourselves to a world where no person feels unsafe simply taking a stroll or bike ride through the neighborhood,” said Councilmember Raul Campillo, San Diego City Council, District 7. “I will continue to prioritize lifesaving investments in road safety across our city in order to achieve that goal.”
"I'm honored to stand with the families of loved ones lost to traffic violence and our partners at Families for Safe Streets and Circulate San Diego in renewing our commitment to safer streets, said Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, San Diego City Council, District 3. “In District 3 and across our city, my office remains determined to work hand-in-hand with advocacy groups, community members and law enforcement to stop pedestrian, cyclist and vehicle tragedies before they happen."
“Today we honor those whose lives were cut short by preventable collisions and stand with the families who continue to carry unimaginable loss,” said District Attorney, Summer Stephan. “As District Attorney, I see firsthand the devastating impact of impaired, distracted, and reckless driving. Accountability is essential, but our deeper mission is prevention — ensuring that no family has to endure another empty seat at the table. I’m grateful for the dedicated advocacy of Families for Safe Streets San Diego, whose courage and leadership are driving meaningful change in our community. Today is a solemn reminder that every decision behind the wheel matters, and that together — through awareness, enforcement, responsible choices, and strong community partnerships — we can save lives.”
Circulate San Diego, Families for Safe Streets San Diego, and the full Vision Zero Coalition are calling on the Mayor and City Council to support the Coalition’s 2027 budget ask to:
- Fix the Fatal 15 Intersections, where people are most at risk;
- Paint curbs red to daylight intersections and improve visibility; and
- Slow speeds near school zones, so children can arrive at school safely.
Concerned San Diegans can join the coalition’s call to our elected officials at https://www.circulatesd.org/stop_deaths_on_our_streets.
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Aria Grossman published MEDIA ADVISORY: Families for Safe Streets to Observe World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims in San Diego in Press Room 2025-11-13 10:16:41 -0800
MEDIA ADVISORY: Families for Safe Streets to Observe World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims in San Diego
MEDIA ADVISORY - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Aria Grossman, (619) 736-0072, [email protected]
Families for Safe Streets to Observe World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims in San Diego
San Diego, November 13, 2025— Families for Safe Streets San Diego (FSSSD), Circulate San Diego, and advocacy organizations are organizing an event to observe World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on November 16, 2025, beginning at 9:30 AM.
When: Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: San Diego County Bicycle Coalition Office – 300 15th St, San Diego, CA 92101
Who:
- Joe LaCava, Council President, City of San Diego
- Stephen Whitburn, Councilmember, City of San Diego
- Raul Campillo, Councilmember, City of San Diego
- Sean Elo-Rivera, Councilmember, City of San Diego
- Summer Stephan, District Attorney, County of San Diego
- Laura Keenan, founder of Families for Safe Streets San Diego
- Members of Families for Safe Streets San Diego:
- Nancy Cavanaugh
- Katie Gordon
- Michelle Gonzalez
- Bridget and John Chalekian
What: The event will feature testimonials from family member of those who were killed in crashes in the San Diego area. Many elected officials and community leaders will attend and be available for one-on-one interviews after the event.
After the event, volunteers will disburse across the San Diego region to place memorial signs at crash sites to honor victims who died in the past two years.Representatives from the San Diego County’s District Attorney’s Victim Advocates team will be in attendance to provide support and resources to attendees who have recently lost loved ones.
Visuals: Press-conference format with family of victims sharing testimonials of traffic violence. After the event, press may accompany volunteers hanging memorial signs to honor victims at crash sites across the San Diego region, with attending elected officials.
Background:In San Diego County, 538 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2023 and 2024. World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is a worldwide day to honor these individuals along with the 1.35 million people killed around the world each year in preventable traffic crashes and call for safer streets.
Families for Safe Streets San Diego is a group of families who have lost loved ones to traffic violence while they were walking or biking.
More information is available at: https://www.circulatesd.org/2025_world_day_of_remembrance
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Aria Grossman published PRESS RELEASE - Circulate Launches Online Tool for San Diegans to Demand Safer Streets in Press Room 2025-11-05 10:51:45 -0800
PRESS RELEASE - Circulate Launches Online Tool for San Diegans to Demand Safer Streets
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2025Contact: Aria Grossman
(619) 736-0072
[email protected]Circulate Launches Online Tool for San Diegans to Demand Safer Streets
San Diego, November 5, 2025 — Today, Circulate San Diego launched an online tool to help San Diegans generate an email to Mayor Todd Gloria and the San Diego City Council, demanding funding for safe streets.
Circulate, whose mission is to create excellent mobility choices and vibrant, healthy neighborhoods, is asking for the community’s help to call on our elected officials to fund road safety through our “Stop Deaths on Our Streets” campaign.
“Circulate and vision zero allies have been calling on the City to take road deaths seriously and invest in life-saving infrastructure,” said Aria Grossman, Policy Manager at Circulate. “Tragically, the City has not answered this call. By maintaining the status quo, the City is choosing to allow this trend of deaths to continue. It is time for the City to take action and make significant investments to save lives.”
Nearly 50 pedestrians and cyclists are killed on City of San Diego streets each year. The City has pledged to end traffic deaths, but these numbers are not budging. In just one week in late October, 11-year-old Andrew and 6-year-old Lucas were killed in separate crashes. San Diegans should be outraged. Act now and tell your elected officials to prevent future tragedies and dedicate funding to Stop Deaths on Our Streets.
Enough is enough. Circulate is inviting San Diegans who are horrified by these recent deaths of local children to make their voices heard. With Circulate’s online tool, San Diegans can write to their leaders directly. The tool and more information about the campaign are available at https://www.circulatesd.org/stop_deaths_on_our_streets.
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