Coronado’s roads saw a slightly busier — and slightly riskier — year in 2023, although total collisions remain among the lowest the city has seen in more than four decades of data.

The increase in traffic reflects a gradual return to pre-COVID levels, although traffic trends have not yet increased to pre-pandemic rates, according to the city’s annual traffic report, which the City Council is expected to accept during a Sept. 16 meeting.

The city tracks traffic patterns in an annual report to aid in urban planning.

According to the report, a daily average of 85,946 vehicles entered or left Coronado in 2023, up from 85,364 in 2022. While this is the 30th-highest count since the city began tracking traffic volume in 1977, it is well below the city’s 2016 record of more than 102,000.

July marked the busiest month, which a daily average of 96,099 vehicles entering or leaving the city. Predictably, traffic was busiest on weekdays.

There were 163 reported collisions in 2023, up from 159 in 2022. Still, this is the fourth lowest count since the city began tracking this data in 1977.

Graph: Coronado Annual Traffic Report

Of the 2023 collisions, two were fatal, and 97 caused injuries. About 56 percent of crashes occurred on city streets, while 44 percent took place on state highways.

The top three causes mirror previous years: improper turning, unsafe speed, and violations of the right-of-way. Seven months saw collision rates above the city’s five-year monthly average. July again stood out with 22 collisions, one being fatal.

The city evaluates intersections for safety if they reach the threshold of three crashes in a year. Two intersections hit that metric in 2023: Orange Avenue and Second Street and Tenth Street and G Avenue. Both saw three collisions. In both cases, engineers did not find visibility or safety concerns and recommended the city monitor, rather than modify, the locations.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) threshold for review is five or more crashes in a single year, and no location along a state route in Coronado met that requirement in 2023.

Over the last five years, the city has logged 141 collisions on Orange Avenue, its top corridor for incidents. Other top crash sites include Silver Strand Boulevard, Fourth Street, and Third Street. In the Coronado Cays, 15 collisions were recorded over five years, with five of them being in 2023. However, but none were at the same spot, and no modifications were recommended.

Ten pedestrian crashes were reported in 2023, with one of them being fatal. Eight of these incidents occurred at or near intersections. The report did not suggest any changes to intersections as high-visibility crosswalks and are signals already in place.

Bicycles were involved in 23 collisions. Causes ranged from automobile right-of-way violations to unsafe speeds. The city noted a repeat incident at Silver Strand and Coronado Cays Boulevard, this time involving a bicyclist passing a stopped school bus while intoxicated.

The report did not suggest physical changes, but did request that the Coronado Police Department to begin separating e-bike incidents from standard bike crashes in its records to better track emerging trends.

Overall, the 2023 report paints a picture of rising. but still relatively low, crash numbers amid heavier traffic. City staff are not recommending new physical changes at this time but will continue to monitor high-collision intersections and analyze the impact of new bicycle and e-bike rules rolled out in 2024.