Safe Streets and Roads for All: Support Vision Zero Planning in Your Community

MassBike

Written by
November 26, 2024

Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, an SS4A recipient, conducting a Vulnerable Road User Safety Assessment in Northampton

Across Massachusetts Municipalities and Regional Planning Agencies are currently implementing Vision Zero Safety plans for their respective regions thanks to the Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program (SS4A). The SS4A was part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2022 and allocates federal funds for safety implementation, which can go toward planning and infrastructure projects to improve road safety.

As a member of the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition, MassBike is tracking the progress of these plans. These planning processes will include public comment periods where you can provide your input about road safety in your community. We encourage you to find the Vision Zero plan being created in your region and stay engaged in the process to ensure your input is heard.

How you can Take Action Now

To find out which region you’re in, search this interactive map

Current Regional Vision Zero plans   

Merrimack Valley Planning Commission (MVPC)

The MVPC Vision Zero plan will supply the region with strategies to create an equitable, safe, and multi-modal transportation network.  If you live in the region, you can add safety concerns to their crowdsource map and explore the plan here: MV Vision Zero 

Northern Middlesex Council of Governance (NMCOG) 

With their Vision Zero Plan, NMCOG aims to address the systems that result in disproportionate safety risks for low-income and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. NMCOG is committed to ensuring safe and accessible transportation for all by targeting resources to communities in Greater Lowell identified as “Regional Equity Priority.” These communities face a 7.6 times greater risk of fatal or serious injury crashes. The Greater Lowell Vision Zero Plan 

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Commission (Boston MPO)

Traffic crashes in the Boston Region have killed or seriously injured over 1,000 people per year. Boston Region MPO believes that even one fatality is too many. We're committed to eliminating fatal and serious injury crashes from our streets and we need your input. Share your transportation safety concerns and ideas for improvement in our survey by November 30, 2024. Boston Region Vision Zero Action Plan

Old Colony Planning Council  

Old Colony Planning Council, and their consultants, BETA Group, Inc, launched an Interactive Map and Data Dashboard through the Old Colony Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Comprehensive Safety Action Pan. Through this map and dashboard, users can view the top locations identified as high-risk for serious injury and fatalities, share their own locations that may have been missed, and share their personal experience with the roadways and intersections in the region. The goal of the Old Colony Planning Council’s Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Comprehensive Safety Action Plan is to identify high-risk locations and propose countermeasures that can be implemented to prevent serious injuries and eliminate traffic fatalities using the Safe Systems Approach.   Old Colony Planning Council Safe Streets 4 All

Cape Cod Commission

The Cape Cod Vision Zero Action Plan will identify the region’s high-risk and high-injury roadways and intersections and aim to identify solutions, strategies, and policies to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on the region’s roadways. The Cape Cod Commission held a series of in-person public meetings across the region in November as part of the Cape Cod Vision Zero Action Plan project. A virtual meeting recording is now available on the project website. Cape Cod Vision Zero Action Plan

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission

The Berkshire Safe Travel and Equity Plan for our Streets (STEPS) is taking steps to eliminate traffic deaths and life-altering injuries for travelers around Berkshire County. Vision Zero is a commitment to envision our roads with zero deaths and life-altering injuries, and to reach and sustain that goal through long-term planning and action. The work is shared across many disciplines, from planning and engineering, enforcement, education, and policymaking. Berkshire STEPS

 

Municipal Vision Zero Work

Municipalities across Massachusetts have received Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program (SS4A). While some municipalities are using the funds for safer roadway infrastructure projects, others like Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg, and Worcester are using the funds to create Vision Zero or comprehensive safety action plans for their communities.

Our Worcester Program Manager, Alex Salcedo, has been engaged with the Worcester Vision Zero Planning process and provided some highlights. We encourage you to see if your municipality is currently working on a Vision Zero Plan and if they’re not, to encourage them to do so.

City of Worcester Vision Zero Plan

Starting in 2024, the City of Worcester adopted a Vision Zero approach to roadway safety. 

Through a Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant received from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the City conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the existing road network to develop a strategic, effective, and actionable safety action plan that provides the tools to achieve Vision Zero. The Vision Zero Safety Action Plan process includes data collection, comprehensive analysis and engagement with community members to inform the development of short-term recommendations and a toolbox for the City to continue the Vision Zero strategy long-term.

In October 2024, Worcester released the draft Priority Injury Network that identifies those roadways where the majority of serious injuries and fatalities from crashes occur. The Worcester Vision Zero: Priority Network Story Map provides the details about the analysis, public input and next steps.

 

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