MAPC

Background

Over 300 people die each year in MA from road traffic crashes. Another 4,000 are seriously injured.

Should we accept the loss of life or disabling injuries due to preventable crashes on our roadways? Can we remove the risk death and severe injury when people, especially those who are older or who don’t drive, travel on our roadways?

Vision Zero focuses on how we design and operate our roadway system and how we can remove the risk of death and injury for roadway users, especially those who are most vulnerable.

Why It's Important

Road traffic crashes are preventable. However, each year people, families, and communities continue to suffer. Moreover, these crashes come with economic costs related to lost time in traffic, missed work, and health care costs due to lack of physical activity and safety concerns.

The Vision Zero Planning Project seeks to address the issue of road traffic safety and provide cities and towns in the Commonwealth with a starting point for eliminating deaths and severe injury from crashes.

MAPC and the Project Team

The team conducting this project includes the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, WalkBoston, and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in partnership with and with support from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Through this project, MAPC and the project team will produce an action plan that is data-driven and guided by local, regional, and state stakeholders. It will build on Vision Zero work here in MA and from across the country. And, most importantly, it will integrate a diversity of perspectives so that the plan is accessible and values all roadway users regardless of their age, background, or mode of travel.

Participation in the Planning 

Gathering diverse perspectives and input is an essential element of the process.

As part of the project, we will engage people from a variety of backgrounds. These will include representatives from local and state government, non-profits, and academia as well as people of various ages, ethnicities, and abilities.

Please see our project fact sheet, use this survey link (link forthcoming) to provide input directly, and follow the project webpage for updates.