Eliminating fatal crashes on Cape Cod’s roadways 

Roadway fatalities impact not only those involved in the crash, but also families, friends, and the community as a whole. To address this issue, the Cape Cod Commission is developing a Vision Zero Action Plan for Cape Cod to identify and eliminate fatalities and serious injuries from vehicle crashes for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and drivers. 

According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, nearly 30,000 crashes have been reported on Cape Cod’s roadways over the past six years, resulting in 82 fatal crashes and 644 serious injury crashes in the region. Of the 30,000 crashes, 365 crashes involved a pedestrian with 13 resulting in a fatality and 474 involved a bicyclist with one resulting in a fatality.  

The Cape Cod Vision Zero Action Plan, a pathway to a safer future, will include a systematic crash analysis and set of solutions to tackle the root causes of all crashes, emphasizing those involving bicyclists, pedestrians, and other non-motorists. The Action Plan will consider a range of low-cost, high-impact regional strategies such as bike light distribution, updated pedestrian signal equipment, and significant infrastructure improvements at key locations. Completing the Action Plan will make all fifteen Cape Cod towns eligible for Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Implementation Grants to leverage federal funding to implement strategies. 

A Vision Zero Advisory Committee (VZAC) comprised of individuals with a range of experience and interests met for a hybrid meeting on August 15, 2024, at the Cape Cod Commission office in Barnstable Village.  The committee oversees the Vision Zero plan development and provides feedback during the process. Among the diverse group are town planners, fire and police officials, former transportation planners, transportation safety and bicycle activists, healthcare and human services workers, and public works employees. The VZAC will meet at least four more times throughout the plan development, expected to last a year.   

Public input is critical to the Vision Zero Action Plan's development. The insights and experiences shared by the public will help identify the most pressing problem areas and the best ways to prioritize funds for safety improvements. To facilitate public input, a new, interactive, online public comment tool is available. All roadway users are encouraged to use this tool to identify locations where they have experienced crashes or near-crashes, or have safety concerns. Thoughts and experiences can be shared online at cccom.link/Vision-Zero-Comment.  

This work is funded through the federal SS4A Grant Program, which is funded by the U.S. DOT under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law / Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act (BIL/IIJA) to subsidize regional initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. 

To learn more about Vision Zero, please visit www.capecodcommission.org/vision-zero.