Worcester officials declare ‘Traffic Violence Crisis’ spike in pedestrian crashes

City Manager Eric D. Batista and Mayor Joseph M. Petty are declaring a “Road Safety and Traffic Violence Crisis” in light of three recent pedestrian crashes .

One of the crashes injured a child and two other collisions involved young adolescents struck by motor vehicles, according to authorities.

Officials say they are developing a comprehensive strategy, expected to launch in fall 2024, to improve street safety, “aiming ultimately to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries.”

Dubbed the “Vision Zero Safety Action Plan,” the program will identify Worcester’s most dangerous street segments and intersections. From there, both near-term and long-term actions will be implemented to improve and monitor roadway safety, according to a city spokesperson.

Man seriously injured after being hit by pickup truck in Worcester

On Monday, a young woman was seriously injured in a pedestrian crash on Shrewsbury Street.

As a result, both Belmont and Shrewsbury Street will undergo “quick response” assessments by the city’s Department of Transportation and Mobility, which will be completed within 60 days.

“These studies....will identify the most pressing safety issues in each corridor and identify ways to improve the safety of all users on these busy and densely populated corridors, emphasizing quick build changes that can be implemented within one year.”

In the interim, officials say two proposals are pending before the City Council, including reducing the statutory speed limit citywide from 30 mph to 25 mph and enabling the establishment of 20 mph Safety Zones.

“Making streets safer and more accommodating for all users requires more than government actions alone,” Mayor Petty and City Manager Batista said in a joint statement. “As a community, we need to work together to ensure our collective safety and well-being. We urge everyone to respect the rules of the road, slow down, watch for other road users, and exercise patience and restraint.”

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