Launched by Mayor Joseph Curtatone in September 2017, Vision Zero Somerville reaffirms the City's commitment to multi-modal road safety. The initiative takes a multi-department, data-driven approach to improving safety for all road users, whether on bicycles or on foot, in vehicles, or aboard public transit.
Progress
- Increased road safety awareness across municipal government departments
- Lowered speed limits citywide, with the additional goal of adding 65 new 20 mph safety zones near schools, senior centers, hospitals, and parks
- Improved infrastructure, including:
- Parking-protected bike lanes on Washington Street
- A mid-block crosswalk and flashing beacon at Union Square
- A separated bike lane being added to Beacon Street during its reconstruction
Challenges
Somerville's Vision Zero work will need to center around aligning their transportation systems with other community-driven priorities, and continuing to advocate for Vision Zero within the context of large state-led projects like the Green Line Extension.
What's Next
Somerville is using data-driven technical planning and community input to create a plan of one-, three-, and five-year actionable goals around engineering, education, and enforcement efforts. They will release their first Action Plan in 2020.
Get Involved
- Join the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition mailing list
- Submit safety concerns on the City of Somerville website
Learn More
- City of Somerville website - Vision Zero
- Watch: LivableStreets' StreetTalk 10-in-1: By the Bootstraps in Somerville - Brad Rawson, City of Somerville Director of Transportation and Infrastructure (December 2018)