Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County adopts Vision Zero goal to halve serious traffic injuries by 2035 and eliminate fatalities by 2050
Summary
The board voted to adopt the Vision 0 action plan commitment; staff reported data showing an average of 13 crashes per day on Cape Cod and 81 traffic fatalities over a six‑year period.
Barnstable County commissioners voted on Feb. 12, 2025 to adopt a Vision Zero statement committing the region to a long‑term goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2050 and to an interim target of reducing fatalities and serious injuries by 50% by 2035.
Nut graf: County and regional staff framed Vision Zero as a data‑driven, multiagency effort to reduce traffic deaths and severe injuries, with near‑term priorities intended to qualify towns for federal implementation funding and targeted demonstration projects.
Steve Tupper, deputy director at the Cape Cod Commission and lead on the initiative, summarized the data that shaped the plan. "We average 13 crashes per day here on Cape Cod," Tupper said, and noted that over a six‑year review period the region recorded 81 fatalities and 664 serious injuries. He emphasized the disproportionate risk to “vulnerable road users” and said the commission had identified pedestrian and bicyclist safety as central priorities; staff also reported more than 800 public comments captured through an online portal and targeted stakeholder outreach.
The presentation highlighted an ongoing Barnstable demonstration project to analyze 14 high‑crash locations and noted that adoption of the Vision Zero goal would position towns and the region to seek implementation funding for infrastructure and non‑infrastructure countermeasures. Commissioners discussed mode‑specific issues such as e‑bikes and scooters, seasonal workforce transportation needs, and small‑dollar safety measures (helmets, lights, outreach) as well as larger infrastructure investments.
Ending: A commissioner moved adoption of the Vision Zero statement "as presented at today's meeting," the motion was seconded and the board voted in favor. Staff said the commission and the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization will pursue implementation grants and return with additional details and prioritized projects.
