Cape Cod Commission unveils Vision Zero action plan draft to cut fatal and serious roadway crashes

The Cape Cod Commission on Monday presented an interim draft of a regional Vision Zero Action Plan intended to eliminate fatal and serious injury crashes across the 15 towns of Barnstable County.

Transportation Program Manager Colleen Medeiros said the plan, funded through the Federal Highway Administration's Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant, will provide towns with a data-driven set of engineering and non‑engineering actions they can use to reduce serious crashes and fatalities. "Tonight, we are presenting on the Cape Cod Vision 0 Action Plan," Medeiros said at the start of the meeting.

The draft plan compiles six years of crash records (2018'023) and other local input. Consultants reported more than 27,600 crashes across the Cape in that period, and roughly 667 combined fatal and serious-injury crashes: 75 fatal crashes and about 592 serious-injury crashes in the dataset the team used. Much of the analysis separates the Cape into Upper, Mid, Lower and Outer regions and maps a high-injury network (specific locations with elevated crash counts) and a high-risk network (locations with roadway features that increase risk even if crashes are not yet concentrated there).

Why it matters: the plan is intended to be a FHWA-certifiable product that communities can use to prioritize projects and apply for implementation funds. Consultants said the Cape averages more than 110 fatal or serious injury crashes a year, with a seasonal peak from May through September and a daily peak in the late-afternoon commute window.

What the plan contains

Presenters said the plan pairs a toolbox of "proven countermeasures" identified by Federal Highway with local data and outreach. Engineering recommendations include speed‑management measures (narrower travel lanes, speed cushions, center islands, automated enforcement if enabled), intersection improvements (reduced corner radii, dedicated turn lanes, improved signalization, roundabouts where appropriate), roadway departure countermeasures (rumble strips, improved delineation, guardrails), and pedestrian/bicycle infrastructure (continuous sidewalks, off‑road shared-use paths, highly visible crosswalks and RRFBs).

"Speeds are like the critical driving behavior that affects an awful lot of things," Bill Scully, a consultant from Kimley-Horn, said during the presentation, summarizing why many recommended actions focus on speed management.

Site-specific examples

Consultants highlighted town-level profiles and sample locations, noting short- and long-term steps.

- Falmouth: Sipawissett Road (local 25 mph corridor) is on the high-injury network with one fatal and four serious-injury crashes recorded there during the six-year window. Short-term measures suggested include chevron and advanced-curve warning signage, expanded sightlines, and targeted guardrails. Consultants also noted the road's lack of shoulders means pedestrians and bicyclists share the travel lane.

- Sandwich: Cotuit Road recommendations include enhanced crosswalk visibility (bump-outs, high-visibility markings and double-sided pedestrian warning signs) and, longer term, a shared-use path off the roadway. Consultants also proposed geometric simplification or a roundabout at a three-legged intersection near Farmersville Road to reduce conflict points.

- Dennis: At Old Kings Highway (Route 6A) and East-West Dennis Road, consultants recommended replacing some post-mounted signal equipment with overhead signals, closing an unnecessary service driveway to reduce conflict points, and tightening corner radii to slow turning vehicles and shorten crosswalks.

- Eastham: Long-brackett Road (Brackett Road) proposals included solar radar speed feedback signs, mid-block crossings with RRFBs to support the Cape Cod Rail Trail crossings, green shared-lane markings for bicyclists, and speed cushions near trail crossings.

Data and outreach

The consultant team said they collected nearly 1,000 public comments through an online tool, held in-person meetings and focus groups with first responders and seasonal workforce representatives, and convened a Vision Zero advisory committee of local stakeholders. The project team also used MassDOT's risk-based network screening to identify corridors that may be hazardous due to configuration and traffic—even if crash counts are not yet high.

Non-engineering measures and state policy

Presenters emphasized that engineering alone cannot reach the zero-fatalities goal. The draft plan includes recommendations for enforcement (targeted police presence on the high-injury network during peak seasons), education and promotion (safety campaigns timed to summer peaks and school openings, maintenance of a Vision Zero dashboard), local public-works practices (vegetation clearing and sign maintenance), and efforts to build a region-wide traffic safety culture.

The team also recommended state enabling legislation to allow wider use of automated speed and red-light enforcement; presenters noted Massachusetts currently authorizes some automated enforcement for school bus stop-arm violations but not general speed or red-light camera programs. The draft plan says communities could use an FHWA-certified Vision Zero plan to help apply for implementation funding.

Public feedback and questions

A resident identified as John raised local concerns about high-speed late-night racing on Sipawissett Road and urged the team to study time-of-day patterns and pursue both enforcement and education alongside engineering changes. "They're driving, believe it or not, 90 miles an hour on that road," John said, and described a set of tradeoffs where legal routes force some bicyclists into higher-risk roadway conditions while an illegal path might be safer.

Next steps

The commission said the draft is still being developed and posted materials on a public dashboard that includes town profile boards, the high-injury and high-risk maps, and the public comment map. Additional public meetings were scheduled later in the week (Wellfleet, Harwich and Nashua/Harwich [dates/locations listed on the dashboard]) and the team will post the recording and slides. The draft plan will be revised after further public input and the project team encouraged residents and municipal staff to review the online town profiles and submit written comments.

Ending note

Presenters asked local officials and residents to continue sharing local context and concerns, particularly where jurisdictional issues (state-owned highways versus local roads, railroad crossings, or bridge projects) will require coordination with MassDOT or other agencies. The draft plan mixes targeted site-level fixes with systemic policies and outreach intended to give towns tools they can implement or use to compete for later state or federal funding.