Gardner unveils Vision Zero safety plan, cites 2,500 crashes and seeks public input

City of Gardner officials and their consultants on Thursday presented a federally funded Vision Zero safety action plan and asked residents to help refine a preliminary high‑injury network of streets to prioritize countermeasures.

Rob Olivera, the city engineer for Gardner, opened the meeting and said the Safe Streets for All grant will fund a 12‑month study intended to produce “a blueprint … for the next three four five years” that identifies projects and funding paths to reduce fatal and serious‑injury crashes. Consultants described a safe‑systems approach that mixes engineering, education and enforcement to reduce speeds and protect pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.

The consultants presented city crash data from 2021–2025 that they said include about 2,500 reported crashes — roughly 500 a year — and reported 12 fatalities and about 35 suspected serious injuries. They said vulnerable road users experienced 67 crashes over the five‑year period, resulting in five deaths and seven serious injuries. Liam Maher, a…