Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City releases roadway safety audit identifying 75 priority intersections and near‑term fixes
Summary
Transportation staff presented a multi‑year roadway safety audit that ranked 350 locations, prioritized the worst 75 intersections, and proposed short‑, medium‑ and long‑term improvements. Officials said work will begin over winter and continue into spring, with coordination needed on state‑owned intersections.
The Cambridge Department of Transportation presented a roadway safety audit at the Dec. 15 council meeting that identifies 350 candidate locations, prioritizes the worst 75 crash sites and outlines short‑, medium‑ and long‑term interventions for the city’s most dangerous intersections.
Staff described the methodology (ten years of crash data from 2014–2024), the resulting rankings and a work plan that begins with analysis and quick‑build treatments this winter and continues with more permanent infrastructure work in spring and summer. Geoff Parente (Transportation) and Commissioner McKenna said many high‑crash locations are on state‑owned roads, requiring permits and coordination with MassDOT and other agencies, but stressed the city will pursue short‑term fixes it controls.
Councilors asked about next steps and timelines. Transportation staff said they have started short‑term on‑site work, will publish progress online, and plan to develop a network of automated bicycle and pedestrian counting stations (1–3 year build) so the program can calculate crash rates (crashes per exposure) rather than absolute counts. "We want to move to calculating crash rates once we have consistent exposure data," Geoff Parente said; staff noted that reliable pedestrian and bicycle counts are patchy across the 350 sites and that improving counts is a near‑term priority.
Specific pilots discussed included a Windsor‑Street pilot (making the Windsor approach right‑only to reduce dangerous turns) with close community outreach and a planned evaluation (proposed six‑month pilot subject to neighborhood feedback and monitoring of diverted volumes). Staff confirmed they coordinate design reviews with fire and police to preserve emergency access and will engage the Cambridge Housing Authority and local business groups for hyperlocal projects.
Next steps: staff reported they will begin quick‑build implementations where feasible over winter, continue public engagement for pilots, commence medium‑term construction in spring, publish progress on a public website and expand data collection for crash‑rate analysis.
