Worcester Begins 'Vision Zero' Plan To Eliminate Traffic Deaths

WORCESTER, MA — On a frigid Sunday evening last November, more than a dozen people gathered in front of the Chandler Magnet Elementary School to take a stand against traffic deaths.

The gathering happened on World Remembrance Day, the annual day for people killed or maimed in traffic incidents, and also served as a call for Worcester to join the "Vision Zero" movement — a campaign to end traffic deaths by making roadways safe for all users.

Nearly a year later, Worcester is taking a key step toward Vision Zero. Last week, the Department of Transportation and Mobility began accepting bids from planning and engineering firms to create a Vision Zero plan for Worcester. The bid opening follows a federal grant given to Worcester earlier this year to pay for the plan.

"This plan is crucial to acting on the city's commitment to the elimination of fatalities and serious injuries from across the transportation system to create safe, equitable and sustainable mobility for all. Ultimately, this plan will help the city identify projects, policies, programs and strategies to make Vision Zero a routine part of city operations across all departments," the bid says.

Since 2015, 85 people have died in traffic crashes and collisions in Worcester. Last year was the deadliest since 2015, with 15 deaths: 7 pedestrians, 3 vehicle passengers, 6 drivers and 2 motorcycle operators, according to MassDOT data. Of those 85 deaths, 33 were pedestrians, the highest number of any group including drivers, passengers and motorcyclists.

The Vision Zero gathering last November came several months after the death of Candice Asare-Yeboah. The 5-year-old was hit by an SUV driver while crossing Stafford Street with her mother in April 2022. Leaders at the gathering made an effort to highlight that Asare-Yeboah's death wasn't included in MassDOT's total for 2022 because she died a month after she was hit. So Worcester's 2022 pedestrian fatality total was eight — the highest of any recent year.

Worcester will collect bids for the Vision Zero plan until Oct. 20. The bid says the winning firm should be able to complete the plan by July 2024.