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'Worst it’s ever been': Deadly summer on city roads with 10 deaths topping city average


WORCESTER — This summer was a deadly period on Worcester's roadways. Pedestrians, those on scooters and motorcyclists were killed or severely injured while navigating the city’s busy streets. 

Speed and recklessness were contributing factors.

Reflecting on the dangerous summer, Board of Health member Gary Rosen said, “I’ve been driving in Worcester for over 60 years and it’s the worst it’s ever been.” Rosen made that statement Monday night during the board's monthly meeting and the latest numbers from the city appear to back him up. 

So far this year, there have been 10 deaths in Worcester from traffic accidents, topping the city’s yearly average of nine, according to Stephen Rolle, the city’s commissioner of the Department of Transportation and Mobility. 

Also this year, 75 crashes resulted in serious injury.

Rolle shared those numbers during his presentation Monday night to the board on what is called Vision Zero. It's an international program the city joined this year to eliminate injuries and fatalities from roadway crashes.

Map pinpoints where crashes occur

Rolle revealed a map where most of the fatal and serious crashes are happening in Worcester. Called the Priority Network, it shows color-coded streets where accident rates are the highest, with the red-colored streets the top priority for taking immediate steps to improve safety. 

Rolle ticked off several high-priority areas including Belmont, Lincoln and Shrewsbury streets, plus portions of Main Street south of Chandler Street. He also mentioned Cambridge Street and the majority of Park Avenue. 

The map reveals a majority of crashes are concentrated in a small area. Worcester has 600 miles of roadways, but just 7% account for 56% of the severe and fatal crashes. 

Environmental justice: Disproportionate share

Meanwhile, environmental justice neighborhoods experience a disproportionate share of the accidents. These areas have historically been underfunded in housing, health and transportation. Using the federal Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, 68% of Worcester's fatal and severe crashes happen in these areas.

When using the Massachusetts definition of environmental justice — a preponderance of low-income residents of color with varying levels of English-speaking proficiency — the disparity is more pronounced, accounting for 74% of fatal and severe crashes. 

More data from Rolle's presentation showed 30% of pedestrian and 32% of bicycle injury crashes happen within 1,000 feet of a school.  

Taking the same distance into account, it’s 22% and 21%, respectively, at health care facilities; 14% in both categories at community centers and libraries; and 23% and 21%, respectively, at homeless shelters. 

Lower speeds save lives

Higher speeds means a greater likelihood of injury and death, according to some studies. Last month the city council cut the statutory speed limit citywide on many streets from 30 mph to 25 mph and Rolle said it should be fully implemented by Jan. 2. 

Signs displaying the lower limit are going up this week, according to Rolle, and a public awareness campaign will advertise the change.

In the realm of speed and its link to crash probability, number crunching in Worcester shows 47% of fatal crashes occur on roadways with observed 85th percentile speeds greater than 35 mph. The 85th percentile speed is the speed at or below which 85% of the drivers travel.

For those injured in crashes, 26% happen on roadways with observed 85th percentile speeds higher than 35 mph.  

Focus shifts to action

Now that the problem crash areas have been identified, Rolle said the focus shifts to what steps to take to improve safety.

No decisions have been made on what specific projects to pursue, according to a city spokesman. Once Worcester has a Vision Zero plan in place, it is eligible to apply for federal grants. Vision Zero work to date, including the Priority Network, comes from a $200,000 federal grant and a $30,000 city match, plus in-kind support from city staff.

Whatever improvements are made, Rolle noted police enforcement is an "important component." Another is to make sure when a street is resurfaced or reconstructed, there needs to be safe bike, scooter and pedestrian pathways built into the design.

Limited money: No delays

Long term, the goal is to fully redesign and reconstruct problem streets. However, in the immediate there are limited city funds, but Rolle said that won't delay the work. “If we wait until there is more money to design and build every street, then we’ll wait a long time.” 

One example of work done was a quick "demonstration" project at the Vernon Hill Elementary School on Providence Street that involved painted markings at a crosswalk. A more substantive project was the redesign of Mill Street, a high-speed stretch known locally as the “speedway.” The work received a healthy dose of public criticism and the city council voted in July to keep the redesign for six months to monitor safety data. City officials have said the changes at Mill Street are an interim step.   

Speed humps are another strategy to boost safety. More than 20 of the temporary humps made of rubber and fused into the asphalt have been installed. Worcester hopes to significantly expand the program next year, said Rolle, adding a survey of residents who live on streets with the temporary humps showed 82% of respondents like them.

Permanent humps will be installed at locations where experimental trials over the past two years were successful. Rolle prefers the permanent ones instead of the time and expense of placing, removing and storing the temporary humps.

Expanding bicycle and pedestrian routes is another area Rolle supports. On the bike front, Rolle believes Worcester won't see a critical mass of cyclists until there is a connected network of routes. 

“We definitely have a long way go to develop a bike network. People will use it when we develop it."

Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on X: @henrytelegram.