[Boston - February 1, 2023] - Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced that the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has been awarded $2.238 million in federal funding for the development of a Safety Action Plan, with the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries in the Boston region. With matching funds from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the total grant amount is $2.7 million.
The MPO will lead the effort to create the Safety Action Plan in partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and MassDOT to support our shared goal of zero deaths and serious injuries on roadways in our region. The MPO’s work will include analysis of crash data to identify trends and high-risk corridors, engagement with communities disproportionately impacted by roadway safety issues, and the formulation of evidence-based, data-driven policy and project recommendations.
“In leading the development of the Boston region’s first Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, the MPO will advance our goals to create a safe and equitable transportation system in the region by using innovative data analysis alongside engagement with communities and stakeholders to develop recommendations to achieve zero crash deaths and serious injuries,” said Tegin Teich, Executive Director of the Central Transportation Planning Staff to the Boston Region MPO. “We’re grateful to USDOT and MassDOT for their investment in roadway safety and the opportunity to collaborate with our local, state, and regional planning partners on this important work.”
“Between 2016 and 2020, Greater Boston experienced over 5,300 automobile crashes resulting in death or serious injury,” said Eric Bourassa, Vice Chair of the Boston MPO and Transportation Director with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. “This grant will support coordination among municipalities and the state to identify the most dangerous locations, plan for improvements to local roads, and adopt policies and programs that make streets safer for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians alike. We are grateful to the USDOT and the Biden-Harris Administration for this award, and look forward to working with our regional partners on creating a safety action plan.”
Federal funding for this grant is provided under the Safe Streets and Roads for All program established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with matching funds provided by MassDOT.
The Boston Region MPO is responsible for conducting the federally required transportation planning process for the Boston metropolitan region, which includes 97 cities and towns with a total of 3.4 million residents. The MPO develops a vision for transportation in the region and allocates federal and state transportation funds to programs and projects that improve transportation infrastructure for people walking, biking, taking transit, and driving.