$7.5 million grant to accelerate regional Vision Zero efforts and enhance roadway safety through pilot projects
[Boston] — The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has been awarded a $7.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support the implementation of the Boston Region’s Vision Zero Action Plan to prevent traffic deaths and serious injuries on roadways across the region’s 97 cities and towns.
The MPO will collaborate with municipalities to design and implement a variety of safety interventions. These include quick-build traffic calming projects such as speed humps and high-visibility crosswalks. The MPO will also conduct planning projects, crash analyses, roadway safety audits, and community engagement campaigns. These activities will foster regional coordination, enhance safety planning efforts, and lay the groundwork for future large-scale transportation infrastructure projects aligned with Vision Zero principles.
Federal funding for this grant is provided under the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with matching funds provided by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
This is the second SS4A grant awarded to the Boston Region MPO. In 2023, the MPO received $2.7 million in funding to support the development of a regional Vision Zero Action Plan.
“This grant builds on the momentum we’ve created with the Vision Zero Action Plan, allowing us to take tangible steps toward safer streets,” said Tegin Teich, Executive Director of the Boston Region MPO. “By funding essential safety projects and planning initiatives, we’re able to partner with municipalities to bring forward the resources and support they need to address pressing roadway safety challenges.”
“Thanks to the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, all signs are pointing toward roadway safety in Greater Boston,” said Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.). “I am proud to have helped secure this federal funding for critical safety improvements in the region through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We cannot cycle past this opportunity to coordinate safety across our communities, and I am grateful for the partnership between the Boston Region MPO, the Biden-Harris administration, our federal delegation, and our municipal leaders to make this investment a reality.”
The Boston Region MPO is the regional agency responsible for conducting the transportation planning process for the Boston metropolitan area, which includes 97 cities and towns with a combined population of 3.4 million. The MPO develops a vision for the regional transportation system and allocates federal and state transportation funds to programs and projects that improve infrastructure for people walking, biking, taking transit, and driving. Learn more at bostonmpo.org.