From: Ini Tomeu <itomeu@cambridgema.gov> on behalf of Ini Tomeu <itomeu@cambridgema.gov> Date: Monday, February 5, 2018 at 3:36 PM To: Ruth Ryals <rryals@comcast.net> Subject: Cambridge Releases Vision Zero Action Plan to Eliminate Transportation Fatalities and Serious Injuries and Announces 20 MPH Safety Zones in City Squares For Immediate Release City of Cambridge Public Information Office Contact: Ini Tomeu, Public Information Officer 617-349-4339, itomeu@cambridgema.gov Cambridge Releases Vision Zero Action Plan to Eliminate Transportation Fatalities and Serious Injuries and Announces 20 MPH Safety Zones in the City’s Squares. City to take data driven approach to identifying causes and evaluating solutions Cambridge, MA, February 05, 2018 -- The City of Cambridge is releasing its Vision Zero Action Plan at a public celebration at City Hall on Thursday, Febuary 8, at 8:30 a.m. Vision Zero, adopted by the Cambridge City Council in 2016, is an initiative to reduce and ultimately eliminate transportation fatalities and serious injuries, while at the same time creating safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all those who travel in Cambridge. The Action Plan serves as a blueprint for how Cambridge will achieve Vision Zero. The Action Plan outlines specific short and long term goals that the City will undertake. These goals reflect the City’s commitment to: Design and Operate Safe Streets Improve Large Vehicle, Taxi/For-Hire Vehicles, and TNC Safety for all road users Ensure equity in Vision Zero efforts, paying particular attention to vulnerable and underserved populations Engage the public in Vision Zero initiatives Ensure that City employees and representatives lead by example in traffic safety matters Create new partnerships and foster existing partnerships with community organizations Use data to direct efforts and measure progress In line with these goals, the City will be announcing the implementation of 20 MPH Safety Zones in the City Squares. Effective March 1, the speed limit in Central, Harvard, Inman, Kendall, and Porter Squares will be 20 MPH. Lowering speeds is one of the most effective tools to protect vulnerable road users and is fundamental to achieving Vision Zero, as slower speeds result in fewer and less severe crashes. In December of 2016, the City lowered the default speed limit to 25 MPH. “Effective communication, collaboration, and public process are critical to successful initiatives, and these will be central themes that will guide our approach for Vision Zero,” said City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “By coming together as a community, we will continue making it safe and easy for people of all ages and abilities to travel between work, school, shops, and other destinations, whether they choose to walk, bicycle, drive, or take transit. I look forward to working with the City Council and the entire community to enhance the safety of our city.” “We know that lower speeds help save lives, and that pedestrians and cyclists are much more likely to survive a crash with a motor vehicle when speeds are below 20 MPH.” said Joseph Barr, Director of Traffic, Parking, and Transportation. “Cambridge’s squares are the heart of our city, and we want to make sure that we support their economic vitality by making them safe for everyone who lives, works, and plays in Cambridge.” The foundation for the Action Plan is data driven decision-making. The City will seek to identify the fundamental causes of traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities to come up with creative and implementable solutions to prevent those incidents, and to evaluate its successes and remaining challenges. The Vision Zero commitment reinforces a community-based focus on safety and the actions that can be collectively taken to create the safest possible transportation system—and the safest possible city. Preliminary 2017 crash data from the Cambridge Police Department shows: 3% reduction in crash calls for service – to the lowest level in nearly two decades. 4% reduction in crashes requiring police reports. 17% reduction in crashes involving bicyclists. 17% reduction in crashes resulting in ambulance transport of injured parties to a hospital – to the lowest since 2005, when comprehensive EMS disposition data was captured. For additional information, visit CambridgeMA.GOV/VisionZero. The Vision Zero Action Plan and detailed maps of the Safety Zones will be available on Feburary 8. -###- This email was sent to rryals@comcast.net City of Cambridge, 795 Massachusetts Avenue, Executive Office, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States Unsubscribe