Advancing Vision Zero

The Cape Cod Commission has been awarded $476,800 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fiscal Year 2025 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program to advance roadway safety across Barnstable County.

The grant will support Planning and Demonstration Activities that build on the recently completed Cape Cod Vision Zero Action Plan, with a focus on reducing fatal and serious injury crashes and making Cape Cod’s roadways safer for everyone, including drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users.

Along with matching funds from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this support will allow the Commission to undertake planning efforts that translate Vision Zero goals into targeted, actionable improvements. The work includes targeted road safety audits, data collection, improvement evaluations, and public outreach and safety campaigns.

Road safety audits (RSAs) will be conducted at high-risk locations identified in the Vision Zero Action Plan. RSAs are a proven, cost-effective approach to identifying safety issues and recommending practical solutions. According to the Federal Highway Administration, RSAs can reduce total crashes by 10–60 percent at a given location when recommended countermeasures are implemented. These audits will be coordinated with MassDOT’s statewide safety initiatives to ensure regional consistency and maximum impact.

The project will also fund traffic data collection and intersection analyses to support faster and more informed safety decisions. This work will help evaluate traffic signal needs, roundabout suitability, and other proven safety countermeasures at priority locations, allowing communities to move from planning to implementation more efficiently.

Recognizing that behavior plays a critical role in roadway safety, the grant will support public outreach and safety campaigns focused on the leading causes of serious and fatal crashes in the region, including speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving, and reckless behavior. Outreach efforts will raise awareness of the Vision Zero Action Plan and support the region’s 15 towns in implementing safety strategies, policies, and campaigns. Underserved and rural communities will be prioritized to ensure equitable safety benefits.