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Cape Cod Commission receives federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant

Funding to support Cape Cod Regional Safety Action Plan

The Cape Cod Commission has been awarded $240,000 in federal grant funding to support the Cape Cod Regional Safety Action Plan through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program, an initiative designed to improve roads and address traffic fatalities nationwide.

Over the past decade, motor vehicle crashes on Cape Cod have resulted in over 1,400 serious injuries and fatalities. In 2022 alone, fifteen individuals lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes on Cape Cod roads. On average, one in five fatalities was a pedestrian or bicyclist, and one in three fatalities was an individual over the age of 65. The region’s transportation system must safely accommodate all users, including non-motorists and aging populations. Progress has been made, with crash rates decreasing in recent years, but further action is required.

“Regional collaboration is critical to improving transportation safety on Cape Cod,” said Cape Cod Commission Executive Director Kristy Senatori. “We are pleased to receive this federal funding support for the Regional Safety Action Plan that will benefit all fifteen Cape communities.”

The Cape Cod Regional Safety Action Plan will allow for a systematic analysis and set of solutions to tackle the root causes of all crashes, with an emphasis on those involving non-motorists. The Action Plan will consider a range of low-cost, high-impact strategies that can be deployed across the region, such as bike light distribution, updated pedestrian signal equipment, and infrastructure improvements at key locations. Completing the Action Plan will allow Cape Cod and its fifteen towns to be eligible for SS4A Implementation Grants to leverage federal funding to implement strategies.

“We have committed to Vision Zero in the 2020 Regional Transportation Plan and are backing up that vision with action,” said Cape Cod Commission Deputy Director Steven Tupper. “The development and implementation of a Regional Safety Action Plan is a logical and important next step towards the goal of reducing, and ultimately eliminating, fatalities and serious injuries in our transportation network.”

The plan will identify the unique transportation safety needs of traditionally underserved communities, minority and low-income communities, members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, our seasonal workforce, and individuals who lack access to a personal vehicle. Robust outreach, including innovative virtual and field strategies, will be done in partnership with Cape Cod’s fifteen towns to bring all voices to the plan development.

The Safe Streets and Roads for All program grants support the National Roadway Safety Strategy: a comprehensive approach launched in January 2022 to make our nation’s roadways safer for everyone, including drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and emergency and construction workers, by stressing responsible driving, safer roadway designs, appropriate speed-limit setting, and improved post-crash care, among other strategies.

To learn about safety work completed by the Cape Cod Commission, please visit capecodcommission.org/safety.

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