Author: WalkMassachusetts

Testimony to joint committee on transportation on S.2344 & H.3754 “An Act relative to traffic regulation using road safety cameras”

Testimony to joint committee on transportation on S.2344 & H.3754 “An Act relative to traffic regulation using road safety cameras”

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Thank you chairs Crighton and Arciero. My name is Brendan Kearney, and I’m the executive director of WalkMassachusetts, a statewide pedestrian advocacy organization working to make walking safer and easier in Massachusetts, to encourage better health, a cleaner environment, and more vibrant communities, originally established in 1990 as WalkBoston. I’m here alongside colleagues with the MA Vision Zero Coalition, who will speak to different aspects in support of H.3754 & S.2344. 

I want to give some context into some of the problems these safety camera bills are working to help solve. WalkMassachusetts releases a report each spring looking at fatal crashes from the year before. 

  • In 2024, there were 369 reported total traffic deaths in Massachusetts. At least 78 pedestrians lost their lives as a result of traffic crashes, accounting for just over 21% of the total. 
  • Of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, 53 had at least one pedestrian crash death in 2024. 
  • 66.7% fatal pedestrian crashes took place in environmental justice census block groups. 

Environmental justice (EJ) is based on the principle that all people have a right to be protected from environmental hazards and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment. This skewed spatial distribution of fatal pedestrian crashes in Massachusetts demonstrates that EJ communities face disproportionate harm in large part because of historic and present-day injustices in transportation planning, so we need to do more to protect the people that are just trying to get around or cross the street in their town. 

We’re grateful the legislature passed “An Act Creating a Next Generation Roadmap for MA Climate Policy” in 2021, which includes a specific definition of “environmental justice population” to ensure Massachusetts holds to this commitment no matter what is happening at the national level. 

Each year we’ve released this report, we believe that on the state and local level, there is a need for more action to slow drivers down so people trying to cross the street can do so safely. Drivers can more easily see and yield to people in crosswalks when driving slower. 

We were very glad that MassDOT Highway Administrator Gulliver testified earlier. 

MassDOT believes the need to slow people down to reasonable speeds as well – they now have an entire page of their website dedicated to Speed Management. 

In addition, the MassDOT Strategic Highway Safety Plan includes as one of six initiatives an effort to Accelerate Research and Adoption of Technology: 

“The Commonwealth is eager to support research and the use of technologies to reduce roadway deaths and serious injuries. As part of this work, Massachusetts will identify barriers to adoption, as well as the statutory and regulatory changes needed.”  

They specifically mention cameras for red light running, speed zones, and work zones. They cite that  “Automated speed enforcement can reduce fatal and serious injury crashes by 11% to 44% and reduce the proportion of  speeding drivers by 14% to 65%.” 

The governor’s budget bill also included safety cameras, so we hope this committee will move the safety camera bills in front of you along favorably. 

Thank you. 

This testimony was shared as part of a panel w/ Pete Wilson of Transportation for Massachusetts (T4MA), Galen Mook of MassBike, and Emily Stein of Safe Roads Alliance at a Joint Committee on Transportation Hearing on June 3, 2025.

Introducing new board members

Introducing new board members

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We’ve added new board members who bring valuable skills to the organization: Bill Decker, Rick Plenge, Tanya Roy.

Bill Decker, board member
William Decker
Bill Decker has been a senior human resources executive for 40 years, providing HR solutions to businesses in multiple industries at all phases of their life cycle. He has specific expertise in organizational restructuring and change management, executive compensation, talent strategy, acquisition/retention, leadership and succession planning. He currently serves as Senior Human Resources Executive for Odyssey Systems in Wakefield, Mass. A Boston resident who enjoys the freedom and opportunity to walk instead of driving whenever possible, Bill joined the WalkMassachusetts board in June 2025. He was compelled by the organization’s commitment to providing the environment and infrastructure where people of all ages can safely and comfortably to walk or bike on the streets throughout our communities.
Rick Plenge, board member
Rick Plenge
Rick Plenge is an avid walker and promoter of safe and accessible pedestrian facilities through his work as the New England Active Transportation Service Leader with VHB in Boston. He has worked across North America observing, planning and designing multimodal facilities and is excited to leverage his lived experiences in supporting the vision and values of WalkMassachusetts. He continues to evolve his understanding of emerging pedestrian safety and accessibility best practices through his work on the Transportation Research Board Pedestrian and Bicycle Committees as well as through his role as a National Complete Streets Instructor. He lives in Beverly with wife and three dogs and takes pride in being a consistent top finisher in Beat the Bay State Challenge.
Tanya Roy, board member
Tanya Roy
Tanya Roy spent her professional career in investments before transitioning to the nonprofit sector, where she applies her financial and management background to mission-driven organizations. She served on the board as treasurer of the Wellesley College Students’ Aid Society, which provides financial support to in-need students. She currently serves as treasurer and board member of the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, advancing initiatives in voter rights, civic engagement and advocacy. A passionate walker, cyclist, swimmer and runner, Tanya’s involvement with WalkMassachusetts combines her active lifestyle with an organization whose mission she deeply values. Tanya holds a B.A. from Wellesley College and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

We’d also like to thank you to our board members who rotated off the board at the end of their term this June: Paula Gold, Emma Rothfeld Yashar, Carol Steinberg.

A truck with poor visibility: The driver can’t see a child directly in front or a motorcycle and a cyclist in the adjacent lane. Image courtesy of the study team.
What truck drivers can’t see

What truck drivers can’t see

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A study of direct vision in heavy-duty vehicles earned a 2024 Golden Shoe for its ground-breaking insights, which could make streets safer for both walking and cycling.

Have you ever walked or biked by a truck and wondered if the driver even knows you’re there? A landmark study by the Mass. Department of Transportation (MassDOT) found that a large share of vehicles in its fleet and those of key municipalities have major blind zones that can leave drivers unaware of vulnerable road users until it is too late.

The authors were honored with a Golden Shoe Award at our Annual Celebration on April 9.

The study, required by a 2022 state law and conducted in partnership with the federal John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, measured how much direct vision is available to drivers of 60 types of vehicles used by MassDOT and nine cities, including Boston: from massive Mack trucks (heavy-duty), to large Ford and Chevrolet trucks (medium-duty), to smaller trucks and vans (light-duty) – as well as some alternatives available on the market.

In particular, the study team gauged the nearest point at which an adult and an elementary school-age child would be directly visible to a driver in a standard crosswalk and a buffered bike lane. Direct visibility is key because research has shown that when drivers directly see a person, they can react about 50% faster than when they see the person indirectly.

Direct vision and blind zones
Direct vision, blind zones and indirect vision (via mirrors). Image courtesy of the study team.

The results raise serious safety concerns: 50% of the heavy-duty vehicles were found not to provide direct visibility of a child in a crosswalk in front of the vehicle, for example; 90% of the trucks could not see a child in the bike lane, and 80% could not see an adult in a bike lane.

There are large differences in visibility even within vehicle classes, however. While drivers in the best-performing heavy-duty truck could see a child at 3.41 feet, for example, for half the trucks the distance exceeded 10 feet, and for the two worst performers, 15 feet.

Notably, drivers in all but three of the 20 medium-duty trucks tested – including many models used widely by the general public (e.g. Ford F-350 and F-450) – could not directly see a child from less than 4 feet away. Light-duty trucks and vans performed much better, with drivers in three of the eight models able to see a child at less than 2 feet from the front bumper. Still, there was a 10-fold difference between the best-performing vehicle and the worst.

The key takeaway from the study is that vehicle choice makes a major difference for pedestrian safety. Smaller vehicles should be used whenever possible, the authors advised, and within size categories, higher-visibility models should be chosen (given five stars in the report).

Good visibility: A truck driver can see a child directly in front of the vehicle and a motorcycle and cyclist in the adjacent right lane.
Good visibility: A truck driver can clearly see a person in front of the vehicle and a motorcycle and cyclist in the adjacent right lane. Image courtesy of the study team.

The study also found that visibility in legacy models of vehicles appears to be decreasing, but there are new options on the market with much better visibility. For example, a driver in the medium-duty 2024 model REE P7C could see a child as close as 1.53 feet from the bumper. Similarly, among the heavy-duty vehicles measured, those with a cab-forward design tended to have higher forward visibility. Some, but not all, also had more side visibility. 

MassDOT has adopted a Safe System Approach to road safety, which entails analyzing and addressing every aspect of the transportation system to improve safety. Safer vehicles is a key element of this, and the findings will inform future MassDOT truck fleet investments. 

Learn more and download the full study here.

2025 Bob Sloane Walk – North Station, North Point, Charles River Basin

2025 Bob Sloane Walk – North Station, North Point, Charles River Basin

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Save the date: May 27, 2025, 5:30pm
Annual Bob Sloane Walk
North Station, North Point, Charles River Basin

Start: Lovejoy Wharf (off Causeway Street). Look for a WalkMassachusetts sign.
View the location on Google Streetview.
End: Lingo Cafe + Bar in MassDCR’s North Point Park. Register

Each spring, we lead a free walk with a ~1-1.5 mile route that includes ~2-4 stops where we hear from a guest speaker. We start or end near public transit and usually end at a place where people can mingle or have a drink if they’d like to continue conversations. Since this is a point-to-point walk, we encourage you to use public transportation, walk, or bike to the start so that it is easy for you to head out afterwards.

On this walk, we’ll be looking at changes in/around the Charles River Basin near North Station and hearing from speakers at points along the route. There has been a lot happening in this pocket of the city since we last led a walk here back in 2017! We’ll see and learn more about:
• Bill Russell Bridge, formerly known as the North Washington Street Bridge
• Planned Draw One bridge behind North Station. Advocacy needed for missing pedestrian link!
• Graffiti artist-in-residence at Charles River Conservancy’s Lynch Family Skatepark

Help create events like this by joining our Events committee: contact the chair, Linda Sharpe.

This annual walk is named for Bob Sloane. Bob was a co-founder of WalkBoston (now WalkMassachusetts) and passed away in May 2021. He was a true pioneer in walking advocacy and a pillar of our organization, and we honor his legacy by hosting a walk each year in his name.

Map of pedestrian fatalities in 2024
2024 Crash Report finds older adults, people with disabilities, and EJ communities still most at risk

2024 Crash Report finds older adults, people with disabilities, and EJ communities still most at risk

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WalkMassachusetts calls for urgent safety investments as more communities organize walk audits to demand safer, more accessible streets across the state

WalkMassachusetts’ latest Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA report shows inequities in who is most at risk on our streets. Of the 369 total traffic deaths reported in Massachusetts in 2024, 78 were pedestrians. More than one-third of those killed were age 65 or older, and nearly 70% of fatalities occurred in Environmental Justice neighborhoods. For the first time, the report also includes data on crash victims using wheelchairs—underscoring the urgent need to design streets for people of all abilities.

“From Medford to Beverly, communities are organizing walk audits, documenting unsafe conditions, and calling for action,” said Brendan Kearney, co-Executive Director of WalkMassachusetts. “This data backs up what residents already know: our streets are not safe for everyone.”

Key 2024 findings:

  • 66.7% of fatal crashes occurred in Environmental Justice communities.
  • 37.2% of victims were age 65+.
  • New “personal conveyance” category includes people using wheelchairs and scooters.
  • 70.5% of crashes happened on locally controlled roads.
  • 61% occurred in the dark.

The report coincides with the 10th anniversary of Boston’s Vision Zero commitment. City speed data show that “Better Bike Lane” projects initiated over the last few years have led to better compliance with speed limits, creating safer streets for all users. While pedestrian injuries have declined, WalkMassachusetts urges renewed commitment—especially from cities with recurring fatalities.

“There’s been progress, but there’s more to do—particularly for people with disabilities and older adults,” said Kat Torres Radisic of the Boston Center for Independent Living. “We need bold leadership—and real investment—in street safety.”

To support growing demand, WalkMassachusetts is expanding its Walk Audit Academy—including bilingual walk audits  and hands-on training to help residents identify hazards and organize for change in Brockton this spring. A searchable directory of walk audits from across the state is also now available…

WalkMassachusetts calls for:

  • Regional Vision Zero planning efforts to continue even if federal funds are rescinded 
  • Increased municipal use of Chapter 90 funds for walkable, accessible infrastructure.
  • Continued support for community-led walk audits, especially in EJ communities.

Learn more and access the report.