StreetsblogMASS Archives - WalkMassachusetts

Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2021) Report News Coverage

We list all media clips on our website, but on this post we consolidated some of the media coverage for the Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2021) Report. Please let us know if we missed any others that you’ve seen and we can try and keep this current.

Report Overview

Every life lost on Massachusetts’ roads is tragic. At WalkBoston, we advocate for the most vulnerable road users – people walking. In 2021, at least 75 pedestrians lost their lives in traffic crashes in Massachusetts, accounting for 18 percent of all lives lost in traffic crashes.

Findings:

Of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, 47 had a fatal pedestrian crash in 2021. Over half (40 of 75) of the deaths happened in 12 municipalities.
Older adults were hit and killed at a higher rate than those in other age groups: 36% of fatal crash victims were over the age of 65. In Massachusetts, only 17% of the population is over 65.¹
Over half of Massachusetts’ fatal pedestrian crashes (50.67%) occurred on streets with speed limits of 30 to 35 MPH. These are neighborhood streets and main streets where more people are walking.
Roughly 65% of the people killed while walking were on roads owned by a city or town, while approximately 35% were walking on roads owned by a state agency (MassDOT or MassDCR).

Read the press release | Read the full report

Coverage

Boston Herald: “Boston one of two Massachusetts cities with the most pedestrian fatalities in 2021”
- Herald article was featured in Politico Massachusetts Playbook daily email newsletter
StreetsblogMASS: “In 2021, Most Massachusetts pedestrian killings were concentrated in just 12 communities“
Boston 25 News: “12 Massachusetts communities saw over half of state’s fatal auto pedestrian crashes in 2021“
MassLive: “Springfield, Boston had the most fatal pedestrian crashes in 2021, WalkBoston cites high volume pedestrian destinations with infrequent crosswalks“
WBZNewsRadio 1030: “Report: Where most fatal pedestrian crashes happened in Mass. last year“
97.9 WHAV: “Group blames roads and speeds for pedestrian deaths; Review includes Methuen and Lawrence“
New Bedford Guide: “New Bedford places 5th in Massachusetts ranking of fatal pedestrian accidents“
Sentinel & Enterprise: “Boston one of two Massachusetts cities with the most pedestrian fatalities in 2021“

Event: StreetsblogMASS Book club feat. Angie Schmitt’s “Right of Way” on January 13th

On January 13th at 7:30pm, WalkBoston is co-hosting the next StreetsblogMASS book club event. We hope you can take part! the event is free, but a suggested donation of $20 will help support WalkBoston and the ongoing journalism of StreetsblogMASS. Read on for more information, or RSVP here.

The next title in the StreetsblogMASS book club is Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America, by former StreetsblogUSA editor Angie Schmitt.

Schmitt’s book investigates how pedestrian deaths have increased by 50 percent in the past decade, and how our nation’s persistent patterns of racism and economic inequality play into this under-reported public health crisis.

This event is co-hosted by WalkBoston, a 501c3 nonprofit pedestrian advocacy organization that makes walking safer and easier in Massachusetts to encourage better health, a cleaner environment and more vibrant communities.

StreetsblogMASS editor Christian MilNeil will host an online discussion with the author on January 13th at 7:30pm, and we hope you can join us. To participate:

Get a copy of the book! We encourage you to support your local bookstore. Consider one of these Boston area options:
- Order directly from Frugal Bookstore (Nubian Square) or Trident Booksellers (Back Bay)
- Use bookshop.org to order from Papercuts (JP), Brookline Booksmith (Coolidge Corner), MIT Press (Kendall Square), or Harvard Bookstore (Harvard Square); or call another local bookstore near you to order.
- If cost is an issue, you can also order directly from the publisher and use the promo code “SCHMITT” to get a 20% discount. Please note: If you ship via Media Mail, allow about 7 days from order to arrival at your door.
RSVP here for the online discussion on Wednesday, January 13 – the event is free, but a suggested donation of $20 will help support WalkBoston and the ongoing journalism of StreetsblogMASS.
As the event approaches, youll receive a link to the online event and instructions for how you can participate in the discussion.

Special thanks to the Helen & William Mazer Foundation for generously sponsoring this event.