Vision Zero Plan Aims to Eliminate Traffic Deaths in Weymouth by 2035
Town Council Endorses Comprehensive Safety Strategy Following Analysis of 100 Fatal or Serious Injury Crashes Over Six-Year Period
WEYMOUTH - May 5 - The Weymouth Town Council has unanimously endorsed a Vision Zero plan that aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on town streets by 2035. The resolution, approved at the May 5 council meeting, establishes a framework for implementing safety measures across the town's transportation network.
"No matter how many bells and whistles, no matter how many signs we put up, or how many crosswalks, or flashing lights, it all depends on education of the driver and the pedestrian," says Planning Director Robert Luongo. "If you don't educate everyone, then all the bells and whistles are not going to do a damn thing."
The plan follows a comprehensive analysis that identified 100 fatal or serious injury crashes in Weymouth over a six-year period. The town currently experiences more than 1,000 reported crashes annually.
Bill Scully of Kimley-Horn Engineering, the consulting firm that developed the plan, explains that the Vision Zero approach differs from traditional traffic safety methods by being proactive rather than reactive.
"It's knowing that fatal crashes shouldn't occur, serious injuries and fatals are preventable," Scully says.
The plan identifies 32 high-injury locations throughout Weymouth, with most being on local roads rather than state highways. It recommends both engineering and non-engineering solutions to address safety concerns.
Engineering solutions include physical changes to roadways such as "road diets" that reduce lane widths to slow traffic, tightening intersection corners to reduce turning speeds, and installing center islands or roundabouts at problematic intersections.
"If you can reduce speeds five or 10 miles an hour, you do a lot in terms of reducing severity of crashes," Scully notes.
Non-engineering solutions focus on education, enforcement, and promotion. These include school-based education programs, targeted enforcement of speed limits, and public awareness campaigns.
The plan also recommends policy changes such as implementing no-turn-on-red restrictions at town-controlled traffic signals and "daylighting" intersections by ensuring clear visibility at corners.
"Managing speeds really does become the most critical. That's the most critical factor for severity and fatality-type crashes," Scully says.
Public input played a significant role in developing the plan. The town conducted extensive outreach through online surveys, in-person meetings, pop-up events at the senior center, and television presentations.
Councilor Pascale Burga, who participated in early community meetings, praises the collaborative approach.
"People that are living on the street looking out their window, there might not be police data, there might not be accidents, but they witness those almost fatal crashes frequently," Burga says.
The resolution directs Mayor Robert Hedlund to establish a permanent Vision Zero committee comprising key department personnel, up to six residents representing each town district, up to two business representatives, and representatives from South Shore Medical Center.
Councilor Carrie Palazzo suggests adding a student representative to the committee, noting that recent driving school graduates often have valuable perspectives on road safety.
"Coming out of driving school, I know that my student driver and her peer group, they're very informed, they're very aware, and they're sharing things with me that I may have not remembered," Palazzo says.
The plan's completion makes Weymouth eligible to apply for federal implementation funding through the Safe Streets for All program. The first application deadline is June 26, with the town required to provide a 20% match for any federal funds received.
Luongo emphasizes that the plan is just the beginning of an ongoing commitment to traffic safety.
"It doesn't stop with the report. It only begins," he says. "It's going to be our responsibility to keep this going year after year if we're really serious about it."
The Planning Department will prepare an annual report on Vision Zero activities and progress toward meeting the 2035 goal, to be submitted to the Town Council by February 15 each year.
Other Council Business:
- The council opened and closed public hearings on updates to FEMA flood maps that will affect flood insurance requirements for some Weymouth properties.
- A request for $500,000 in free cash to fund modular classrooms at Hamilton, Nash, and Wessagusset schools received favorable action.
- The council approved $2.7 million in free cash for the Wessagusset Walkway project, which connects Wessagusset Beach and Lane Beach while providing coastal restoration and resiliency benefits.