The city of Springfield has incorporated a number of additional crosswalks, traffic lights and road modifications in an effort to reduce pedestrian accidents. With 7 fatalities Springfield holds the second-highest number of pedestrian deaths by motor vehicles in the state in 2023, according to a recent report from WalkMassachusetts.
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said improving road conditions takes time.
"One death is too much when it comes to that. No matter what the circumstances were or whose fault it was, but you'll see the major thing is you can't be knee-jerk on it because you have to see what caused the situation," he said.
Sarno said each pedestrian death must be investigated before further decisions are made.
"Was it a pedestrian cause, was it a vehicular cause, was it an infrastructure cause, was it a weather-related cause? And that's the way you tackle it," he said.
A year ago the city was awarded a $15 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration Department of Transportation, under the Safe Streets and Roads for All Implementation Grant Program.
Officials said the developed the application package in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, who assisted with the identification of corridors and intersections within the city that have had persistent issues in regards to driver, pedestrian and bicycle safety over the past 4-5 years. As part of this specific award,
Sarno said the city has been using the funds to address safety issues at 15 intersections and 10 corridors.
“This vital federal funding... builds upon our continued efforts to enhance public safety for vehicles, pedestrian traffic and beyond,” he said in a prepared statement.
