WORCESTER – A series of automobile crashes involving pedestrians has pushed road and traffic safety to the forefront of public discussion in Worcester.
Worcester City Manager Eric Bastista says there are three aspects to addressing what he and Mayor Joe Petty described as a traffic violence crisis in the city.
Batista describes three aspects of the city’s approach to addressing the crisis: road design, education, and enforcement.
Enhancing enforcement faces challenges because of a shortage of officers at the Worcester Police Department.
The city’s 2025 fiscal year budget, which went into effect on July 1, provides funding for 448 law enforcement agents across all ranks. According to public statements by Chief of Police Paul Saucier, over 50 of those positions are currently unfilled.
The Traffic Enforcement Division of the department currently have eight individuals assigned to it, according to city officials.
The Effect of Speed on Serious Crashes
Several factors impact the seriousness of any crash. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (pdf), “the higher the collision speed, the more serious the consequences in terms of injury and material damage.” Studies show a crash at 30mph has twice as much energy and destructive potential as a crash at 20mph. A pedestrian struck at 30 mph has a one in five chance of being killed. At 35 mph, a pedestrian has a one in three chance of being killed.
The Worcester City Council Traffic and Parking Committee is considering a proposal to reduce the statutory speed limit within city limits from 30 mph to 25 mph. The statutory limit applies only in areas where the speed limit is not otherwise posted. All 11 councilors will vote to enact or reject the proposal after the committee forwards the item, with its recommendation.
Crash Statistics in Worcester
Serious pedestrian-involved crashes in Worcester this year include:
- March 29, an 88-year-old man struck in a parking lot on Park Avenue was pronounced dead at the hospital;
- June 24, a one-year-old girl struck on Lincoln Street sustained a head injury;
- July 19, a 26-year-old man on an electric scooter, sustained serious injuries after being struck on June Street;
- June 27, a 13-year-old girl struck while crossing Belmont Street was pronounced dead at the hospital;
- July 29, 13-year-old girl suffered serious injuries and was in a coma after being struck while crossing Shrewsbury Street;
- Aug. 6, a Worcester woman was in critical condition after being struck on Greenwood Street.
According to statistics from the MassDOT Crash Portal, there have been 92 crashes involving vulnerable users in 2024 through August 11.
Eleven of the crashes involved a hit and run.
MassDOT data provides categorization of injuries sustained in those crashes.
MassDOT data shows there have been 3,012 crashes in Worcester this year. It classifies the injuries from those crashes as:
