Cape Cod MPO accepts MassDOT's 2023 road‑safety targets and asks for local data follow-up

The Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization voted on a roll-call to accept the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s 2023 calendar-year safety performance measure targets, following a presentation from Dave Nolan of the Cape Cod Commission.

Nolan reviewed statewide targets that MassDOT set for calendar year 2023: 355 total fatalities (a fatality rate of 0.59 per 100,000,000 vehicle miles traveled), a target of 2,569 total serious injuries (serious-injury rate 4.25), and 437 combined non-motorized fatalities and serious injuries. Nolan also showed Cape Cod–specific five‑year rolling averages and said the region is generally trending down but that the state is required to set “reasonable targets” under federal guidance.

Kevin Galligan moved to accept the JTC‑recommended statewide targets on behalf of the MPO; the motion was seconded and carried on a roll‑call vote. During discussion Galligan asked staff to provide more granular data—by location, time of year, and contributing factors—for serious injuries and non‑motorized crashes to help target local planning and safety investments. The chair asked staff to follow up with Dave Nolan and MassDOT on that request.

The vote was procedural acceptance of state targets for MPO consideration and does not, by itself, change local project funding. Staff indicated they will bring more detailed data and related analysis to future MPO and JTC meetings to inform TIP programming and safety‑focused projects.