Commission presents top‑50 crash locations and Route 6 safety analysis showing targeted reductions after TIP projects

Commission staff presented two linked safety analyses at the MPO meeting: a Barnstable County top‑50 crash locations report derived from MassDOT crash data and a corridor‑wide Route 6 safety analysis.

Dave Nolan, senior transportation planner, said the top‑50 report (2018–2020) pulls data from police reports through the RMV and MassDOT tools; the dataset showed 14,404 reported crashes in the period with 33 fatal crashes and 406 non‑motorist crashes (four fatal). Nolan highlighted top intersections (Route 28 at Yarmouth Road among them) and said some locations already have construction under way through the TIP.

Nolan also presented the Route 6 safety analysis covering 2010–2021. He reported 23 fatal crashes on Route 6 during that period, more than 1,000 non‑fatal injury crashes and almost 3,000 property‑damage‑only crashes, and described common collision types (single‑vehicle and rear‑end collisions). Nolan said the report aggregates previous studies, recent investments (resurfacing, cable barriers, signage) and future projects such as median installations and rotary improvements.

Colleen Medeiros presented a before‑and‑after review of six completed TIP projects that showed measurable safety improvements at several sites. She cited Orleans (Route 6A/28/Canal Road), where crashes fell from about 33 pre‑construction to 13 after a roundabout was installed and injury crashes dropped from 10 to 5. At Kittuit Road (Sandwich), a roundabout reduced total crashes from 27 to 6 and eliminated injury crashes in the measured period. Medeiros noted signal installations often reduce angle‑type severe crashes but can increase rear‑end incidents, an expected tradeoff.

Members praised the analyses and asked data clarifications — for example, Pamela Hasner asked whether interchange crash totals separate mainline versus ramp incidents; Nolan said interchange counts aggregate the approach, ramp and adjacent side‑street incidents as an interchange area.

Medeiros said the full reports and an updated crash dashboard will be posted on the Cape Cod Commission safety webpage and that staff will continue coordinating with MassDOT and towns to prioritize investments and identify locations needing further study.