City Council Recognizes Pedestrian Safety Month

The Council adopted a resolution this week recognizing October as Pedestrian Safety Month in the City of Boston.

Incidents reported to Boston EMS of pedestrians struck by vehicles have broadly decreased since 2015, reflecting early progress from pedestrian safety initiatives. However, since the start of this year, 207 pedestrians have been struck, underscoring the ongoing need for safety improvements.

In 2017, the City of Boston reduced the default speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour to help make streets safer for people of all ages and abilities and to advance the goals of Vision Zero Boston.

Despite a national decline in pedestrian deaths, Massachusetts experienced a 16% increase in pedestrian fatalities in 2024, with Boston accounting for the most pedestrian deaths caused by motor vehicles. The resolution emphasizes that designing streets with strong pedestrian safety infrastructure — such as speed humps, raised crosswalks and intersections, narrowed streets, lights, and signage — is essential to keeping streets safe for all commuters.

Community members, civic groups, and elected officials have called for continued improvements through infrastructure changes, better traffic management, and stronger enforcement of existing traffic laws.

By recognizing October as Pedestrian Safety Month, the Council affirms its commitment to safer roads for all travelers, particularly pedestrians, and expresses its support for continued and additional investments in pedestrian safety infrastructure. The resolution also encourages Bostonians to look out for their neighbors traveling on foot.