WORCESTER — Tuesday’s Worcester City Council meeting was a whirlwind of significant decisions and heated discussions centered around a sweeping change to the city’s speed limits.
In a unanimous vote that marked a turning point for road safety in the city, the council voted to adopt a statutory 25 mph speed limit citywide and 20 mph in safety zones (such as schools).
This decision comes as a response to the alarming rise in traffic accidents and fatalities. In 2024 alone, Worcester witnessed more than 2,800 car crashes, resulting in 51 serious injuries or deaths, with 90 incidents involving pedestrians.
This comprehensive approach to traffic safety has garnered significant attention and support from the community. Residents viewed it as a low-cost, easily implementable measure that could not only significantly enhance safety but also increase community interaction in the city.
The vote to adopt the new speed limit came after a series of passionate remarks from members of the council, as well as from Worcester residents during the public speaking portion of the meeting. Most speakers expressed strong support for a new 25 mph speed limit, improved signage, and stricter enforcement of speeding violations.
Councilors were unanimous
Councilor Donna Colorio outlined her hopes for the future right before the vote.
“In making these recommendations, my hopes that with the help of the city manager, the Worcester police department, the Department of Transportation and Mobility, all the other offices associated with world safety, we will be able to move forward as a city with safer streets through lower speed limits and further expanded traffic enforcement with the WPD.”
Councilor George Russell said changing the statutory speed limit to 25 mph could lead to other changes.
“We need to really step up our game citywide as a whole issue going forward,” Russell said. “We do have the authority to have our city administration interact with the state and talk with them about changing the speed limits on Route 20 and other major streets.”
Councilor Kathleen Toomey said she has experienced unsafe motorists first-hand.
“Between yesterday and today, I crossed Main Street coming in and out of work a few times,” Toomey said. “Each and every time there was at least two cars that would go through the red light while I was in the crosswalk. People are not paying attention and they’re driving faster.”
Councilor Khrystian King emphasized how important it is to tackle this issue with a comprehensive approach. He added, “We have to make sure that when we’re engaging and educating, we’re doing so in a tempered manner.”
Police chief supports change
Interim Police Chief Paul Saucier has continuously expressed strong support for the speed limit change and outlined plans to bolster enforcement.
“The Worcester Police Department strongly supports this change,” Saucier said. “We’re also going to incorporate several different methods to help with this starting within a week we’re going to expand the traffic division by incorporating a motorcycle unit into that overall division.”
The implementation of the new speed limit will require coordination with various city departments and the state, as outlined by city councilors and officials. The city plans to update signage and launch a public awareness campaign, following Lowell’s recent implementation of similar measures.
Worcester will join 66 other Massachusetts communities that have already enacted 25 mph speed limits. Worcester is also in the midst of implementing a Vision Zero Safety Action Plan, expected to be completed this fall.
The public outreach process, including an online survey, revealed broad support for the speed limit reduction, according to councilors, and Stephen Rolle, commissioner of transportation and mobility. While the decision was met with overwhelming support, some residents expressed frustration over the time it has taken to implement these changes.
Residents’ concerns addressed
Some residents criticized what they described as “extreme delays” in city action, but many also praised City Manager Eric Batista and officials for finally addressing and acting on long-standing concerns.
Worcester resident Oliver Chadwick was among several speakers who strongly advocated for the adoption of the 25 mph statutory speed limit. Chadwick emphasized, “A reduction in speed limit doesn’t materially increase travel times. In Boston, there was a 0.3% increase, so functionally none.”
He further added, “Reducing the speed limit will help the situation, but it is not sufficient. We should also be funding physical changes to the roads through the DTM’s Vision Zero plan and requesting our state reps and senators pass legislation to allow automated enforcement of speeding, red lights, and people passing school buses.”
Nicole Belanger, another Worcester resident, stressed the urgency of this reduced speed limit to save lives: “Quick action is needed for those that live and travel in the area. There also needs to be some short-term signage and safety measures. I’ve been advocating for this issue since one of my neighbors was unfortunately killed walking to church in 2017.”
Sarah Stewart, another resident and a minister at a local church, highlighted the importance of inclusivity in road safety by saying that she wants everyone to be treated as fair users of city roads and sidewalks.
“We love Worcester and we wish we moved here a long time ago,” said Dale Wickenheiser. “So many of these [agenda items] are about improving quality of life. I think about when I was growing up and we rode our bikes all over. We came home when the streetlights came on. Why doesn’t anyone do that anymore? How do we make Worcester that kind of nice, community-oriented place again?”
Jacob Seidel, a Worcester resident, expressed optimism regarding the reduced speed limit citywide and Vision Zero:
“This is long overdue and one of the many steps we need to take,” Seidel said. “When we’re operating within the Vision Zero framework, there are three E’s: Enforcement, education and engineering. We’re operating in education and enforcement right now, but I’m looking forward to seeing some engineering changes in the future and the city following through on Vision Zero and the Mobility Action plan.”
The updated speed limits will go into effect once the Department of Transportation & Mobility is notified and new signage is installed to reflect the changes.
Matt Olszewski is a freelance content and news writer based in Boston, MA. In his free time, Matt enjoys running, hiking or skiing. Matt is currently finishing up the MPH degree program at Tufts University. He can be reached at mattoskier@gmail.com
As the Worcester Guardian marks nearly a year of delivering free, independent digital news to our city, our dedication to this mission strengthens. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to support our ongoing commitment to providing hyperlocal news coverage to Worcester. Scroll to the bottom of our home page to sign up for our daily newsletter
