A report from a group advocating for safe and walkable streets found that deadly pedestrian crashes in Massachusetts increased significantly in 2022.
The data from WalkBoston shows a 35% increase from the previous year in crashes that left a pedestrian dead; 70% of those crashes took place in areas identified as environmental justice populations.
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April and Kelly Boss are worried about safety in their Cambridge neighborhood after Kelly says he was hit in a crosswalk while with the couple's 2-year-old son.
They weren't hurt, but the driver didn't stop, either.
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"It wasn't a hard hit, or fast hit. But the fact my child was involved is really upsetting," Kelly Boss said.
There was another crash in nearly the same spot Wednesday. Police say a vehicle hit and dragged a pedestrian who was in a Cambridge Street crosswalk. The man is expected to survive, which is not always the case.
"The average number of fatal crashes for pedestrians over the last 20 years has been somewhere in the 70s. So it's really concerning that it cracked 100 this past year," said Brendan Kearney of WalkBoston.
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The group's report noted that there were 101 fatal pedestrian crashes in 2022.
People over the age of 65 made up nearly 40 of those deaths, and 20 communities had more than one fatality.
"Some people think enforcement is important," Kearney said. "We really think redesigning the roadways are important."
The Cambridge Police Department says it focuses on traffic enforcement in those places with the highest number of crashes, as well as neighborhoods with unique concerns.
"We don't think safety is a high priority for Cambridge, and certainly we see in higher priority areas like Harvard and MIT," April Boss said.
Police in Cambridge say they are concerned about safety, adding that they track and monitor all pedestrian crashes.
