The Nantucket Traffic Safety Action Plan (TSAP) analyzed five years of crash data (2018 to 2022) to understand the location, type, and severity of crashes on Nantucket roadways. Based on the spatial crash analysis, responses to a public survey conducted in November 2024, and through coordination with the Traffic Safety Work Group, the TSAP recommends the following priority corridors for safety improvements and non-engineering and systemic safety strategies to help ensure a safe transportation system that is sensitive to the island:

• Old South Road
• Surfside Road
• Sparks Avenue
• Bartlett Road
• Pleasant Street

Background

The Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission (NP&EDC) was awarded a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant from the United States Department of Transportation (the “USDOT”) Federal Highway Administration (the “FHWA”) in conjunction with partners Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) and Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) to collaborate and develop creative action plans to address shared rural roadway safety challenges.

Plan Elements

The plan analyzed existing conditions and historical trends (2018 – 2022) across the study area. The analysis considered crash types and severities by roadway users, all public roadways within the study area, high crash locations, and systemic trends contributing to fatal and serious injury crashes, resulting in identified high-crash and high-risk locations. Underserved communities were identified and safety performance in them recommended.

Current plans, policies, guidelines, and standards were evaluated for how they could be modified to better prioritize safety and implement the plan’s recommendations. Agencies engaged stakeholders and relevant plans and processes were considered in developing the TSAP. The public feedback is summarized and included a diverse range of groups in the community.

It includes strategies to address the identified safety problems identified by the data analysis and public and stakeholder feedback, consistent with the Safe System Approach, to address behavioral and/or operational safety problems in a context sensitive manner. The project and strategy the plan identifies are prioritized into realistic time frames based on the prioritization criteria.

The TSAP has a goal to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes (an average of ~4 per year as of this Action Plan) by 50% (to ~2 per year) by 2030 and 75% (to ~1 per year) by 2040, with the ultimate goal of zero fatal or serious injury crashes on the island.