The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) federal funding program is bringing resources to Berkshire County to reduce serious injuries and fatalities on our roads, with the goal of reaching zero. Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) is kicking off this effort under the banner of their STEPS Initiative: the Safe Travel and Equity Plan for our Streets, and will soon begin the data gathering process.

Chances are, you or someone you know has been involved in a traffic crash at some point. To help answer the question of how we prevent more people from experiencing this in the future, BRPC is inviting residents and stakeholders of Berkshire County to share their experiences that might not be found in a statewide database.

Your input will help shape the priorities of the STEPS Comprehensive Safety Action Plan. This Action Plan will open the door for future funding for recommended construction or programs. The planning team is pleased to offer three opportunities to attend in-person or virtually this month (the meetings will be identical in content). To attend via Zoom, click the desired meeting link below to pre-register. You are encouraged to attend in-person as well – refreshments will be provided!

• Thursday, June 20, North Adams: Terra Nova | 85 Main Street | 12:00 – 1:00pm
• Thursday, June 20, Dalton: Dalton Public Library | 462 Main Street | 5:30 – 6:30pm (Spanish interpretation will be available via Zoom)
• Friday, June 21, Great Barrington: State Road Firehouse | 37 State Road | 10:00 – 11:00am

At the meetings, the planning team will present the background and need for this study and the data gathered so far. Berkshire residents are invited to provide their perspectives and experiences on how they feel about road safety in their communities. Specifically, the planning team wants to know:

• How has the real or perceived risk of injury affected the way you travel? Do you choose not to take a trip by foot or bike? Not travel after dark?
• What neighborhoods have been historically underserved by our transportation system, and overly represented in injuries and fatalities?
• Where have you seen risky situations or behavior that might not show up in statewide crash data?
• How can we most effectively encourage safer behaviors on a regional scale?

Residents are also encouraged to participate in a 5-minute online survey that will help to build the Action Plan. The survey will remain open through the summer. Learn more about the STEPS Initiative project on the BRPC webpage.