Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 1/25/2023
CHICOPEE – Following a surge of roadway crashes, the City Council discussed the Safe Streets Program established by Mayor John Vieau during their Jan. 16 meeting.
Roadway safety has emerged as a critical issue in Chicopee. Over the past four months, eight serious crashes have occurred that resulted in the death of six people – including four pedestrians and one bicyclist.
Among the roughly 1,595 crashes that occurred in 2022 across Chicopee, 10 resulted in deaths.
Vieau and city leaders are embracing several solutions to the recent increase. The mayor and Police Chief Patrick Major hosted a Dec. 9, 2022, press conference at the Chicopee Police Department to discuss avenues for decreasing dangerous roadway activity.
Major shared that he allocated additional overtime for officers to work strictly within traffic enforcement as the department continues to incorporate new cadets from police training. The Police Department also deployed speed trailers throughout Chicopee to deter speeding and collect additional driving data.
Vieau shared that he and the DPW also are considering whether to incorporate additional speed tables across the city following an ongoing speed table pilot program on Front Street.
After the meeting, the mayor announced the development of a Safe Streets Program. He and Chief of Staff Michael Pise are compiling a list of antiquated street crossings and high-traffic areas that could utilize additional deterrents. The suggested streets are submitted from city councilors and members of the public.
Vieau described the initiative as a “necessity” for Chicopee.
“We want Chicopee to be safer, and this is an important part of it … There’s antiquated lights and signal crossings. I want them addressed,” said Vieau in an interview with Reminder Publishing.
Pise updated the City Council on the Safe Streets Program during the conclusion of the mayor’s briefing. Vieau was not in attendance due to a mayor conference occurring in Washington D.C.
Pise shared that members of the council have submitted several streets and intersections of concern to the mayor’s office, making up “two pages of streets” for extensive review. Each submission is being considered by Vieau, DPW Director Elizabette Batista and City Engineer Douglas Ellis.
“We all agree we need to continue to work on traffic safety issues. The fatalities require us to analyze the accident sites, develop a plan and to improve safety and visibility concerns on the identified streets,” said Pise.
Measures such as flashing traffic lights and stop signs, additional pedestrian walk signals and other visibility improvements will be installed throughout Chicopee. Pise shared that the city will also be repainting crosswalk lines in the spring as they do annually.
As for the potential inclusion of additional speed tables, Pise said that Ellis is taking that idea under advisement.
“Speed tables have been requested on locations … [Ellis] is looking at those to determine where they might work or where they would be applicable,” said Pise.
Ward 9 City Councilor Mary-Elizabeth Pniak-Costello suggested that the city could reimplement its Traffic Commission. She shared that the commission, which is included in the city’s charter, could be beneficial.
“There is a Traffic Commission per our charter,” said Pniak-Costello. The councilor shared that she will be putting the discussion topic on the agenda for the council’s next meeting.
Despite the discussion, resident Lisa Bienvenue expressed concern with the progress in addressing roadway safety in Chicopee. She suggested that measures like public safety announcements and increased traffic citations can only make a limited impact in preventing dangerous roadway activity.
“I’m glad we are doing something now, but when are we going to wake up as a city and say, ‘You know what, we got to get in the current times’,” said Bienvenue.
Bienvenue called upon a collective effort from city leaders, local legislators and the community at large to improve public safety on Chicopee roads.
The City Council will meet again on Feb. 7.