#police sauguspolice saugus saugusma sauguspd massachusetts grant bicyclesafety pedestriansafety

[saugustownmanager]

Police Chief Domenic DiMella and I are pleased to announce that the Saugus Police Department has been awarded a $3,375 grant by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Office of Grants and Research -Highway Safety Division to improve traffic safety on local roads for pedestrians and bicyclists.

This funding will allow the Saugus Police Department to provide additional overtime enforcement to increase compliance with traffic laws by all road users. A portion of the grant will also be used to invest in bicycle helmets, and equipment to enhance the visibility of crosswalks.

I am proud of Chief DiMella and the Police Department for recognizing the importance of pedestrian and bicyclist safety, and pursuing this important grant initiative. This funding will continue to prioritize the safety and security of our residents and visitors of Saugus.

Saugus is one of 84 communities across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to receive funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

With nearly 6,000 pedestrians killed in 2016 across the country, pedestrians now account for a larger proportion of traffic fatalities than they have in the past 33 years. In Massachusetts, that rate is even higher, with pedestrians representing more than 20% of all traffic fatalities. Bicyclists are dying at higher rates nationally as well – the 840 killed in traffic crashes in 2016 are the most since 1991.