By Adam Swift
City Manager Fidel Maltez submitted an executive order to the city council that establishes Chelsea’s Vision Zero policy and implements the Vision Zero Action Plan previously adopted by the council.
“This policy defines how departments across City Hall will coordinate to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries in Chelsea,” said Maltez.
In 2023, Chelsea was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop а Vision Zero Action Plan.
“Vision Zero is an international traffic safety initiative that recognizes that human error is inevitable and seeks to design transportation systems that prevent those errors from resulting in serious injury or loss of life,” stated Maltez. “Throughout 2025, City staff, Councilors, and transportation planners worked collaboratively to develop Chelsea’s Vision Zero Action Plan, which the Council adopted at the end of the year. This Executive Order builds on that work by operationalizing the Plan and establishing a clear framework for implementation.”
The policy establishes a Vision Zero Task Force, which will meet quarterly and include representatives from Housing & Community Development , fire, police, public works, health and human Services, and the city manager’s office. Maltez said the task force will guide implementation of the plan’s strategies, addressing both near-term actions and long-term improvements. The housing and community development department will publish a Vision Zero report to update the community on the plan’s progress.
“The City has already made meaningful progress,” said Maltez. “Based on analysis of serious crashes and nearmisses, we have implemented lighting and signage improvements along Second Street and Eastern Avenue. We are also advancing designs for safety improvements at the intersections of Washington & Crescent and Carter Street at the Route 1 on-ramp, which is heavily used by students.”
The city manager said the policy, required under the USDOT grant, formalizes the city’s long-term commitment to Vision Zero and to safer streets for all.