Beacon Street Safety Project

At a Glance

• One-year demonstration project to calm traffic speed and increase pedestrian safety.
• Partnership between the City of Worcester and the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission.
• Funded by federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant and state funds.

Project Overview

Beacon Street runs through the center of the Beacon Brightly neighborhood connecting homes, recreation centers, and community groups. However, due to its proximity to busy corridors like Main Street and Madison Street, Beacon Street often experiences lots of high-speed cut-through traffic. This creates a dangerous situation for the residents of this neighborhood.

As part of the City's Vision Zero commitment to eliminating deaths and serious injuries on our streets, this project will test new safety treatments along Beacon Street with the goal of reducing vehicle speeds and making walking safer and more comfortable. The project team will monitor this street for one full year, and report back on the effectiveness of this project and whether this type of project could be replicated elsewhere in Worcester.

Project Timeline

• Public Visioning Session - September 2025
• Project Design: Fall - Winter 2025-2026
• Public Meeting I - Winter 2025
• Public Meeting II - Spring 2026
• Construction - Summer 2026

Public Participation

The goal of this project is to promote transportation safety in the Beacon Brightly neighborhood and the project team wants to hear from the community every step of the way.

To kick off the project design, the City hosted a community visioning session on Thursday, September 25, 2025. Attendees learned about the project, shared their safety concerns, and vision for Beacon Street.

View the Presentation

A second meeting will be held this winter to discuss the draft project design, and a final public meeting will be held in the spring before construction begins. Check back here to find additional materials and information as it becomes available.

Questions or comments about this project may be sent to mobility@worcesterma.gov.