The Manager's report back on ways to report pedestrian and cycling crashes using real-time reporting

Ref.:

Council Order No. O-1 of 10/25/21 Re: Reporting Crashes in Real-Time Using a Public Method of Reporting The purpose of this response is to address Council Order No. O-1 of 10/25/21, whereby it was requested that the City Manager confer with relevant City departments on ways to report pedestrian and cycling crashes, in real-time using a public method of reporting.

As indicated in the Council Order, the City of Cambridge makes crash data available on its open data portal.

This includes several data sets:

• A list of crashes involving motor vehicles, bicycles and/or pedestrians reported in the City of Cambridge since 2015 through September 2021.
• Historical data: Crashes involving motor vehicles, bicycles and/or pedestrians reported in the City of Cambridge from January 2010 through June 2016.
• A demonstration map of open data crashes involving motor vehicles, bicycles and/or pedestrians reported in the City of Cambridge from January 2015 through December 2016.

Additionally, the Cambridge Police Department’s Crime Analysis Unit publishes special reports that closely analyze reported traffic crashes:

• Analysis of traffic safety and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Analysis of the traffic crashes occurring within the CPD jurisdiction between 2000-2016.
• Analysis of crash-related calls for service in 2017.

To build on these efforts, the Cambridge Police Department, City Manager’s Office, Open Data Program Manager and Public Safety IT worked together to establish a traffic crash open dataset that updates on a daily basis Monday-Friday at 12 p.m. (closely aligning with the Cambridge Police Daily Log). This automated dataset from approved crash reports encompasses the date, time and location of a crash, the neighborhood where the crash occurred (if available), if there were any injuries to anyone involved in a crash, if a motorist, pedestrian or bicyclist was involved in a crash, and if any victims were transported to the hospital. This verified information will give interested users a timely and detailed overview of the most recent crashes that have occurred in the City and been investigated by the Cambridge Police Department.

This open dataset – www.cambridgema.gov/VisionZero/CrashDataset -- will be embedded in the city’s Vision Zero website, Cambridge Police website, and the Open Data portal. Users will also be able to create their own visualizations and export the data for their own analysis.

ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO 125 SIXTH STREET, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02142 The City of Cambridge is currently seeking to hire a new Traffic Analyst. Part of this role will encompass conducting comprehensive research projects that would, in part, lead to a more frequent volume of special traffic reports to give the community and decision-makers greater insight into targeted interventions and improvements.

As previously noted, the Cambridge Police Department also publishes a summary of police reports in its online daily log in compliance with federal and state laws. The daily log is typically published online Monday through Friday with the exception of holidays. Traffic crashes are included in the daily log with details on when, where and who was involved, along with the seriousness of any potential injuries. The timeliness of these postings gives residents an opportunity to be informed of significant public safety responses in their area and the status of those responses.

Finally, as is outlined in the Cambridge Police Department’s Policy and Procedures, the Cambridge Police Department will issue Community Alerts citywide or to specific neighborhoods when, in the judgment of Commanding Officers and the Director of Communications, the public may benefit from the release of the information. In the past, this has included crashes that resulted in significant traffic impacts (e.g. road closures) and/or life-threatening or potentially life-threatening injuries. To publicize this information, the Cambridge Police Department utilizes the Cambridge Alert Network (including Tip411 and NextDoor) as well as its Twitter account (which is accessible via the CPD website) to ensure the timeliest of notifications.

Notifications are also made to Waze, if appropriate.

If there are any additional questions, information needed or concerns regarding this matter, please let me know.

Sincerely, Christine Elow Police Commissioner