The Mayors Innovation Project announced a new cohort of local leaders for the second annual Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety. The program, in partnership with AARP Livable Communities and Smart Growth America, selected 10 mayors from a national competitive application pool of candidates to join this year’s cohort and two are from Massachusetts.
Both mayors – from Salem and Chicopee – represent communities working to become more age-friendly.
The Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety (MIPS) aims to help mayors develop their knowledge and skillset to champion safer communities for people of all ages. Participating mayors receive training and resources from top experts in the field, enabling them to make immediate safety improvements on their most dangerous streets. MIPS Mayors also receive crucial support to build implementation strategies that drive longer-term, systemic changes.
This year’s cohort includes:
- Mayor Scott Conger • Jackson, TN
- Mayor Tim Kelly • Chattanooga, TN
- Mayor Quinton Lucas • Kansas City, MO
- Mayor Lauren McLean • Boise, ID
- Mayor Dominick Pangallo • Salem, MA
- Mayor Sean Shultz • Carlisle, PA
- Mayor Ryan Sorenson • Sheboygan, WI
- Mayor Matt Tuerk • Allentown, PA
- Mayor John Vieau • Chicopee, MA
- Mayor Yasmine-Imani McMorrin • Culver City, CA
Over the next six months, MIPS members will meet virtually and in-person with national experts and each other to share experiences and identify solutions to their pedestrian safety challenges.
Pedestrian fatalities have been on the rise for nearly a decade in the United States. According to a recent study by the Governors Highway Safety Association, on average 20 people are killed by a moving vehicle every day. The elderly and minority groups, particularly Native/Indigenous and Black populations, are disproportionately impacted by pedestrian injuries and fatalities.