In Wake of Fatal Truck Collisions, City Officials Call for Federal Intervention

After the deaths of two cyclists in collisions with box trucks this summer sparked calls for more stringent traffic safety regulations, city officials said their power was limited without federal intervention.

In a City Council committee meeting Monday afternoon, Cambridge Transportation Commissioner Brooke McKenna acknowledged the “disproportionately negative impact that large vehicles have on safety of vulnerable road users in the city,” adding that Cambridge has seen 22 fatal crashes over the past decade.

But she said that neither the city nor the state could not solve the problem without help from the federal government.

“It really all comes down to federal advocacy at the end of the day, because we can chip away at this problem — at the local level and at the state level — but fundamentally, there needs to be changes at the federal level,” McKenna said.

A 55-year-old Florida woman died in June after she was hit by a truck in Harvard Square. Two weeks later, a 24-year-old cyclist was killed in a similar collision with a truck in Kendall Square. Both trucks were making right turns and lacked side guards, which are designed to prevent cyclists and pedestrians from being swept under vehicles during collisions.

In response to the two accidents, local cycling safety advocates and Cambridge’s City Council have pushed for action to improve traffic safety.

In June, the Council unanimously voted to ask City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 to work with state and federal representatives in advocating for legislation mandating safety measures for the trucks.

While the city cannot require other vehicles to adopt its policies, city officials also discussed working with private institutions to improve local safety. According to McKenna, universities like Harvard and MIT have been “fantastic partners” in making Cambridge’s streets safer for pedestrians.

“Harvard, going back to 2018, really started doing side guards on all of its large trucks, and then also working at reaching out to their vendors,” Department of Public Works Commissioner Katherine Watkins said.

McKenna added that rather than try to regulate trucks directly, the city has focused its efforts on improving traffic safety infrastructure.

“Vision Zero, our pledge to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries, drives all of our ongoing work in efforts to enhance the safety and accessibility of our streets for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists alike,” McKenna said.

She referenced city initiatives to lower Cambridge speed limits, increase enforcement of the Cycling Safety Ordinance, implement traffic calming elements, and restrict right turns on red lights.

Watkins also emphasized the city’s efforts to “quick build” enhanced traffic safety features.

“We’re creating separation for bikes and peds from vehicles and large trucks,” Watkins said, adding that Cambridge is also narrowing travel lanes and putting in signal separation for returning traffic.

During public comment, Clyve Lawrence ’25, a Crimson Editorial editor, called on city officials to protect pedestrians and cyclists in the city.

“It’s deeply important that every level of government works to treat this as a public health crisis and emergency,” Lawrence, a Crimson editorial editor, said.

—Staff writer Sally E. Edwards can be reached at sally.edwards@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @sallyedwards04 or on Threads @sally_edwards06.

—Staff writer Avani B. Rai can be reached at avani.rai@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @avaniiiirai.