- Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Media Contact
Jacquelyn Goddard, Director of Communications, MassDOT
CHELSEA — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), in partnership with Travelers Marketing’s Community Voices for Road Safety program and the City of Chelsea, today hosted an event to raise awareness of pedestrian safety on Chelsea’s busy roads. At the Chelsea Market Basket, holiday customers were reminded about the importance of looking out for friends and neighbors on the streets. Highly visible, reflective shopping bags were distributed to customers, all with the message “Hey, Chelsea! Our Streets Are Full of Life. Drive Like You Care. Walk Like It, Too.”
The bags are also available with the message in Spanish: “¡Oye, Chelsea! Nuestras calles están llenas de vida. Conduce como si te importara. Camina como si te importara también.”
This event amplifies the community-centric campaign created by and for Chelsea residents who rely on walking as part of their daily lives. The inspiration for the campaign came from a series of community meetings and creative workshops during which participants shared their experiences, concerns, and pride in Chelsea’s walkable, accessible environment. Local organizations, including La Colaborativa, Green Roots, and the Chamber of Commerce, were among those to host and participate in the meetings.
“During this busy holiday season and throughout the year, it’s important for drivers and pedestrians to look out for one another. This event at Market Basket is a continuation of the work Community Voices has been doing across the City of Chelsea to promote driver awareness and pedestrian safety.” said Registrar of Motor Vehicles Colleen Ogilvie. “By carrying these reflective totes, residents will be more visible after dark while also promoting that safety is a shared responsibility.”
The event’s corresponding public awareness campaign includes billboards and MBTA bus signage displayed throughout the city, in addition to other local business and community events. Today’s event kicks off distribution of thousands of the reflective, reusable bags at the Chelsea Market Basket. These promotional bags are provided free of charge and will temporarily replace the purchasable reusable tote bags available to shoppers.
“Just as this safety message was shaped by the Chelsea community, this campaign meets our residents where they are—where they shop and commute every day—making it as effective as possible and leading to real change that makes our streets safer for everyone,” said Chelsea City Manager Fidel Maltez.
The Chelsea public awareness campaign is part of the Community Voices for Road Safety initiative, an award-winning safety program developed and implemented by Travelers Marketing. In Chelsea, where the program is focused on pedestrian safety, high school students and residents played a key role in shaping the campaign’s message, ensuring it reflects the community’s perspectives and shared commitment to safer streets.
“At La Colaborativa, we believe everyone deserves to feel safe walking in the city they call home. Chelsea is only 2.5 square miles but its highly congested, our sidewalks are used daily by essential workers heading to bus stops and the commuter rail, by families running errands, and by youth walking to and from school,” said Gladys Vega, La Colaborativa President & CEO. “Chelsea is also a gateway city that sits at the center of regional traffic, under the Tobin Bridge, next to a casino, and alongside major development in neighboring cities, congestion is only increasing and pedestrian safety is more urgent than ever.”
Community members voiced concern over pedestrian safety issues, citing close calls and drivers who are often distracted and speed through neighborhoods, behaviors that are leading causes of crashes.
Participants acknowledged that both drivers and pedestrians share responsibility for safety; however, they emphasized that distracted and aggressive driving poses the greatest danger. Many urged efforts to educate children and adults alike on safe crossing habits and the importance of obeying traffic signals.
Travelers Marketing’s Community Voices for Road Safety program has proven successful in other areas, garnering the 2025 Peter K. O’Rourke Special Achievement Award from the Governors Highway Safety Association. A 2024 campaign in Brockton MA, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the National Road Safety Foundation, increased seat belt use by 30 percentage points, from 42% to 72%. And a recent campaign running over the summer and into the fall in Holyoke, MA, focused on reducing distracted driving.
About Community Voices for Road Safety
Community Voices for Road Safety is a division of Travelers Marketing, a nationally recognized, award-winning program for its safety initiatives. Community Voices for Road Safety focuses on community-partnered development of neighbor-to-neighbor public safety campaigns. The program operates nationwide, engaging directly with community members and creating campaigns that reflect their lives and drive meaningful change.
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