MassDOT 12th Annual Safe Streets Smart Trips Video Contest

07:43AM / Sunday, September 21, 2025Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing that entries are now being accepted for the twelfth annual statewide Safe Streets Smart Trips high school video contest.

This contest encourages students to showcase their understanding of roadway safety across all travel modes to try to decrease pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities. Per the contest guidelines, this year students are being asked to write and produce a 30-60 second video emphasizing "Safe Walking, Biking, and Driving Behaviors."

"MassDOT is proud to launch the 2025 Safe Streets Smart Trips Video Contest, now in its twelfth year," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "By engaging students directly in roadway safety, we not only raise awareness but also empower the next generation to lead the way in creating safer streets for everyone. We are eager to see the creativity and passion in this year’s entries as students highlight the shared responsibility we all carry to keep our roadways safe."

As an initiative of the Massachusetts Strategic Highway Safety Plan to promote safe walking, bicycling and driving behaviors, the contest is open to all Massachusetts public high school students and features a Freshman/Sophomore category and Junior/Senior category.

Grand prize, runner-up, and honorable mention videos in each category (Freshman/Sophomore and Junior/Senior) will be chosen by a MassDOT panel. Winning videos will be shown Wednesday, October 28, at MassDOT’s annual active transportation conference, Moving Together, where the creators will receive their prizes including $600 Amazon gift cards for the grand prize videos and $300 Amazon gift cards for the runner-up videos. Top videos may also be used in future safety campaigns.

To learn more about the Safe Streets Smart Trips High School Video Contest visit Mass.gov/roadway-safety-video.

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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Rename

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to rename the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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