SECTION 1.  Notwithstanding Section 2 of Chapter 85 of the General Laws or any other general or special law or regulation to the contrary, the City of New Bedford may establish by Ordinance, on public ways under the care and custody of the City of New Bedford, Senior Citizen Safety Zones, which may be an area adjacent to a facility which may be publicly or privately owned and used as Senior Citizen housing, a hospital, a nursing home or assisted living facility, a community center of which senior activities are conducted on a regular basis or a congregate elderly facility approved as a planned unit development by the City of New Bedford.

SECTION 2.  In a Senior Citizen Zone, the City of New Bedford may, by Ordinance under the direction of the Traffic Engineer, take necessary action to reduce vehicular speed by reducing speed limits to not to less than 20 miles per hour by installing signals or appropriate signs and restriping of roadways.

SECTION 3.  The City of New Bedford shall notify the State Traffic Engineer upon the establishment of a Senior Citizen Safety Zone.  The City of New Bedford shall notify the State Traffic Engineer of any reduction of speed on a functionally classified local roadway.

SECTION 4.  This Act shall not apply to any state highway, numbered route or functionally-classified arterial.

SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its passage.