HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1763        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2992

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Michael S. Day, (BY REQUEST)

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1763        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2992

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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An Act to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. The Massachusetts General Laws are hereby amended by inserting the

following new chapter:

An Act to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety.

1.) The safety of pedestrians, and vehicular traffic, is a serious policy concern.

Properly marked crosswalks, vehicle lanes, and other markings, help to protect

pedestrians, vehicles, and improve general public safety. Due to the normal process of

weathering, and volumes of traffic, the visibility of such markings deteriorates over time, and

declines in the value of performing, its intended purposes.

2.) Therefore, this Statute, sets standards, which are to be regularly reviewed, enforced,

incentivized, and when possible, assisted by the Commonwealth, in keeping these markings to a

sufficient standard to perform their important role in public safety.

3.) The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, shall establish particular standards,

that are suitable for safety of all markings, on roadways, streets, and other traffic surfaces.

The Mass DOT, should be encouraged, to provide modest financial incentives, for all local

jurisdictions to keep these visual standards, in current, sufficient, and even peak conditions.

4.) Measurement of Lumens, by devices that measure reflectivity, and/or can be measured

by light meters, and/or other standards; shall be further researched, and enumerated, in a formal

listing or document: “Pedestrian and Traffic Markings Safety Maintenance,” to be established

by regulation; with suitable public input, enforceable on all state, regional, and municipal

roadways, and traffic surfaces, in the interest of health and safety.

5.) Roadway, and traffic surfaces, shall be measured, and ordered to be kept at a

particular level of reflectivity, and visibility, in all areas. All local residents, may notify their

local DPW offices, and/or the DOT of Massachusetts, when they believe that any of these

markings, especially pedestrian crosswalks, and busy intersections, have markings that have

deteriorated below a level, that would be useful in protecting pedestrians, and facilitating safer

traffic.

6.) Municipalities may, and should be encouraged to, establish local hotline numbers for

collecting such complaints, for prompt response.

7.) The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Transportation, shall also

assess the costs of keeping such markings up to the needed level of safety, and recommend what

appropriations might be shared by the Commonwealth, in training local municipal staff, to keep

these markings as needed, to the legal standards.