SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2015        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Paul W. Mark

_________________

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 safety.

_______________

PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2015        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

_______________

An Act to improve pedestrian 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 2 of Chapter 85 of the General Laws as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting in line 88 after the word “prohibited” the following line:-

“The department’s manual must indicate that where pedestrians who walk slower than 3.5 feet per second, or pedestrians who use wheelchairs, routinely use the crosswalk, a walking speed of less than 3.5 feet per second should be considered in determining the pedestrian clearance time. The department will be responsible for promulgating regulations that direct a municipality to: 

(a.) create a list of locations within their boundaries that are heavily used by pedestrians who are likely to have: (i.) a walking speed lower than 3.5 feet per second as determined by current research, (ii.) a slower than average walking speed due to a physical mobility issue, and (iii.) slower walking speeds resulting from transporting, assisting, or conveying another person through a signalized crosswalk.

(b.) require that locations contained in said list, where there are signalized crosswalks regularly in use, account for the slower walking speed of pedestrians by adjusting signal walk clearance times to a reasonable degree to allow for pedestrians to safely complete a crossing."