AN ACT RELATIVE TO CERTAIN RAILROAD CROSSINGS IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
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. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 160 of the General Laws or any other general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, a railroad corporation, including the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall not permit a locomotive engine passing on its railroad over Binney street, Cambridge street and Gore street in the city of Cambridge to sound a whistle at any of said grade crossings which has the following safety features: flashing lights in each direction which are caused to be automatically activated by an approaching train; two gates, one on each side of the crossing, both of which are caused to be automatically lowered by an approaching train and each of which extends across approximately half the width of the lanes of traffic at said crossing so that the entire width of the lanes of traffic at said crossing is blocked when said gates are lowered; a bell that is caused to be automatically activated by an approaching train; overhead street lights; signs posted before the grade crossing in each direction warning motorists and pedestrians of the crossing ahead; posted speed limits for traffic of not more than 40 miles per hour, and not more than two lanes of vehicular traffic in each direction at the grade crossing. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the whistle of a locomotive shall be sounded in the event of an emergency.
SECTION 2. The department of telecommunications and energy shall require that whistle markers on the railroad right-of-way on the approach to each grade crossing referred to in section 1 shall be replaced with bell markers within 90 days of the effective date of this act.
SECTION 3. The department of telecommunications and energy shall notify the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and all other railroad corporations operating locomotive engines over the grade crossing referred to in section 1 in the city of Cambridge of the provisions of this act within 30 days after the effective date.