Bill > H3652

This bill, named "Anna's Law" in honor of Anna LaViolette, a Winchester resident who died in a crosswalk accident, aims to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety by establishing comprehensive standards for road markings and their maintenance. The legislation requires the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (Mass DOT) to create specific standards for road markings, including crosswalks and traffic lanes, with a focus on maintaining their visibility and reflectivity. The bill mandates that roadway markings be regularly assessed using light measurement devices and maintained at a sufficient level of visibility to ensure public safety. Local jurisdictions will be encouraged to participate through potential financial incentives, and municipalities are urged to establish hotline systems allowing residents to report deteriorating road markings. The Department of Transportation will be responsible for researching and documenting specific safety maintenance standards, assessing the costs of maintaining road markings, and recommending potential Commonwealth funding for training local municipal staff in maintaining these critical safety features. The overall goal is to proactively address the natural deterioration of road markings and create a more systematic approach to preserving pedestrian and traffic safety infrastructure.