Bill > H3798

This bill allows cities and towns in Massachusetts to establish designated school zones for locomotives, where they can set speed limits up to 20 miles per hour. Before such a speed limit becomes effective, the city or town must first notify the railroad corporation operating in that zone and install appropriate speed limit signs in accordance with the Department of Highways' traffic control guidelines. No railroad corporation, including the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), would be permitted to operate passenger or freight locomotives at speeds higher than the posted limit when traveling through these designated school zones. The city or town would be responsible for the costs associated with erecting and maintaining the warning signs. This legislation aims to enhance safety around schools by providing local municipalities with the authority to regulate locomotive speeds in areas near educational institutions, giving them a tool to potentially reduce the risk of accidents involving trains in school zones.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H3798