An Act relative to commuter rail pedestrian safety

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Joan Lovely

Requires converting all commuter rail grade crossings to active, fully safeguarded crossings with gates, warning signals, signage, and channelization.

Overview

This Massachusetts bill, introduced in the 194th General Court, seeks to improve pedestrian safety at commuter rail stations by upgrading all grade crossings to active, safety-enhanced crossings. The measure is sponsored by Senator Joan B. Lovely. It would amend existing law to explicitly cover safety for persons near transportation under the jurisdiction of the department, including commuter rail services, and would require rapid action by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

Key provisions

Section 1 – Safety scope: Expands statutory safety protections to explicitly cover transportation-related activities under the department, including commuter rail services.

Section 2 – Upgraded crossings mandate (mandatory upgrades):

All commuter rail station grade crossings must be converted to active crossings with minimum safety features:
Four quadrant gates or gate skirts (two exit gates used with standard entrance gates; skirts are secondary barriers that enhance closure).
Signage directing pedestrians to the correct crossing area.
A signalized visual warning device at the crossing.
Channelization to provide orientation cues and to direct pedestrians with vision impairments away from unprotected edges or drop-offs near boarding platforms.
Prohibition on passive crossings: Crossings lacking the listed safety measures would be prohibited.
Plan submission deadline: Within 120 days of the Act’s passage, MBTA must submit a plan detailing upgrades needed to ensure all commuter rail stations with pedestrian grade crossings are in compliance.
Plan distribution: The MBTA must send the plan to:
Chairperson, Department of Public Utilities
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Administration and Finance
House and Senate chairs of the Joint Committee on Transportation
House and Senate chairs of the Ways and Means committees
And file the plan with the House and Senate clerks.

Affected parties and impacts

Primary entity affected: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and its commuter rail system.

Pedestrians and riders: Increased protection at station grade crossings and along platform edges, including better guidance for pedestrians with vision impairments.

Regulators and policymakers: DPU, the Executive Office of Transportation, and the legislative chairs and committees noted in the plan distribution.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Status/date context: The bill is introduced as a proposed bill in the 2025-2026 session (SENATE Docket No. 1541). The version content shows a filing date of January 16, 2025.

Milestone: A critical deadline is the 120-day plan submission after enactment to specify upgrades and compliance steps.

Reporting and filing: The plan must be distributed to key state officials and committees and filed with the House and Senate clerks, ensuring legislative oversight.

Notes

The bill references a similar matter previously filed in the 2023-2024 session (Senate No. 2507), indicating ongoing interest in commuter rail pedestrian safety enhancements.

No fiscal details are provided in the text released; a fiscal impact note would typically accompany final consideration to estimate upgrade costs for the MBTA.

Bill