Bill
S 2419
MassDOT must revise pedestrian clearance times to reflect speeds under 3.5 ft/s (including wheelchair users); towns must map affected crosswalks and retime signals accordingly.
Note on source materials
- The materials provided contain multiple, inconsistent texts (including an unrelated federal/NJ wagering draft and a different bill title about privileged communications). This summary focuses on the Massachusetts bill text in the docketed S.2419 / Senate Docket No. 2015 (filed 01/17/2025, presented by Sen. Paul W. Mark), which amends pedestrian signal timing rules.
Purpose and intent
- Require the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) manual for determining pedestrian clearance times at signalized crosswalks to expressly account for pedestrians who walk slower than the standard 3.5 feet per second (ft/s) — including wheelchair users — and to direct municipalities to identify and adjust signal timing at locations heavily used by such pedestrians. The goal is to improve pedestrian safety and reduce crossings that cannot be completed in time.
Key provisions and changes
- Amendment: Inserts language into Section 2 of Chapter 85 of the General Laws directing MassDOT’s manual to state that where pedestrians who walk slower than 3.5 ft/s, or pedestrians who use wheelchairs, routinely use a crosswalk, a walking speed below 3.5 ft/s should be considered when determining pedestrian clearance time.
- Regulatory duty: MassDOT must promulgate regulations requiring municipalities to:
- (a) Create and maintain a list of locations within their boundaries heavily used by pedestrians likely to have:
(i) walking speeds below 3.5 ft/s (based on current research),
(ii) slower walking speeds due to physical mobility impairments, or
(iii) slower speeds because they are transporting/assisting another person through a signalized crosswalk.
- (b) For listed locations with regularly used signalized crosswalks, adjust pedestrian walk/clearance times to a “reasonable degree” to allow pedestrians to safely complete crossings.
Who is affected
- Directly: MassDOT (to update manual and issue regulations) and municipalities (to identify locations and modify signal timing).
- Beneficiaries: Pedestrians who walk slower than average — older adults, people with disabilities, wheelchair users, caregivers, those assisting others — who use signalized crosswalks.
- Indirectly: Motor-vehicle traffic (possible minor increases in red/green cycle length), municipal traffic engineers, and local budgeting/planning for signal retiming.
Procedural/timeline aspects
- Filed/presented: 01/17/2025 (One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court, 2025–2026), presented by Sen. Paul W. Mark.
- Status (from provided material): Referred to Codes (this appears in the docket); the bill requires MassDOT to promulgate implementing regulations (timeline for those regulations would be set after enactment).
- Implementation specifics (how much extra time to add, engineering standards, cost estimates) would be determined in MassDOT regulations and by municipal traffic engineering practice; the bill uses a 3.5 ft/s benchmark but leaves “reasonable degree” of adjustment to rulemaking/engineering judgment.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Safety: Likely to reduce the number of pedestrians stranded mid-crossing and lower risk of pedestrian injury at targeted intersections.
- Traffic flow: Some signal cycles may lengthen, potentially increasing delay for vehicular traffic at affected intersections.
- Administrative/cost: Municipalities may incur modest costs to survey/identify locations, retime signals, and maintain the lists; MassDOT must update its manual and adopt regulations.
- Technical detail: The bill references current research to justify lower walking speeds; practical implementation will depend on MassDOT rulemaking and local engineering standards.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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