MA REGULATIONS FOR TRAFFIC LIGHTS ICE,
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Parch 9 , 1987
on January 7 , 1987 , Governor Dukakis signed into law Chapter
689 of jthe °Acts^,of-1986:°�r This`lav,I which- goes into -effect on
April 7 ] �.8�7gives citk" - and,towns greater flexibility and
responsibility in installing signs and signals on town ways . As
stated in- the--law,- "anyrul4_- , r-egilation, order, ordinance or by-
law of a city or town. . .relative to or in connection with the
erection or maintenance of signs, traffic control signals,
traffic devices, school zones, parking meters or markings on any
way within its control shall take effect without Department
approval. . . ," subject to certain conditions . A copy of the law
is attached for your information. -
The major impact of this law is that you will no longer need
Massachusetts Department of Public Works ' approval or permits for
traffic control devices , except in the following instances:
1. Any sign and signal involving any way at its
intersection or junction with a state highway;
2. Any sign and signal involving a project which is or was
federally-aided in whole or in part and where an
agreement has been or will be executed between the
Commonwealth and the community;
3 . Any sign excluding heavy commercial vehicles;
• 4 . Any school zone in which the city or town intends to
seek reimbursement from the Commonwealth;
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5 . Any one-way street sign which would prohibit the free
flow of two-way traffic between adjoining communities
on a through way or main way, as determined by the
Department; or any one-way sign not placed at an
intersection of said public ways (e.g. , located at mid-
block) ; and
6 . Speed control signs , except where a non-state funded
school zone is established.
In addition, cities and towns no longer need Department
approval for signals and flashers on non-state or non-federally-
funded highways if the design, redesign, or change in timing and
sequence are approved by a professional engineer employed by the
community and registered in Massachusetts .
In all cases, city or town action must conform to Department
standards. It is important that you have a good record system
which shows the engineering justification and conformance to
design standards of each action. The standards are based on the
current Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 1978 edition,
and the sample .regulation .for a standard municipal traffic code
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( i.e. , 'a city or town' s Tra -ffic'`Rules &.Orders, Traffid"
Regulation, `T-fa£€ic-Ordinances;- eta::) . The 1978 Manual was sent
to each city and town. several years ago. Additional Manuals can
be purchased from the Federal Government Bookstore, JFK Federal
Bldg. , Room G-25 , Sudbury Street, Boston, MA 02203 . The current
price is $30. 00. The Massachusetts Addenda to the Manual, which
includes the sample regulation for a standard municipal traffic
code, is attached.
We look forward to working with you in implementing this
important law. If you have any questions, please call Mr. Robert
Shea, Traffic Engineer, at ( 617 ) 973-7361 .
Scerely,
Robert T. Tierney
Commissioner
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Chepter tv89
T H E C 0 H H 0 N V E A L T H O F H A 5 S A C H U S E T T S
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In the Year One Thousand Wine Rundred end Eighty-six
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.LW ACT FiiRTriR REGULATING THE PLACEXEN'T AND HAIhTENANCE OF CERTAIN TRAFFIC
CONTROL DEVICES BY CITIES AND TOVNS. -
Be it enacted by the Senate and Rouse of Representatives in General Court
assembled, and by the authority of the save, as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 2 of chapter 85 of the General Laws, as appearing in
the 1984 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the, word
thereto", in line 3, the words:- and therefrom,- and by striking out, in
lines 7 and 8, the words "accepted standards of engineering pr--tice" and in-
setting in place thereof the words:- the departments current manual on uni-
form traffic control devices. '
SECTION 2. Said section 2 of said chapter 85, as so appearing, is hereby
further -emended by: striking out the. sixth sentence and inserting in place ,
thereof :the fo.Llowing -five -sentences:- Except as hereinafter provided, any
rule; -.-regulatioo, order_,.ordin once or by-law of a city or town hereafter made
or promulgated relative to or in connection with the erection or maintenance
of signs, traffic control signals, traffic devices, school zones, parking Me-
tars or markings on any way within its control shall take effect without de-
partment approval provided such signs, traffic control signals, traffic de-
vices, parking meters, school zones or markings are in conformance with the
departments current manual on uniform traffic control devices and the depart-
ments sample regulation for a standard municipal traffic code; provided, how-
ever, that such rule, regulation, order, ordinance or by-lav shall not take
effect until approved in writing by the department, or be effective after such
approval is revoked, if made or promulgated relative to or.in connection with
the following: (1) any way at its intersection or junction with a state high-
way; (2) any project which is or was federally aided, in whole or in part; (3)
any traffic control signal or flasher in any city or town which does not e,n-
• ploy a registered professional engineer in the coaaaonwealth to design, '
redesign or change the timing and sequence of signal or flasher; (L) any sign
excluding heavy commercial vehicles; (5) any school zone establishment or
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signing in relation to which the city or town intends to seek reimbursementl
from the commonwealth; (6) any one-way street sign which would prohibit the !
free flow of two-way traffic between adjoining cities or towns on a through !
way or main way, as determined by the department, or any one-way street sign )
which would not be placed ai an intersection of public ways. Notwithstanding )
the foregoing, speed control signs may be established only in accordance with - 11,
the provisions of section eighteen ofchapterninety. If any city or town in=
stalls and maintains any of the aforesaid traffic control devices without ei- I
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cher requesting or obtaining the required approval or after being notified of
such disapproval, or in noncompliance with said manual, the deparemeni shall
withhold or withdraw the unexpended balance of any funds assigned to the said
city or town under the provisions of section thirty-four of chapter ninety or
sections twenty-five and twenty-six of'chapter eighty-one- Any traffic con-
trol device which has not been erected or maintained in accordance with the
foregoing provisions may be removed by or under the direction of the depart-
ment and be stored by the department until claimed by the owner or, if not!
claimed within sixty days after written notice to said owner, me: be disposed
of at the discretion of the department. Color and arrow indications of traf-i
Sic control signals shall have-the commands ascribed to them in said manual. '
SECTION-3. The first_paragraph of section 8 of chapter 89 ofthe Generali
Lawa� as so appearing, rs hereby amended.by striking out the last sentence and
inserting__in_placa thereof the following sentence:- The foregoing provisions
of this section shall not apply when an operator is otherwise directed by e
police officer, or by a traffic regulating sign, device or signal lawfully!
erected and maintained in accordance with the provisions of section two ofl
chapter eighty-five and, where so required with the written approval of the!
department of public works and while such approval is in effect.
SECTION 4. Said. section 8 of said chapter 89 is hereby further amended by
striking out the second paragraph, as amended by section 2 of chapter 232 of
the acts of 1986, and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-
At any intersection on ways, as defined in section one of chapter ninety,
in which vehicular traffic is facing a steady red indication in a traffic
con-trol signal, the driver of a vehicle which is stopped as close as practicable
at the entrance to the crosswalk or the near side of the intersections or, if
• none, then at the entrance to the intersection in obedience to such red or
stop signal, may make either (1) a right turn or (2) if on a one-way street
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may make a left turn to another one-way street, but shall yield the right- I
of-way to pedestrians and other traffic proceeding as directed by the signal
at said intersection, except that a city or town, subject to section two ofl
• chapter eighty-five, by rules, orders, ordinances, or by-laws, and the depart-I
went of public works on state highways or on ways at their intersections with)
a state highway, may prohibit any such turns against a red or stop signal atl
any such intersection, and such prohibition shall be effective when a sign isl
erected at such intersection giving notice thereof. Any person who violates
the provisions of this paragraph shall be punished by a fine of not less than)
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twenty dollars.
SECTION 5. Section 9 of said chapter 89, u appearing in the 1984 Offi-
cial Edition, is hereby emended by striking out the first peregraph and in-I
senting in place thereof the following paragraph:- ;
The department of public works may designate any state highway or part)
thereof as a through way and may designate intersections or other roadway'
junctions with state highways at which vehicular traffic on one or more road-1
ways should stop or yield and stop before entering the intersection or junc-
tion, and the department may, after notice, revoke any such designation. -_The
department"of-public 4orks on any state,highway or'-part thereof so designated)
• - - -- as`a`thibugh=vey; bi en-any vey=where:the-department has designated such way)
As intersebting or joining with a state highway,�shall-erect And maintain stop
signs, yieldsignsand other traffic control devices.
SECTION 6. Said section 9 of said chapter 89, as so appearing, is hereby)
further amended by striking out the second paragraph and inserting in place
thereof the following paragraph:-
The local authorities of a city or town authorized to enact ordinances or
by-lava, or make rules, orders or regulations under the provisions of section
twenty-tl+o of- chapter forty say in sccordance with the provisions of section'
two of chapter eighty-five of the General Laws, including department approval
when required, designate any way or part thereof under the control of such
city or town as ■ through way and may designate intersections or other roadway
junctions at which vehicular traffic on one or more roadways shall stop o
yield and stop before entering the intersection or junction, and may, of to
notice and like department approval, when required, revoke Any such designa-
• tion. Such local authorities of a city or town having control of any way o
part thereof so designated as a through way shall erect and maintain stop
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signs, yield signs and other traffic control devices at such designated Inter-
sections or Junctions.
SECTION 7. Section 17 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as so appearing; )
• is hereby amended by striking out the second sentence and inserting in place
thereof the following sancence:- Unless a way is otherwise posted in accord-
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ante with the provisions of section eighteen, it shall be prima facie evidence
of a rate of speed greater then is reasonable and proper as aforesaid (1) if a
motor vehicle is operated on a divided highway outside a thickly settled or
business district at a rate of speed exceeding fifty miles per hour for a dis-
tance of a quarter of a mile, or (2) on any other way outside a thickly set-
tled or business district at a rate of speed exceeding forty miles per hour
for a distance of a quarter of a mile, or (1) inside a thickly settled or!
business district at a rate of speed exceeding thirty miles per hour for a
distance of one-eighth of a mile, or (4) within a school zone which may be es-
tablished by a city or town as provided in section two of chapter eighty-five
at a rate of speed exceeding twenty miles per hour.
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SECTION B. Section 18 of said chapter 90, as amended by section 18 of
chapter 608 of the acts of 1986, is hereby further amended by striking our-the
• '.'fixs£._smtenca and:Imserting in- place thereof . the following sentencer The
-city -council, the transportation commission of the city of Boston, the board
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- of selactnen, park"comissioners, a`traffic commission or traffic director, orl
- the department, on ways within their control, may make special regulations as
- - to the speed of motor vehicles and may prohibit the use of such vehicles alto-
gether on such - ways; provided, however, that except in the case of a speed
regulation no such special regulation shall be effective unless it shall have
been published in one or more newspapers, if there be any, published in the
town in which the way is situated, otherwise in one or more newspapers pub-
lished in the county in which the town is situated; nor until after the de-
partment, and in the case of a speed regulation the department and the regis-
trar, acting jointly, shall have certified in writing that such regulation is
consistent with the public interests; provided, however, that nothing; herein
contained shall be construed as affecting the right of the metropolitan dis-
trict commission or of the department of environmental management to make
rules and regulations governing the use and operation of motor vehicles o�
• lands, roadways and parkways under its care and control.
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. SEMON 9. Said section 18.of said chapter 90, as amended by said sec- �
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tion 18 of said chapter 608, is hereby further amended by striking out the
last paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-
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• Any person, corporation, firm or trust owning a private parking area or
owning land on or abutting a private way, or any person, corporation, firm or �
trust controlling such land or parking area, with the written consent of the!
owner, may apply in writing to the city council, the traffic commission of a �
city or town having a traffic commission, the transportation commission of the
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city of Boston or the board of selectmen in any town in which the private way!
or parking area lies, to make special regulations as to the speed of motor ve-
hicles and as to the use of such vehicles upon the particular private way or;
parking area, and the city council with the approval of the mayor, the traffic!
commission of a city or town, the transportation commission of the city ofI
Boston or the board of selectmen, as- the case may be, may make such special)
regulations with respect to said private way or parking area tao the same es-i
tent as to ways within their control and such special regulations shell not bei
_ subject to approval by the department or the registrar; provided, however, ;
- - that any traffic signs signals, markings or devices used to implement _such11
special—regulations—shall conform in=slie;-shepe-and color to the most current)
• rh
manusa pn uniforID uaftic=-wastrel devices
-SEGT1ON 10. Any'rule, regulation order, ordinance or by-low of a city or -
town presently in effect on the effective date of this act which the depart-I
vent of public works has given prior approval, under the provisions of section
`= two of chapteF eighty-five of the General Laws, shell continue in effect. Any
,rule, regulation, order, ordinance or by-law which would require approval - of ,
- _ the department under the provisions of said section two of said chapter '
eighty-five shall continue in effect; and all those which have prior approvals
of the department shall remain in effect without further approval.
)iou{e of set' s. Dec�mbsr Y.A1986.
cting
`/'/,C(//,J Acting
Passed [o be enacted, Speaker.
In Se a December -Z/ , 1986.
Passed to be enacted /p Q , ' Actin
`^-^�"'c— IiVP • President.l
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