By Mr. Toomey of Cambridge, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3658) of Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. relative to speed limits in cities and towns.  Transportation

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Timothy J. Toomey, Jr.

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act relative to speed limits in cities and towns.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 17 of Chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2002 Official Edition, is hereby amended in line 12 by striking out the words “thirty” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “twenty five”.

SECTION 2.  Section 18 of said Chapter 90 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the first paragraph the following new paragraph:-  “Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon a vote by a city council, board of selectmen or town council, as the case may be, a city or town may make special regulations as to the speed of motor vehicles on functionally classified local ways; provided, however, that the way in question is wholly contained in the municipality; provided, further, that a professional engineer in civil or traffic engineering registered within the commonwealth and the chief of police or the board or officer having control of the police in a city or town first certify in writing that such regulation is consistent with the public interest and public safety; provided, further, that such regulations shall not be subject to the approval of the department or the registrar. For the purpose of this paragraph, a functionally classified local way shall be a public way in a residential area and a public way between a residential area and a minor commercial area.”