What is the procedure for requesting a change to the speed limit on a particular road?

Published July 16, 2009 | Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee

What is the procedure for requesting a change to the speed limit on a particular road?

Answer
Contact the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee in writing via e-mail, trafficsafety@sudbury.ma.us. Be sure to include a description of any issues leading to the request (i.e. any dangerous curves, reoccurring accidents, unsafe pedestrian activity), specify the location along the road, and provide details about any support for the speed limit change from other Sudbury residents. The State determines the process for changing local speed limits. The laws regarding speed limit changes can be found at Mass Highway Dept. Speed Regulations. The Police Department will first measure speeds along the roadway using traffic counters to monitor speed and volume of traffic. From that data the assumed safe speed limit will be whatever 85% of cars travel. If your street shows that cars typically travel at the 85% speed or above, without excessive accidents, it is assumed that is a safe speed and the State will deny the speed limit change. The Traffic Safety Committee makes recommendations to the Board of Selectmen on resident requests. If residents are not satisfied with the recommendations of the committee, they can request to discuss the issue directly with the Selectmen at a regularly scheduled meeting.

Answer

Contact the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee in writing via e-mail, trafficsafety@sudbury.ma.us. Be sure to include a description of any issues leading to the request (i.e. any dangerous curves, reoccurring accidents, unsafe pedestrian activity), specify the location along the road, and provide details about any support for the speed limit change from other Sudbury residents.

The State determines the process for changing local speed limits. The laws regarding speed limit changes can be found at Mass Highway Dept. Speed Regulations. The Police Department will first measure speeds along the roadway using traffic counters to monitor speed and volume of traffic. From that data the assumed safe speed limit will be whatever 85% of cars travel. If your street shows that cars typically travel at the 85% speed or above, without excessive accidents, it is assumed that is a safe speed and the State will deny the speed limit change.

The Traffic Safety Committee makes recommendations to the Board of Selectmen on resident requests. If residents are not satisfied with the recommendations of the committee, they can request to discuss the issue directly with the Selectmen at a regularly scheduled meeting.

FAQ Categories

Traffic Safety

— Subscribe to Content Updates

Interested in serving on this committee?
Appointment Application

It is the intention of the Select Board, in creating the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee, to establish an advisory group that can receive all requests and suggestions for traffic safety improvement in the Town of Sudbury, and evaluate and recommend to the Town Manager and Board of Selectmen various approaches that could be used to create safer and more livable neighborhoods through efforts to reduce speeding and unnecessary traffic on neighborhood roads. Local traffic problems arouse emotion, as do their solutions. It will be the mission of this committee to provide a multi departmental approach to systematically and logically studying conditions and developing possible responses to propose to the Town Manager and subsequently the Select Board. This Committee is advisory only, and will not have responsibility for any operational activities.

Download the complete Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee – Mission Statement