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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1541 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2412
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Joan B. Lovely
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to commuter rail pedestrian safety.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Joan B. LovelySecond Essex 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1541 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2412
By Ms. Lovely, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2412) of Joan B. Lovely for
legislation relative to commuter rail pedestrian safety. Transportation.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2507 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to commuter rail pedestrian safety.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 12 of Chapter 159 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after subsection (d) the following:-
3 (e) The safety of persons related to transportation under the jurisdiction of the
4department, including commuter rail services.
5 SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, to ensure the
6safety of all individuals in proximity of a commuter rail station in the commonwealth, the
7Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall require that all commuter rail station grade
8crossings are converted into active crossings containing, at a minimum:
9 (1) four quadrant gates, or gate skirts. Four quadrant gates consist of two exit gates used
10in combination with standard entrance gates. The additional gate arms, combined with standard 2 of 2
11entrance gates, restrict access to the track crossing area. A gate skirt is defined as a secondary bar
12or gate marked with identical striping to the primary gate arm. The skirt hangs down from the
13pedestrian gate, and, in its fully deployed horizontal position, blocks additional area under the
14arm gate;
15 (2) signage at the entry point of the crossing to direct pedestrians to the appropriate and
16identified crossing area;
17 (3) a signalized visual warning device; and
18 (4) channelization to provide orientation clues to the designated pathway over the tracks
19and to direct pedestrians with vision impairments away from unprotected drop-offs along the
20edges of boarding platforms at stations.
21 Passive crossings without the required safety measures as enumerated above at a
22commuter rail station in the commonwealth shall be prohibited. Within 120 days of the passage
23of this Act, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall submit a plan for the upgrades
24necessary to ensure that all commuter rail stations with pedestrian grade crossings in the
25commonwealth are in compliance with this Act. Said report shall be sent to the chairperson of
26the department of public utilities, the secretary of transportation, the secretary of administration
27and finance, the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on transportation and the chairs
28of the house and senate committees on ways and means. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation
29Authority shall also file said plan with the house and senate clerks.