Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S2412 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1541 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2412
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Joan B. Lovely
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to commuter rail pedestrian safety.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Joan B. LovelySecond Essex 1 of 2
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1541 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2412
18	18	By Ms. Lovely, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2412) of Joan B. Lovely for
19	19	legislation relative to commuter rail pedestrian safety. Transportation.
20	20	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
21	21	SEE SENATE, NO. 2507 OF 2023-2024.]
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act relative to commuter rail pedestrian safety.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. Section 12 of Chapter 159 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
31	31	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after subsection (d) the following:-
32	32	3 (e) The safety of persons related to transportation under the jurisdiction of the
33	33	4department, including commuter rail services.
34	34	5 SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, to ensure the
35	35	6safety of all individuals in proximity of a commuter rail station in the commonwealth, the
36	36	7Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall require that all commuter rail station grade
37	37	8crossings are converted into active crossings containing, at a minimum:
38	38	9 (1) four quadrant gates, or gate skirts. Four quadrant gates consist of two exit gates used
39	39	10in combination with standard entrance gates. The additional gate arms, combined with standard 2 of 2
40	40	11entrance gates, restrict access to the track crossing area. A gate skirt is defined as a secondary bar
41	41	12or gate marked with identical striping to the primary gate arm. The skirt hangs down from the
42	42	13pedestrian gate, and, in its fully deployed horizontal position, blocks additional area under the
43	43	14arm gate;
44	44	15 (2) signage at the entry point of the crossing to direct pedestrians to the appropriate and
45	45	16identified crossing area;
46	46	17 (3) a signalized visual warning device; and
47	47	18 (4) channelization to provide orientation clues to the designated pathway over the tracks
48	48	19and to direct pedestrians with vision impairments away from unprotected drop-offs along the
49	49	20edges of boarding platforms at stations.
50	50	21 Passive crossings without the required safety measures as enumerated above at a
51	51	22commuter rail station in the commonwealth shall be prohibited. Within 120 days of the passage
52	52	23of this Act, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall submit a plan for the upgrades
53	53	24necessary to ensure that all commuter rail stations with pedestrian grade crossings in the
54	54	25commonwealth are in compliance with this Act. Said report shall be sent to the chairperson of
55	55	26the department of public utilities, the secretary of transportation, the secretary of administration
56	56	27and finance, the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on transportation and the chairs
57	57	28of the house and senate committees on ways and means. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation
58	58	29Authority shall also file said plan with the house and senate clerks.