Town Administrator Mallory Aronstein is pleased to announce that the Town of Dighton will implement a speed safety zone along Pleasant Street to curb speeding in the area.
The Town of Dighton, with the help of the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD), conducted a speed study of various high-trafficked streets in November 2019. Using the collected data, Pleasant Street was highlighted as an area of concern within the town.
In response to the speed study and various town-wide complaints on speeding, the Board of Selectmen proposed a speed safety zone along Pleasant Street that was approved at Town Meeting on June 15.
A speed safety zone designation allows the town to implement a 20 mph speed limit in particular areas. A speed safety zone is the only area where a regulatory speed limit can be set by municipalities without MassDOT approval.
Proposed speed safety zones must include the following conditions to receive zoning permission:
- Street(s) adjacent to land that is likely to attract vulnerable road users such as parks or playgrounds
- Area contains one or more areas that have potential conflict between pedestrians and motor vehicles such as crosswalks or driveways
- Minimum length of the zone must be a quarter mile
- Proposed zoning should not extend more than 500 feet beyond the side of the street
The proposed speed safety zone along Pleasant Street is located near the Tricentennial Park and Main Street Playground, thus rendering it adjacent to land attracting vulnerable road users. It’s also is an area of potential conflict as it is connected to numerous driveways and side streets.
Other key considerations for this area include:
- The average speed on this street is 40 mph with an estimated 1,345 vehicles traveling on the road per day.
- There was an average of 54 traffic stops for speeding conducted per year 2015 to 2019.
- There is no recorded speed limit with MassDOT.
The Pleasant Street speed safety zone hearing will be continued to the Town of Dighton’s Oct. 21 meeting. At the hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 21 the town will hear further feedback regarding the extension of the project proposed to a part of the town-owned Somerset Avenue.
“The ongoing discussion regarding a multi-faceted response to speed concerns in the Town followed numerous complaints received in 2019 regarding speeding on Forest Street,” Town Administrator Aronstein said. “We continue to increase enforcement town-wide, and continue to seek to identify other streets that may also benefit from a speed safety zone designation. We encourage resident participation in our hearings as feedback about concerns and issues has a significant impact on resolutions imposed within the town.”
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