Hope Avenue Speed Limit and Pedestrian Safety
At a glance
- What: after a fatal accident near 137 Hope Ave., Jose A. Rivera moved to rescind the posted 35 and 30 mph special speed regulations on Hope Ave. and return the road to the statutory limit (25 mph).
- Where it stands: ongoing. Rescission adopted 11-0 on 2026-07-21, with follow-up orders adopted.
- Next: reports on pedestrian safety, lighting and traffic patterns; a citywide review of where 25 mph signs belong.
The proposal
- Khrystian E. King and Kathleen M. Toomey added reports and statutory-signage follow-ups.
City Manager's comments (2026-07-21)
- The Department of Transportation and Mobility is reviewing short- and long-term changes near the I-290 exit ramp, where the road widens to two lanes and invites speeding.
- Rescinding the 30/35 mph special regulations returns the road to the 25 mph statutory limit, but each special regulation has to be rescinded one by one.
- He did not have the investigative report to say whether speed was a factor in the fatal crash.
- Khrystian E. King said he had heard about lighting problems at the site and wanted a report.
Decisions
- Rescission adopted 11-0 on 2026-07-21.
- Follow-up orders adopted: reports on pedestrian safety and lighting near 137 Hope Ave., on traffic patterns and markings that contributed to the accident, and immediate installation of 25 mph statutory signs, with a citywide review of where such signs belong.
- A MassDOT grant of free 25 mph statutory speed limit signs was accepted 9-0 on 2026-08-18.
Discussion time
About 9 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-07-21 - City Council | 9 |
Log
- 2026-08-18 - City Council — Resolution accepting free 25 mph statutory speed limit signs from MassDOT adopted 9-0 as part of the grant batch. Later, Luis A. Ojeda asked when the statutory 25 mph signs would go up and Eric D. Batista said a change in state law now allows citywide posting and the work is contracted (see Traffic Speed Cameras).
- 2026-07-21 - City Council — Item 12f: Rivera's order to rescind the special speed regulations adopted 11-0; King's two reports and Toomey's signage order adopted under suspension.