I live in the area and I requested the speed limit review on this road due to a very heavy construction vehicles traffic and landscaping trucks between Aggregate Industries entrance and golf course especially early morning. I drive every morning on workdays and these vehicles park along the road and people walk around which is not safe. 40 miles speed limit was established in 70s and has not been reviewed since. In the last 40 years there are multiple businesses opened along the road and residents or visitors of these businesses have trouble exiting from side roads due to limited visibility and high speed limit. City either has to add additional signalge or reduce speed. There is an average of one major accident on the road due to this issue.

25 mph is brilliant on the upper end of Swampscott Rd, to reduce the many accidents and near-misses, and to prepare drivers for the roundabout we're getting next year. I agree that the lower section could be slightly higher but not 40. Seems like speed limits could be reviewed every 10 years and not every 40 years? (Thanks to neighbor Natasha for initiating this process.)

Well there is one consequence you probably didn’t think about. When big heavy trucks are in lower gears because of the lower speed limit they are going to be a lot louder if you live in the area. I do agree with round about being installed, but good luck with the noise increase. Generally I just think it is not very well thought out, it is a major cut through and highland ave is a disaster and traffic cannot move we need swampscott rd to move.

In my initial request I asked the city to review the speed limit along the street, I didn't realized that they would drop the speed from 40 to 25, I think 30 would have been more appropriate. If someone wants to appeal it with Police Department or City hall, welcome to do so.

With all due respect maybe you should be the one , because I am fed up with people not using any common sense when making requests like this , because in the long run you only cause more problems then are solved. Maybe next time throw the idea out on a his forum first to see what people think first.

I live in this area since 1997. I drive this road all the time. I have seen too many situations close to accidents. I have seen people totaled their cars on that road because of the speed and others that caused accidents and left the scene. I simply suggest the city to review the speed limit. I'm not the specialist to tell them what it should be. If the speed limit was not reviewed in the last 40 years and traffic patterns changed they had to adjust. Please follow up with Police Department or city councilor with your suggestion.

I have lived in Salem my whole life and the traffic pattern has never changed on that Rd. So can we please re-review the speed change for Swampscott rd from first St to Danvers rd to at least 35. Most of the major accidents on the rd would not be prevented by speed reductions as drunk driving and people going 100mph do not really obey the law. Could someone please fwd this to traffic dept.

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I didn't make the change, so please no personal attacks. Speed change was coming anyway with roundabout changes on the road. If you carefully review study document speed is listed as too high for this road. In addition, same document refers to high level of accidents in the area. If you drive this road in the morning during peak hours there are at least 3-7 commercial trucks parked along the way between the golf course and mulch yard and people walk around them. In addition, trucks exit Aggregate Industries constantly so if you drive with 40mph an hour there is a high chance you can hit someone or something considering greenery overgrowth and people walking on the roads. You also need to think about people who exist from adjusted businesses, Salem Fitness, Salem glass, Castle creek. Cars come flying on Swampscott road and view is completely obstructed for cars exiting. I agree 25mph is low, 30-35 would have been more appropriate.

Brilliant, We can have 35 mph posted speed limit on Congress st but lets lower the speed to 25 on Swampscott road where there are no houses.

The trucks take their own risk parking on the road. Besides they don’t stand on the side of their trucks 99% of the time and furthermore if you hit one of those trucks at any speed, good luck... The person hitting the truck is going to have the issue. Again comes down to people being responsible for them self.

Franklin Park, This is why we need to be more careful who we elect into office. Are these people really acting in the best interest of the people. How many City counselors know anything about speed limit or traffic engineering. Probably few if not any at all.

It was made by decision of Police department not city counselor. Based on the study the speed limit proposed approaching new round about sugested 20 mph.

And just as a reference of how stupid the 25 mph on swampscott rd is, Marlborough rd is thickly settled and the speed is 30. Congress st is thickly settled and has many cross walks and is 30mph. Besides I haven’t seen many people obeying the 25 on Swampscott because it is so obnoxious. Again seriously can we use some actual common sense and not a traffic study that was done for 1 intersection. Simple compromise would be putting Swampscott back to at least 35 mph from 1st south towards Danvers rd. Then north bound slows to 25 approaching 1st street at about Salem glass. Very reasonable.

No one is doing 25. The speed was posted 25 moving away from the proposed rotary. Admit it was just a money grab and put the old signs back up.

No, the new speed limit is for the entire road in both directions, not just at the proposed roundabout.

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According to federal MUTCD regulations adopted by Massachusetts into law in 1966, a proper and legal speed limit should be based mostly on measurements of the 85th percentile of free-flowing traffic.
.
The First Street Intersection Study is not a legal speed study of Swampscott Road. It’s being used as an excuse to set the speed artificially low.

Please contact the city engineer David Knowlton and demand that the speed limit signs be brought into compliance with the law as soon as possible.

Thank you

I read somewhere the traffic committee voted to put the speed limit back to normal, but the signs didn't change back as fast as they were lowered. When will this be fixed. The road was shutdown last week, someone probably fell asleep behind someone doing 25. Come on Salem, you're killing us.

Salem Traffic & Parking (Verified Official):
Thank you for your comments. The Traffic and Parking Department is working to return the speed limit signs to the the limits established through the speed study. Thank you.
04/12/2018 · Flag

These are the only legal speed limits for that road

Thank you Sabena for your persistence and information in bringing the logic into the light.

In 2016 Mass legislation enacted the law allowing municipalities to lower statutory (unposed) speed limits in thickly settled and business districts as part of the new Mass General Law Chapter 218, “An Act Modernizing Municipal Finance and Government.”

Therefore, the stated purpose of this law is to generate revenue for the municipalities. The intent is not safety; there is no pretense these acts were meant to address some safety issues.

Swampscott Road does not for two reasons:

1. It’s not “thickly settled” or a “business district” as defined by the law
2. It already had legally posted speed limits, whereas the new legislation applies only to unposed roads

It’s very easy for a municipality to unknowingly or otherwise misuse this new option. The state legislation provided no mechanism to ensure the new laws are actually followed by the towns and cities.

This is not about safety. By appropriating traffic laws originally based on sound scientific principles, the legislation is enabling municipalities to ticket people new ways to generate revenue.

The speed limit on that road was established in 1974 and was no longer valid. None of the business existed on that road. You still don’t consider opinions from drivers who have to enter Swampscott road from adjusting roads and businesses. There was at least one major accident reported on that road on monthly basis due to speed. 40 is still too high.

Natasha:
There is no law, rule, guideline or any other document that would make the Swampscott Road’s legal speed limits on file with MassDOT “no longer valid.”
Unfortunately, subjective opinions cannot be a part of any engineering scientific processes many of the laws are based on.

You were asking the City for new speed studies. Their engineering knew a proper speed study would not give you the results you wanted.

So they opted to bend the rules to the detriment of other road users. All I’m saying is this “solution” is in the least ineffective, and most certainly illegal.

There are like 5 driveways on Swampscott rd and most of them have been there for 30 years or more. 40 is fine you really gauge on residential in a city like Salem this is industrial . Accidents happen at every speed and people who are going to speed do not care if the speed limit is 25 or 80 they are going to be stupid . Personal responsibility. The speed limit is 45 on highland avenue after Swampscott rd it doesn’t stop people from going 70 its a sign; Sabena did her research and knows the law.

Js1234: thanks for your support.
Please send a reminder to Mathew Smith, the Traffic and Parking Commissioner, to restore the previous legal speed limit signs as promised.
Thank you

According to a recent article in the Salem news the traffic department is not going to put the 40 signs back until a new traffic study is done. There was a comment from a traffic expert via the blog who stated that most likely a traffic study would show 40 is appropriate. So I would please ask for the signs to be put back up as people are going 40 anyway because they know that they 25 signs are not enforceable. So you are really not setting a good example by breaking more laws all you are showing the public is that laws are pointless because if your own officials do not have to follow then then why should the citizens. It is chilling to think that this is possible.

From: MassDOT Highway Call Center Customer Service
Subject: RE: Speed Regulations

Municipalities that do not follow MassDOT’s procedures on Speed Zoning and erect regulatory speed limit signs without following federal and MassDOT guidelines are willingly subjecting themselves to unnecessary liabilities by erecting signage that may in fact be contrary to safety guidelines and may in fact contribute to creating unsafe situations by erecting signage that does not accurately reflect roadway usage.

They may also be jeopardizing future funding on highway projects. We receive Federal funding for projects on NHS roadways, and in Massachusetts, by law, (Chapter 85, Section 2 of the MGL) MassDOT AND Municipalities can only post traffic control devices (including speed limit signs) in accordance with the Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which is augmented by MassDOT’s Procedures for Speed Zoning. The FHWA does not look kindly on traffic control devices that do not conform with the Federal Manual if they are funding a project in a municipality that does not adhere to their guidelines.

MassDOT’s Highway Customer Service Center
166 Sturbridge Rd.
Charlton, MA 01507
Ph: 857-368-3500| Fax: 508-248-4581
http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway

I sabena, the question is will they follow the law? I think not because we already have a pattern of not following laws. Change the signs back because you know that a new traffic study will yield the same speed limit. This issue should not have to be dragged out so long do it the right way and not by deceptive practices and people will tend to be more open about discussion or change. Thank you again Sabena 😁.

Thank you Js1234.

I've written to the Mayor's Office and the Salem Police Department; to the Traffic Commission and the City Engineer; to the Ward Councillor and the State Representatives. They all agreed the new signs are not in compliance. The Salem News printed my letter and published an article. MassDOT acknowledged Salem is in violation. And nothing is changing.

What will it take for Salem to follow the state law? A lawsuit?

I already commented more than once however, seems that you only think about yourself and not people's safety, residents of the street, pedestrians or people who work in adjusted buildings 40 miles speed limit was too high. Annual statistics on number or accidents proved it and have personally witnessed more than one accident myself being a resident in the area more than 20 years. Traffic around North Shore Compost every morning and afternoon with landscaping trucks is ridiculous. Speed limit was set in 1976 before any buildings were built around this road so it is was way outdated. Again 40 is too high for this road.

And I already explained that's not how the law works. Sorry

Natasha, I am sorry you do not like how the outcome should be, but as another writer said I have also lived in Salem for more then 40 years and most of the businesses or driveways a have been their the whole time and in fact since the big dig has completed the traffic specifically with heavy trucks has decreased and automotive traffic has increased as a cut through. This in my knowledge would back up the 40mph. Previous comments by others can back this up. All we are asking is to follow the law. If a legitimate traffic study was done for the whole road it would have been on file with MA DOT.

These are not laws, there are regulations. there is a difference. North Shore Compost, Kids golf course, Salem fitness, Storage, Salem Glass (and whole plaza where it is located), townhouses on the hill (Sanctuary, Marriner, Dolphins) where not there.. and even there was something there, traffic patters, number of cars people drive now had increased drastically. It has not been taken into account.

And a proper traffic study would take that into account. And a state regulation is the law for municipalities to follow.

Your argument is like saying "I want Salem to have only 3.8% sales tax. The 6.25% sales tax is no longer needed because the state budget is now different than it used to be."

Natasha, regulations are backed up
By laws and you cannot make regulation without laws so they are the same. I am sorry but you are you are wrong.

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