Traffic Safety FAQs

Question:  How do I get a truck exclusion approved on my street?

Answer:  Traffic engineers, municipalities and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (Mass DOT) are required to follow the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices and the Standard Municipal Traffic Code (MUTCD) when installing signs or other restrictions on streets in the Commonwealth.

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways contains national standards adopted by the Federal Highway Administration. The Massachusetts Amendments to the 2009 MUTCD modifies the federal standards where necessary to cover local requirements and incorporates Mass DOT's most recent traffic engineering recommendations. These standards are authorized by Chapter 85, Section 2 of the Massachusetts General Laws and were last updated in January of 2012.

The Massachusetts Amendments to MUTCD, Section 10A-9 specifically states a truck exclusion from a municipal way may be authorized by Mass DOT provided a suitable alternate route is available.  The alternate route shall have an effective width and pavement structure which can safely accommodate the additional truck traffic.  In addition, the alternate route must meet one of the following conditions:

• Lie wholly within the community making application
• Lie partially in an adjacent community but only on State Highway, or
• Lie partially in an adjacent community but have the adjacent community’s written approval.

It is also important to note that numbered routes are ineligible for heavy commercial vehicle exclusions.

An engineering study must be made and one of the following may be sufficient justification for a truck exclusion.

A volume of heavy commercial vehicles, which usually is in the range of five (5) to eight (8) percent, reduces the utilization of the facility and is cause for a substantial reduction in capacity or safety.

The condition of the pavement structure of the route to be excluded indicates that further repeated heavy wheel loads will result in severe deterioration of the roadway.  (This is subject to Mass DOT review)

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in certain instances where land use is primarily residential in nature and a municipality has requested exclusion only during hours of darkness, a specific night exclusion may be granted.

Massachusetts Amendments to MUTCD, Section 10A-9 also provides the following exemption:” Exclusions shall not apply to heavy commercial vehicles going to or coming from places upon said streets for the purpose of making deliveries of goods, materials, or merchandise to or similar collections from abutting land or buildings or adjacent street or ways to which access cannot otherwise be gained; or to vehicles used in connection with construction, maintenance and repair of said streets or public utilizes therein; or to Federal, State, Municipal or public service corporation owned vehicles.

It is also important to note Mass DOT defines a heavy commercial vehicle as a truck with a gross vehicle weight of 5000 lbs. or more.  This typically includes any vehicle with six (6) or more wheels.  This means some vehicles believed to be a truck, such as a large pick-up truck with a trailer (possibly a landscaper or other tradesman) does not meet the definition unless it is equipped with dual rear wheels.

Before Mass DOT can consider an exclusion proposal, the following data must be submitted by the municipality:

A. A twenty-four hour consecutive count of all vehicles using the subject      street.

(If the exclusion is requested for only twelve hours, a twelve-hour count will suffice.) The count shall be broken into one-half hour intervals showing:

          (1) Commercial vehicles with a carrying capacity over 2½ tons

          (2) Other vehicles

B. Map of the area, with the excluded street marked in red, the alternate route in green.

C. Physical characteristics of excluded and alternate streets in question, i.e, length, width, type and condition of surface and sidewalk.

D. Types of buildings or property abutting street (Residential, Business, School, Playground, etc).

E. Zoning of Street (Residential, Industrial, etc.).

F. Proximity of probable alternate route to the proposed excluded route and the additional distance to be traveled using the alternate route.             

G. Types of traffic control existing on street.

H. Hours during which exclusion is to be in effect.

I. A written statement from the municipality as to the need for the exclusion, and acknowledgement of acceptance of the responsibility for installation and maintenance of appropriate signage.

Question: Can you put a stop sign at the end of my street?

Answer:  Traffic engineers, municipalities and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (Mass DOT) are required to follow the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices and the Standard Municipal Traffic Code (MUTCD)  when installing signs or other restrictions on streets in the Commonwealth.  The Massachusetts Amendments to MUTCD, Section 10A-4 Stop Signs specifically states “The purpose of the Stop Sign is to designate right-of-way to vehicles making conflicting movements. It is not intended, nor shall it be used for the control of speed, traffic calming or to forestall pedestrian, rear-end or turning movement accidents. To insure uniformity in stop sign studies and recommendations, the warrants as provided in the 2009 MUTCD, Section 2B.05 will govern”.   Section 2B.05 of the MUTCD indicates a Stop sign should only be installed at locations where a full stop is necessary at all times and Section 2B.06 of the MUTCD provides Stop Sign Application guidelines as “The use of STOP signs on the minor-street approaches should be considered if engineering judgment indicates that a stop is always required because of one or more of the following conditions:

A. The vehicular traffic volumes on the through street or highway exceed 6,000 vehicles per day;

B. A restricted view exists that requires road users to stop in order to adequately observe conflicting traffic on the through street or highway; and/or

C. Crash records indicate that three or more crashes that are susceptible to correction by the installation of a STOP sign have been reported within a 12-month period, or that five or more such crashes have been reported     within a 2-year period. Such crashes include right-angle collisions involving road users on the minor-street approach failing to yield the right-of-way to traffic on the through street or highway.”