Schools typically have an abundance of pedestrian activities and vehicle drop-off and pick-up. Because of these conditions, the State allows for reduced speed limits adjacent to the facilities when certain warrants are met.

This is a common request from residents who are concerned about excessive vehicle speed in their neighborhood. They are concerned about the safety of their children and elder pedestrians.

Massachusetts Department of Transportation controls all speed limits on all public roadways in the Commonwealth. In Worcester, where the vast majority of local (neighborhood) roads fall into the category of "thickly settled" zones, the speed limit is 30 miles per hour. This speed limit is based on stopping distance and reaction time and is based on average driver response.

Traffic signal installation requires considerable data collection and analysis. The MUTCD lists 9 warrants for the placement of traffic signals and can be found at https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/2009r1r2/part4.pdf. The fulfillment of a warrant or warrants does not in itself justify the installation of a signal. Installing a traffic signal at a low-volume intersection can significantly increase crashes and delays.

One of the multiway stop control warrants is crash related. If an intersection meets this requirement and it has approximately equal approach volumes, a multiway stop control installation may be warranted for safety purposes. However, the overall results of the traffic engineering study and the professional judgment of the engineer should also be considered. In fact, research has shown that under certain conditions other traffic control measures may be more effective and safer than the addition of a multiway stop sign.

The addition of four-way stop control is an inconvenience to all the drivers using the intersection. For this reason, 3 warrants have been developed and are listed in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). A four-way stop installation should only be used when traffic volumes on the intersecting roadways are approximately equal. If volumes are particularly large, a traffic signal may be more appropriate. Investigating the warrants requires an extensive traffic engineering study.

Many studies have shown that stop signs are not an effective measure for controlling or reducing midblock speeds. Observance studies show that, when there are too many stop signs, approximately half of all motorists came to a rolling stop and 25% do not stop at all. Stop signs can give pedestrians a false sense of safety if it is assumed that all vehicles will come to a complete stop at a stop sign.