New speed boards installed across Mass. to curb speeding cyclists, drivers

New speed signs installed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation across the state — including in Jamaica Plain and along Charles River Park — are intended to prompt cyclists to slow down, not just drivers, officials said.

Speed ​​signs alert drivers and cyclists to reduce their speed when driving too fast. They also collect data, such as trail user volume, to help officials assess the level of activity at certain properties, a DCR spokesperson told Boston.com.

DCR has installed several signs along Southwest Corridor Park and Center Street in Jamaica Plain to track bicyclists and vehicles, the spokesperson said.

The installations come after state officials received concerns from residents about high speeds by cyclists, according to DCR.

Following feedback from users and stakeholders Southwest Corridor Action Plan Overall process, DCR announced in 2024 that it would do so Experimenting with new safety measures in the Southwest Corridor Park, which included the installation of rapid reaction panels.

The initiative is Designed to reduce quantity – Vehicles moving at excessive speeds threaten the safety of others sharing the road.

According to a DCR spokesperson, additional speed signs have been installed to monitor cyclists – not motor vehicles – along the Charles River Esplanade and Cambridge’s Memorial Drive. Speed ​​signs have been installed on Memorial Drive along the Paul Dudley White Path, which runs parallel to the street.

Other facilities around the state include the Neponset River Preserve in Milton, the Cape Cod Rail Trail, the Central Greenway Rail Trail, and the Norotuck Rail Trail, which runs from Northampton to Belchertown. Speed ​​signs in these areas will only track cyclist traffic, according to DCR.

Speed ​​signs are scheduled to be installed on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail in Cheshire this summer, officials said.

So far, the speed signs have had what officials described as the desired effect of slowing down traffic on specific routes, the DCR spokesman said, adding that the department has received positive feedback from users.