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Contractors and safety trade groups back H.3660 to allow speed cameras in active highway construction zones
Summary
Industry groups including the Massachusetts Aggregate and Asphalt Pavement Association and the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSA) supported H.3660, saying automated speed cameras in active construction zones would reduce speeding and protect workers after a string of recent crashes and fatalities.
Representatives from the Massachusetts Aggregate and Asphalt Pavement Association (MAPPA) and the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSA) told the Joint Committee on Transportation that H.3660 — authorizing automated speed enforcement in active highway construction zones — would reduce speeds and protect workers.
Chuck Lapis, MAPPA director, described industry support for the bill and said his membership of 17 Massachusetts‑based companies produces hot‑mix asphalt at dozens of facilities and employs thousands. "This proposed legislation will enable the use of speed zone cameras in work zones — a tool that is proven to reduce speeding and increase compliance with speed limits," he said, citing national increases in work‑zone fatalities and 45 work‑zone fatalities in Massachusetts since 2018.
ATSA (testimony delivered by a New England chapter representative) emphasized urgency after a March 27 crash on I‑91 that killed three contractor employees repairing guardrail. ATSA cited MassDOT incident reporting and said states that implemented similar systems saw significant reductions in speeding and crashes; the association urged the committee to report H.3660 favorably.
Witnesses described calibration and policing safeguards in the bill: speed systems would be clearly marked, calibrated and reviewed by law enforcement before citations are issued. Industry and safety groups urged the Legislature to allow targeted, well‑regulated speed enforcement to protect construction crews while final infrastructure upgrades proceed.
