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Paving industry and traffic-safety groups back bill to allow automated speed cameras in active work zones
Summary
Industry and safety groups told the Joint Committee on Transportation they support House Bill 3660 to allow automated speed‑enforcement cameras in active highway construction zones. Witnesses said speeding into work zones is frequent and deadly and that speed cameras, properly calibrated and clearly signed, are a proven tool to reduce speeds and
Representatives of the Massachusetts Aggregate and Asphalt Pavement Association and the New England chapter of the American Traffic Safety Services Association urged the Joint Committee on Transportation to support House Bill 3660, which would authorize the use of automated speed‑enforcement cameras in active highway construction and maintenance zones.
Chuck Lapis, director of MAPPA, said the paving industry supports all work‑zone safety proposals, and described industry exposure: "We represent 17 Massachusetts‑based companies... Our industry produces an economic impact of well over a billion dollars," he said, and added that asphalt contractors encounter vehicles entering work zones frequently. Lapis cited federal data showing work‑zone fatalities have increased nationally and told the committee Massachusetts recorded 45 work‑zone fatalities since 2018 and 300 serious non‑fatal injuries in the same span.
Mike Sutton (statement delivered by Mike Allen) of the American Traffic Safety Services Association told the committee that other states with similar systems have seen reductions in speeding and crashes. He described H.3660's safeguards, including requirements that systems be clearly marked, properly calibrated and reviewed by law enforcement prior to issuing citations. "The need for this legislation is urgent," Sutton's statement said, and cited recent contractor and DOT vehicle strikes and the March 27 crash in West Springfield that killed three contractor employees.
Contractors, unions and safety advocates said the measure is a targeted tool for active work zones, not a broad surveillance program, and that careful calibration and visible signage are required to avoid misuse. Supporters asked the committee to report H.3660 favorably and to adopt clear operational standards in the implementing regulations.
