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Council establishes 20 mph safety zone on Jassett Street near Stearns Park
Summary
Newton Traffic Council approved a safety-zone designation (20 mph) for Jassett Street between Faxon and California streets (TPR1074) after neighbors reported speeding by the park and staff confirmed the street meets MassDOT guidance for safety zones; vote was 4–1.
The Traffic Council voted 4–1 to designate Jassett Street between Faxon and California as a 20 miles-per-hour safety zone, citing proximity to Stearns Park and a playground.
Neighborhood speakers, including Marie Devlin, described speeding and urged traffic calming: "Personally, I'd like to see a speed bump, a sign some signage is a start, but we need we'll also need enforcement." Jeff Nettleton, the city’s senior transportation engineer, offered to share pre- and post-implementation data from other safety zones and explained how the 85th percentile and scoring factors influence traffic-calming priorities.
Councilors discussed sign placement and enforcement; Captain Devine noted lowering the posted limit could change ticketing outcomes though observed speeds had not been high enough for frequent citations. The approved docket (TPR1074) will be subject to the standard 20-day appeal period.
