MassDOT Announces Municipal Speed Feedback Signage Program

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing the launch of the Municipal Speed Feedback Signage Program, a new $1 million initiative designed to help communities manage vehicle speeds and enhance roadway safety, particularly in speed transition zones where posted limits change. 

The program, administered cooperatively by MassDOT's Office of Transportation Planning and Highway Division, will provide municipalities with solar-powered, data-capable, and Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) compliant speed feedback signs (either post-mounted or portable trailer-mounted) at no capital cost to local governments.  An application form is available online at the following link, with signs distributed on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis. 

Participating municipalities will be responsible for installation and maintenance of the signs and will share the speed data collected from the signs to help support statewide speed management research and decision-making. The initiative is supported with federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding for Federal Fiscal Year 2026 and aligns with MassDOT's broader Safe System approach and Vision Zero strategy to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. 

"The launch of this program strengthens our collaboration with cities and towns as we work together to increase driver awareness, reduce vehicle speeds, and make our roads safer for everyone," said Undersecretary and State Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. "MassDOT's top priority is and always will be safety so we are excited to partner with cities and towns to provide these signs to qualifying applications at no up front cost to municipalities." 

Research shows that driver feedback signs are among the most effective tools for influencing driver behavior, reducing average speeds by 2–17 percent and lowering collision severity by 23–45 percent in urban environments. Driver feedback signs are particularly effective in speed transition zones where roadway design or context changes, such as moving from rural to suburban or urban areas. 

Details on the program overview, eligibility, application materials, FAQs, and contact information are available on MassDOT's Municipal Planning & Support Team's webpage: https://www.mass.gov/massdot-municipal-planning-and-support.

Information sessions and webinars will be offered to communities through the application and eligibility process. Notifications to municipal leaders, legislators, and regional partners will be sent via email as soon as details are available. 

Pittsfield Council Says 'Yes' to Soccer at Crane Park

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
06:35AM / Saturday, June 13, 2026

The pitch will have the logos of the city and the US. and Massachusetts soccer associations. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is gladly accepting a "mini-pitch" from the U.S. Soccer Foundation to bring games back to Crane Park. 

Fueling excitement around the World Cup, U.S. Soccer has been working with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer League to make these facilities available to 20 communities — one of which will be at the park at the intersection of Benedict Road and Springside Avenue. 

The City Council accepted the gift on Tuesday during its regular meeting. 

A mini pitch is a compact, modular field typically used for soccer, and it can also accommodate inline skates. It has a galvanized steel border with built-in goals and a rubber plastic surface that is clicked together; installed on the existing inline hockey court. 

Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham said he has gone door to door speaking with nearby residents, and they are "really excited" about the upgrade. He also sees it as a great addition. 

"They say that nobody really uses the court a ton now, and they are excited to see kids back on there playing," he said. 

Decades ago, the Crane Park facility was a wading pool. It closed in 1980, and before the turn of the century, it was filled in and marked for hockey. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained that the wooden border around the rink is showing its age, has been vandalized and tagged, and the facility is seeing a "real decline" in use. 

"This would seem to be an appropriate spot for us to remove the board system that's in place and install the mini pitch system through this grant," he said.