Town speed limit set at 25 miles-an-hour for non-state roads

The Select Board unanimously approved setting the speed limit in Wareham to 25 miles-an-hour in “thickly settled areas,” unless otherwise posted.

The state defines “thickly settled” as “an area where homes are less than 200 feet apart or areas where businesses are built up, for a distance of a quarter mile.”

This means that the speed limit will be set at 25 miles-an-hour in areas such as Shangri-La, Onset Village and Swifts Beach, unless signs indicate otherwise.

The change will not impact state roads such as Cranberry Highway or Route 6.

At the 2024 Fall Town Meeting, voters adopted the relevant section of Massachusetts General Law, allowing the Select Board to reduce speeds on non-state roads.

Following the Town Meeting vote, town officials notified the Department of Transportation about the change. Following the Select Board’s vote of approval, the final step in implementing the law is the design and installation of signage.

A timeline for the installation process has not yet been established.

At the Feb. 4 Select Board meeting, officials made it clear signs will be installed on state roads notifying drivers of the town-wide limit, as well as on the affected local roads.

“I think that a lower speed limit is appropriate and it helps to accommodate multi-use of the roads,” said Select Board member Sherry Quirk, “People walking and bicycling do better when cars are going a little bit more slowly and people are more thoughtful.”