The Town of Arlington now has a true 25 MPH speed limit. Although Arlington adopted a townwide 25 MPH speed limit in 2017, many streets were governed by Special Speed Regulations (SSRs) set forth by MassDOT in the 1970s. The Town made a series of requests to MassDOT to make these roadways align with the townwide 25 MPH speed limit. Those requests were approved and new yellow Thickly Settled District 25 MPH signage has been posted around town accordingly. In many areas, the signage has been posted at an increased frequency to serve as a constant reminder to drivers on these roads. “The Town of Arlington is committed to improving multi-modal safety and reducing the risk and severity of crashes,” said Arlington Town Manager, Jim Feeney. “By lowering the default speed limit to 25 MPH townwide and adding Safety Zones in select areas, we hope to reduce vehicle speeds, create a more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly environment, and encourage safer driving practices. I’m grateful for the work of Transportation Advisory Committee and the Select Board for moving these initiatives forward, and to Public Works for installing the signage, and to MassDOT for honoring our requests.”

All streets in Arlington, except the Route 2 service drive, have a speed limit of 25 MPH, unless they are a Safety Zone. Safety Zones have a speed limit of 20 MPH and are already in place at schools. At the recommendation of the Transportation Advisory Committee, the Select Board approved five new Safety Zones this year: Arlington Heights Business District, Summer Street by Buzzell and Arlington Catholic fields (between Mill and Mystic Streets), Arlington Center, East Arlington, and parts of Irving Street. Approved earlier in the year, the installation of 20 MPH signage has been completed in the Arlington Heights Business District and Summer Street Safety Zones. The other three Safety Zone locations were approved in the fall and the installation of signage is planned for the spring of 2026. Also planned at that time is the installation of the remainder of Thickly Settled District 25 MPH signs on Mass Ave (Cambridge to Lexington line). The new signs cannot be properly installed when the ground is frozen. To date Public Works has installed 94 Thickly Settled District 25 MPH signs, 20 Safety Zone Speed Limit signs, and removed 32 regulatory signs for speed limits over 25 MPH.