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2w ago

Massachusetts Senate Unanimously Approves Expansion of Wrong‑Way Detection Program

The measure directs MassDOT to plan and budget installations of sensors, markings and real‑time police alerts at hundreds of ramps to try to reduce deadly wrong‑way crashes.

Massachusetts State Troopers carry the casket of Trooper Kevin Trainor to the back of the church where the Archbishop waits to bless him during funeral service at St. James Church in Salem, Mass., on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
State police say a wrong-way driver hit several cars on Route 3 in Chelmsford on May 20, 2026.

Overview

  • The Massachusetts Senate voted unanimously Thursday to adopt an amendment that would scale up a 2022 MassDOT pilot into a statewide wrong‑way detection and prevention program.
  • The amendment calls for deployments at roughly 600 ramp locations as an initial rollout, building on a pilot that used about 16 sensor sites with flashing lights, audible alerts, cameras and police notifications.
  • Lawmakers said the push accelerated after several fatal wrong‑way crashes, including the May 6 death of State Trooper Kevin Trainor and earlier deaths of Christopher Dailey and Sgt. Jeremy Cole.
  • The measure requires MassDOT to prepare budgets and annual reports and adds complementary actions such as public service announcements, a study on older‑driver safety and specialized law enforcement training.
  • The amendment now moves to the Massachusetts House for consideration and would go to Governor Maura Healey if the House approves it, but final funding levels and the full scope of deployments remain subject to the remainder of the budget process.