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Boston's Morning Newsletter
Could Mass. get speeding cameras? Here’s what to know about the proposal in Healey’s budget
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Did you feel yesterday’s earthquake? The 3.8 magnitude quake thankfully didn’t cause any major damage, according to state emergency management agencies.
Now, to the news:
Eyes on the road: Nineteen states use speeding cameras to crack down on lead foot drivers. Massachusetts isn’t one of them — yet. As a part of Gov. Maura Healey’s $62 billion budget proposal last week, she included language to allow for the automated enforcement of speeding laws. But as WBUR’s Dan Guzman reports, a bit more would have to happen in the legislature before any cameras start rolling.
- The deets: Healey’s proposal would allow Massachusetts municipalities to deploy a certain number of speeding cameras, based on the area’s population size. First-time violators would receive a warning, but if you get caught speeding again on camera, it would be a $100 fine, as currently written in the proposal. Any plan would need approval from the legislature, but if it does get cleared by July 2026, the earliest you’d see a speeding camera would be later that year or 2027.
- What’s behind the push? According to Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, automatic enforcement would relieve police of the burden of enforcing all traffic laws. “We can’t have a cop on every corner,” Driscoll reportedly said at an event on Friday. “We know we can use technology. This isn’t about revenue, it’s about keeping roads safe, impacting the quality of neighborhoods.” And this isn’t the only traffic safety measure of late. In the past month, lawmakers have approved plans for cameras to enforce state laws on driving in bus-only lanes and passing school buses.
- How exact will these cameras be? State Sen. William Brownsberger, who’s been behind several efforts to bring speeding cameras to Massachusetts, told Guzman it shouldn’t be unfairly exacting. “You know, driving 26 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone,” Brownsberger said, “we have to build in protections to make sure that everybody knows we’re going to be reasonable about that.”
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Off to the races: Josh Kraft, son of billionaire Robert Kraft, has taken his first steps toward joining the Boston mayoral race (no, not that son). It was reported Monday that he filed “statement of organization” paperwork with the Massachusetts campaign finance regulators to be able to raise campaign funds as a Democrat. (His official bid is expected soon, a spokesperson for Kraft told The Boston Globe.) If he chooses to run, Kraft will be the first to challenge Mayor Michelle Wu since she took office in 2021.
- Where does he stand? Kraft has previously donated to both Republican and Democratic candidates, including Healey, Driscoll, former Gov. Charlie Baker, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Rep. Russell Holmes and Sen. Nick Collins.
Learning behind bars: The Massachusetts Department of Corrections is hoping a new job skills program will reduce prison recidivism in the state. Last week, the DOC announced it will begin working with Persevere, a workforce training organization, to teach coding and web development skills to individuals incarcerated in Massachusetts.
- How it will work: Eighteen students are expected to enroll in the yearlong class, which meets five days a week for six hours a day. According to a press release, participants will also receive job search and placement services, and mentoring for a year after getting their certification.
- Why could the partnership help? Employment is the “most challenging piece” of reentry for people who have been incarcerated, DOC Commissioner Shawn Jenkins told WBUR’s Amy Sokolow. “ We always looking for a kind of creative and innovative ways to make sure that people have the skills necessary when they leave here to have good employment,” he added. “Not just a job, so to speak.”
PSA: Expect traffic and delays if you’re driving into or around Logan Airport this morning. Route 1A South in East Boston — heading inbound toward the airport — remains closed after a bus crash yesterday morning knocked over some utility poles. While the northbound lane reopened yesterday afternoon, crews were still working overnight to clear the area. It’s unclear when all lanes will be open, so plan accordingly.
P.S. — Did you know WBUR’s Cristela Guerra will be chatting tonight with National Book Award winner Imani Perry? She’ll be discussing Perry’s new book, “Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People,” at The Brattle at 6 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $38.
