Pedestrians shall obey the direction of police
officers directing traffic, and whenever there is an officer directing
traffic or a traffic control signal within 300 feet of a pedestrian,
no such pedestrian shall cross a way or roadway except within the
limits of the marked crosswalk at the signalized location and as hereinafter
provided in these regulations. For the purpose of these regulations,
a marked crosswalk shall only be construed to be that area of a roadway
reserved for pedestrian crossing located between two solid white reflectorized
twelve-inch pavement markings in rural areas or markings not less
than six inches wide in urban areas, said markings or lines being
no less than six feet apart.
Traffic control signal color indications and
legends shall have the commands ascribed to them in this section and
no other meanings, and every pedestrian shall comply therewith, except
when otherwise directed by an officer.
A. Red and yellow or the word "walk." Whenever the red
and yellow lenses are illuminated together or the single word "walk"
is illuminated, pedestrians facing such indications may proceed across
the roadway and in the direction of such signal only.
B. Red alone or "don't walk." Whenever the words "don't
walk" or any indication other than red and yellow shown together is
illuminated in a traffic control signal where pedestrian indications
are provided, pedestrians approaching or facing such indication shall
wait on the sidewalk, edge or roadway or in the pedestrian refuge
area of a traffic island and shall not enter upon or cross a roadway
until the proper indication is illuminated in the traffic control
signal, but any pedestrian who has partially completed his crossing
on the walk indication shall proceed or return to the nearest sidewalk
or safety island on the yellow indication, the red indication or when
the words "don't walk" are illuminated by rapid intermittent flashes.
C. Green alone. At traffic control signal locations where
no pedestrian indication is given or provided, pedestrians facing
the signal may proceed across the roadway within any marked crosswalk
in the direction of the green indication.
D. Yellow alone, red alone or flashing "don't walk."
Pedestrians approaching or facing a yellow, red or flashing "don't
walk" illuminated indication shall not start to cross a roadway.
E. Flashing red, yellow or green. At any traffic control
signal location where a flashing red, flashing yellow or flashing
green indication is being given facing a crosswalk, pedestrians shall
actuate, where provided, the pedestrian signal indication and cross
the roadway only on the red-yellow or "walk" indication when such
indication is in operation. If no pedestrian signal is provided, pedestrians
shall cross within crosswalks with due care.
It shall be unlawful for any person to actuate
a pedestrian control signal unless a crossing of the roadway is intended.
[Amended 9-23-2002; 6-18-2007]
The provisions of these regulations shall in
no way abrogate the provisions of MGL c. 90, §§ 14
and 14A, which provide precautions for safety of other travelers and
for the protection of blind persons crossing ways. Furthermore, notwithstanding
the provisions of these regulations, every operator of a vehicle shall
exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian upon the
roadway and shall give warning by sounding the horn when necessary
and shall exercise proper precautions which may become necessary for
safe operation. Violation of this section is a civil infraction with
a maximum fine of $60.
These pedestrian control regulations shall be
enforced by all officers of the Town of Lexington on and after January
1, 1965.
The provisions of these rules and regulations
governing the use of ways by pedestrians shall not apply to pedestrians
actually engaged in work upon a roadway closed to travel or under
construction or repair, to municipal, state, federal or public service
corporation employees while in the performance of their duties, to
officers engaged in the performance of their public duties or to pedestrians
acting in an emergency which such emergency necessitates departure
from any part of these rules and regulations.
Any person who violates the provisions of this
article which deal with the proper use of ways by pedestrians shall
be punished as provided in MGL c. 90, § 18A.
[Amended 3-27-2019 ATM by Art. 34]
All existing rules and regulations governing
the operation of vehicles or the use of ways by pedestrians which
are inconsistent herewith are hereby expressly repealed. This repeal
shall not, however, affect any punishment or penalty imposed or any
complaint or prosecution pending at the time of passage hereof for
any offense committed under any of said rules and regulations hereby
repealed. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of
these rules and regulations is for any reason unconstitutional, such
decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion of
these rules and regulations. The Select Board of the Town of Lexington
hereby declare that they would have passed these rules and regulations
and each section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase thereof irrespective
of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences,
clauses or phrases may be declared unconstitutional.