Townwide 25 MPH Speed Limit

Beginning in 2023, the speed limit in thickly settled or business districts town wide has been reduced to 25 miles per hour. A significant percentage of roadways throughout Andover meet this requirement, both in the Downtown area and in residential neighborhoods such as Ballardvale and Shawsheen Village. The adjusted speed limit is intended to make Andover streets safer for drivers and pedestrians, and to reduce the risk of serious injury in the event of a motor vehicle accident. 

At the 2022 Annual Town Meeting, voters opted-in to Chapter 90, Section 17C, authorizing the reduced speed limit. The Andover Select Board voted to implement the measure on a town wide basis in late 2022. 

At the time of the measure’s implementation, 34 roadways throughout Andover had special speed regulations on file with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), making them exempt from the town wide speed limit. The Select Board voted in August 2023 to rescind special speed regulations on 16 roadways. This move will have the effect of lowering the speed limits on the 16 identified roadways to 25 miles per hour, consistent with the town-wide speed restriction.

The decision to rescind these special speed regulations must clear a multi-step approval process involving MassDOT and the RMV. To date, the process has been completed for four of the 16 identified roadways. The remaining 12 roadways remain at various stages of the approval process.

When this process is completed, just 12 streets in Andover will have speed limits that exceed 25 miles per hour. 

In 2023, the Town of Andover began installing new signs at the Town's borders and other key locations advising motorists of the new speed restriction. The Andover Police Department intends to conduct an extensive public information campaign as the new measure takes effect to ensure that motorists are aware of the change before strict enforcement of the reduced speed limit takes place.