Slow down the next time you drive on North Main Street.
Andover police have stopped 66 vehicles for speeding infractions on the road running from Downtown to the Interstate 495 interchange. That amounts to 26.7 percent of all speeding-related stops between May 1 and July 18 in an Andover News review of Andover police logs.
The review comes as Andover police step up enforcement of the new, Town-wide, 25 mph speed limit. North Main Street is one of the roads that will not be impacted by the new rules, and its speed limit will remain 30 mph for most of its length in Andover.
Andover Police Lt. Edward Guy said the 25 mph speed limit won’t take effect until MassDOT gives final approval.
“In the interim, our officers will conduct speed enforcement and issue violations, written warnings and or verbal warnings as necessary and will speak to motorists about the upcoming changes,” he said, noting police officers have been giving drivers informational cards during traffic stops.
The 248 speeding stops reviewed by Andover News include verbal and written warnings, as well as citations, issued for speeding. The total does not include motor vehicle stops where no reason for the stop was entered in the police log.
Police mostly issued verbal and written warnings during the timeframe covered in the review as part of an effort to educate drivers about the new speed limit. But Town officials said police will begin enforcing the law and issuing more citations by the end of the summer.
The map below shows streets in Andover where there were three or more speeding-related traffic stops between May 1 and July 18. Green pins show streets with 10 or fewer stops, yellow pins show streets with 11–20 stops, and red pins show streets with 20 or more stops. Zoom in and click on the pin to see the precise number of stops.
x