reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 85 § 2d (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 2d - Signs on State Highways Indicating Availability of Certain Services

Section 2D. The department may, upon application by an interested person or persons and upon payment of an appropriate fee to be established by the department, erect on state highways, signs indicating the availability of gas, food and lodging and telephone or other services convenient to the public. Said signs shall be erected at such locations and shall be of such size and color and contain such wording or symbol as the department deems proper for the public convenience, and such signs shall be maintained by the department. Any sign erected under this section shall not constitute a billboard or other advertising device, as defined in section thirty of chapter ninety-three. The department may make such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.  Any fees collected under this section shall be paid over to the state treasurer and credited to the Highway Fund.  Notwithstanding the provisions of section five of chapter thirty A, no rule, regulation, change of regulation, or condition of the public works commission promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this section shall take effect except as hereinafter provided.  A copy of every such rule, regulation or condition shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives and shall be forthwith referred by them to the joint committee on transportation.  Said committee shall file a written report with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives within sixty days after the filing of the copy thereof with said clerks stating whether said rules, regulations and conditions are consistent with the statutory provisions under which they were promulgated.  Said rules, regulations and conditions shall take effect unless disapproved by a majority vote of both branches of the general court sixty days after the filing of the copy thereof with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives unless the general court has prorogued within said sixty days.  If the general court prorogues within sixty days of the filing with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives of such rules, regulations and conditions, said clerks shall refer the same to said committee in the next session of the general court. Said committee shall report as hereinbefore provided, within sixty days of the first day of such session and such rules, regulations and conditions shall take effect sixty days after such first day of such session unless disapproved by a majority vote of both branches of the general court within such sixty days.  The clerks of the senate and house of representatives shall notify the commission of the action taken thereon by the general court.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 2e (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 2e - Regulations to Exclude Persons and Vehicles From State Highways; Prohibition of Low-Speed Vehicles on Certain Highways

Section 2E. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 18 of chapter 90, the department for purposes of public safety and convenience may from time to time by regulations exclude persons and vehicles from state highways or portions thereof for such periods as it may deem necessary. The department may by regulation permanently prohibit or limit the operation of a low-speed vehicle, as defined in section 1 of chapter 90, on a state highway or a portion of a state highway, regardless of posted speeds, in the interest of public safety and convenience where it finds that use of the state highway or a particular portion of the state highway by a low-speed motor vehicle would represent an unreasonable risk of death or serious injury to occupants of low-speed vehicles because of general traffic conditions which shall include, but not be limited to, excessive speed of other vehicles, traffic volumes, use of the state highway by heavy trucks or other large vehicles or if the established speed limit on the way increases above 30 miles per hour beyond the point where a low-speed vehicle could safely exit the state highway. The commissioner of highways shall post signs where necessary to provide notice to the public of such prohibited or limited access to low-speed vehicles. Regulations promulgated under this section may provide for a penalty of a fine not more than $75 for a particular violation.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 3 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 3 - Change of Name of Ways or Parks; Appeal

Section 3. When the name of any public way, place or section, or of any public park, is changed by the board or officer having jurisdiction thereof, if the name changed has been in use for twenty-five years or more, there shall be a right of appeal from such action to the department. Said appeal shall be taken within thirty days after such change, and shall be by petition of at least twenty-five inhabitants of the town in which such change has been made, requesting the reversal of such action. Notice of the filing of such petition shall forthwith be filed by the department in the office of the clerk of the town in which the change has been made, and upon the filing of such petition, a public hearing shall be given by said department, after such public notice as it shall determine, and unless the department shall approve of such change, the same shall be of no effect.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 3a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 3a - Approval of Name for Way Other Than Public Way in City or Town

Section 3A. No way in any city or town which is open for public use but has not become a public way shall be given a name unless the same is first approved by its board of survey, or, if there is no such board, its board of aldermen or board of selectmen.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 3b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 3b - Changing of Name of Way

Section 3B. When any way in a city or town which is open for public use but has not become a public way is known by a name, identical with the name of another such way or of a public way in the same city or town, or so similar thereto as, in the opinion of its board of survey, or, if there is no such board, its board of aldermen or board of selectmen, to lead to confusion, said board, after a public hearing thereon of which notice shall be given in the manner provided in section seventy-four of chapter forty-one, may by order change the name of either such way which has not become a public way. Said board shall cause to be placed on each way, the name of which is changed hereunder, at or near each point where any other way enters or unites with it, a suitable sign bearing the name of such way as changed and stating that it is not a public way, and shall cause to be filed in the registry of deeds of the district in which such way is located, and also in case such way is in a city, in the office of the city engineer or, in case it is in a town, in the office of the town clerk, a copy of the order effecting such change signed by the chairman of the board ordering the same. Nothing in this or the preceding section, nor any action taken under and in accordance with either of them, shall impose any additional liability upon any city or town.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 4 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 4 - Construction of Sidewalks by Adjoining Landowners

Section 4. A person owning or occupying land adjoining a public way in a town may construct a sidewalk within such way and along the line of such land, indicating the width of such sidewalk by trees, posts or curbstones set at reasonable distances apart, or by a railing; and, if a sidewalk is so constructed, whoever rides or drives a horse or team upon and along the same shall forfeit one dollar, to be recovered by such owner or occupant in tort. But this section shall not affect the authority of surveyors of highways or of road commissioners, or any other authority which can legally be exercised over ways, or diminish the liability of any person for unreasonably obstructing ways, nor shall it apply to cities.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 5 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 5 - Removal of Snow and Ice From Sidewalks by Abutting Landowners; Penalties

Section 5. Cities by ordinance and towns by by-laws may provide for the removal of snow and ice from sidewalks within such portions of the city or town as they consider expedient by the owner or occupant of land abutting upon such sidewalks. Such ordinances and by-laws shall determine the time and manner of removal and shall affix penalties, not exceeding fifty dollars in the case of a city or ten dollars in the case of a town, for each violation thereof.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 6 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 6 - Assessment of Cost of Removal of Snow and Ice From Sidewalks

Section 6. Any town which accepts this section or has accepted corresponding provisions of earlier laws, may cause the snow and ice to be removed from its permanent sidewalks constructed of brick, stone, cement, concrete or asphalt, and may provide that the assessors may assess upon the estates abutting on said sidewalks, from which snow or ice has thus been removed, the whole or any part of the cost of such removal; and the provisions of chapter eighty relative to the abatement and collection of betterments shall apply to such assessments.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 7 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 7 - Exemption From Assessment by Agreement of Owner to Remove Snow and Ice

Section 7. Any person, or the agent of any person, owning an estate abutting on any sidewalk as aforesaid, may, on or before November first in any year, procure the exemption of such estate from the assessment aforesaid for the following year by a stipulation in writing with the selectmen that he will remove snow and ice from the sidewalk on which the estate abuts, at such time and in such manner as the selectmen or road commissioners shall direct; and if he fails to fulfil his stipulation the assessment above provided for shall be made and collected as if no such stipulation had been made.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 7b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 7b - Depositing Snow on State Highways

Section 7B. No person other than an employee in the service of the commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof or an employee in the service of an independent contractor acting for the commonwealth or any such subdivision shall pile, push or plow snow or ice onto a state highway so as to impede the flow of traffic on such way. Whoever violates this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred and fifty dollars.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 8 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 8 - Permits for Signs and Other Structures Projecting Into or Over Ways

Section 8. The municipal board or officer having charge of the laying out of public ways may grant permits for the placing and maintaining of signs, advertising devices, clocks, marquees, public telephones, telephone booths and other appurtenances thereto, permanent awnings and other like structures projecting into or placed on or over public ways in its town or city, and may fix the fees therefor, and may make rules and regulations relating thereto, and prescribe the penalties for a breach of any such rules and regulations, not to be imposed until after five days' notice to remove the same has been given by such board or officer, or by a police officer of the municipality. All such structures shall be constructed, and, when attached to a building, shall be connected therewith, in accordance with the requirements of the inspector of buildings, building commissioner or other board or officer having like authority in the town.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 9 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 9 - Permits; Exemption of Certain Structures

Section 9. The provisions of section eight shall not apply to signs or other structures projecting into or over the way a distance of less than twelve inches, nor to poles, wires, conduits, and appurtenances of railroad, railway, telegraph and telephone, water, gas, electric light, heat and power companies.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 9a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 9a - Flashing Lights on Billboards, etc.; Discontinuance Orders; Penalties; Exceptions

Section 9A. The department, after a public hearing, may order the discontinuance of flashing lights on any billboard, sign or other advertising device, which in its opinion is so situated as to hinder the proper operation of a motor vehicle by distracting the operator's attention. Whoever fails to comply with said order shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or both. The provisions of this section shall not be construed so as to prohibit the display of time, weather or other such information. Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict the powers granted to the outdoor advertising board and to the cities and towns under the provisions of section twenty-nine of chapter ninety-three.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 10 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 10 - Regulation of Use of Ways; Penalties

Section 10. Towns may make ordinances and by-laws to prevent the pasturing of cattle or other animals, either with or without a keeper; relative to the passage and driving of sheep, swine and neat cattle; prohibiting persons from riding or driving beasts of burden, carriage or draught, at a rate of speed inconsistent with public safety or convenience; regulating the passage of street cars, or other vehicles, or the use of sleds for coasting; regulating and controlling persons who frequent public places playing on hand organs, drums, trumpets or other musical instruments, upon or through any public way, and may affix penalties of not more than twenty dollars for each violation thereof. They may, by ordinance or by-law, regulate the transportation of the offal of slaughtered animals upon or through any public way and affix a penalty of not more than one hundred dollars for each violation thereof.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 10a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 10a - Coasting on Ways in Cities

Section 10A. Selectmen in towns, and the aldermen or other board or officer having charge of ways in cities, may by regulation designate certain ways or parts of ways, other than state highways, upon which and the hours during which coasting may be permitted and may in like manner regulate the use of such ways by vehicles during such hours.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 11 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 11 - Arrest Without Warrant for Driving at Excessive Speed

Section 11. Whoever violates an ordinance or by-law prohibiting persons from riding or driving at a rate of speed inconsistent with public safety or convenience may be arrested without a warrant by an officer authorized to make arrests and kept in custody not more than twenty-four hours, Sunday excepted; and within such time he shall be brought before a proper magistrate and proceeded against according to law.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 11b.5 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 11b.5 - Mandatory Helmet Use for Persons 16 Years of Age or Younger

Section 11B.5. Any person 16 years of age or younger operating in line skates, a skate board, a scooter or other manually-propelled wheeled vehicle or riding as a passenger on any such manually-propelled vehicle on a public way, bicycle path or on any other public right-of-way shall wear a helmet. Such helmet shall fit the person's head and be secured by straps at all times while operating in line skates, scooters, skate board or other manually-propelled wheeled vehicle and shall meet the standards for helmets established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z 90.4) or subsequent standards or the Snell Memorial Foundation's 1984 standard for use in bicycling or subsequent standards. A violation of this section shall not be used as evidence of contributory negligence in a civil action.  A city or town shall not adopt any by-laws or ordinances to change the standards required by this section.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 11d (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 11d - Bicycle Helmets; Display of Sign Requiring Use

Section 11D. Every person engaged in the retail business of selling or renting bicycles, in line skates, scooters, skate boards or other manually-propelled wheeled vehicles shall display in an area conspicuous to customers of the business a sign containing the following statement: Massachusetts law requires that a bicycle helmet be worn by a person 16 years of age or under who is riding as an operator or passenger on a bicycle, in line skates, a scooter, or a skate board.  By posting such a sign, such retail business shall be deemed to be in full compliance with this act, and no liability shall be incurred in the event that said helmet is not worn. A person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of renting bicycles shall make available a bicycle helmet conforming to the specifications for bicycle helmets of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission to each person renting a bicycle.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 11e (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 11e - Traffic Law Violations by Bicyclist

Section 11E. A police officer who observes a traffic law violation committed by a bicyclist may request the offender to state his true name and address. Whoever, upon such request, refuses to state his name and address or whoever states a false name and address or a name and address which is not his name and address in ordinary use, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $20 nor more than $50. An offender who refuses to state his true name and address may be arrested without a warrant for such refusal but no person shall be arrested without a warrant for any other traffic law violation committed while operating a bicycle. A police officer shall use the ticketing procedure described in chapter 90C to cite a bicyclist for a traffic law violation but the violation shall not affect the status of the bicyclist's license to operate a motor vehicle nor shall it affect the bicyclist's status in the safe driver insurance plan. When a citation is issued to a bicyclist, it shall be clearly indicated on the ticket that the violator is a bicyclist, and failure to do so shall be a defense to the violation.  The parent or guardian of a person under 18 years of age shall not authorize or knowingly permit that person to violate this section. A violation of this section by a person under 18 years of age shall not affect any civil right or liability nor shall the violation be a criminal offense. If the offender is under 16 years of age, the officer may give the notice to the parent or guardian of the offender.  All fines collected by a city or town pursuant to this section shall be used by the city or town for the development and implementation of bicycle safety programs.
MA Gen L ch 85 § 14b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 85 - Regulations and By-Laws Relative to Ways and Bridges|Section 14b - Flares; Use by Certain Commercial Vehicles

Section 14B. Whenever any commercial vehicle having a gross weight in excess of five thousand pounds other than a motor bus or taxicab, or any automobile service truck, so called, becomes disabled or stops to load or unload any motorized equipment from such vehicle or from a trailer upon the traveled portion of any street or highway the operator of such vehicle shall, during the time when lights are required to be displayed on motor vehicles, place three flares on the traveled part of the way in the following positions:— one flare in the center of the traffic lane in which such disabled vehicle remains and distant approximately one hundred feet from such vehicle in the direction of traffic approaching in that lane; one flare not less than one hundred feet from such vehicle in the opposite direction in said lane; and one flare at the traffic side of such vehicle, not nearer than ten feet from the front or rear of such vehicle; provided, that if such vehicle is disabled or stopped to load or unload any motorized equipment from such vehicle or from a trailer upon the traveled portion of any street or highway within three hundred feet of a curve, crest of a hill, or other place where the view of such vehicle is obstructed, the flare in that direction shall be so placed as to afford ample warning to other persons using such way, and in no case less than one hundred feet, nor more than three hundred feet, from the disabled vehicle. The word ''flare'' as used in this section shall mean either a lighted pot torch, a lighted red electric lamp, or a warning device meeting the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 125.  Every motor vehicle to which this section applies, when operated on any street or highway, shall carry at all times not less than three flares in a position where they are easily accessible to any person desiring to use the same and to any officer or official authorized to inspect said vehicle.  Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars and, in addition, the registrar of motor vehicles may, in the case of a motor vehicle not equipped as provided by this section, suspend for not more than fifteen days the certificate of registration of such vehicle. This section shall not apply to street railway cars and trackless trolley vehicles.