Planning commission representative urges public-awareness push after highway-safety targets adopted

A representative from the Rockingham Planning Commission briefed the Brentwood Select Board during public comment on a regional highway safety improvement plan that sets 10‑year targets designed to work toward zero fatalities by 2050.

Doug Marino, speaking as a planning-board member and alternate to the Rockingham commission, told the board that regional fatalities and serious injuries have increased in recent years and that the commission adopted interim targets for 2035 intended to keep the region on track for a long‑term goal of zero fatalities by 2050. Marino said motorcycle fatalities and seat‑belt nonuse are a common factor in serious injuries and deaths and that the commission discussed public-awareness campaigns about seat-belt and helmet use as possible non‑regulatory interventions. Marino added that improvements on Route 125 in Brentwood — including a turning-lane modification near South Road — made the corridor a higher priority in the planning commission’s 10‑year transportation plan.

A local resident raised concerns about bright exterior lighting from a car dealership at the South Road intersection creating glare that can contribute to night-time hazards; the Select Board suggested residents file an official complaint form available from the assessing office and offered to open further dialogue with the business if others share the safety concern.

Why it matters: Regional safety targets and local roadway improvements can guide state and local capital spending and inform town-level traffic-safety advocacy and education efforts.