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Resident raises traffic and pedestrian safety concerns; council moves Bishop Street stop‑sign item to consent
Summary
A Merrimack resident raised afternoon traffic and pedestrian-safety concerns at the Amherst/Turkey Hill and Amherst/Continental intersections; the council heard a highway safety committee recommendation to add a stop sign on Bishop Street at School Street and moved that public‑hearing item to the consent agenda.
During public comment at the Jan. 9 Merrimack Town Council meeting, resident and state representative Wendy Thomas described two local traffic problems: heavy afternoon congestion and driver behavior at the Amherst/Turkey Hill intersection, and a lack of a pedestrian crossing at Amherst/Continental near the theater and apartment complexes, which leads people to cross in the dark without a walkway.
Councilors and staff discussed jurisdiction: town staff said the Amherst/Turkey Hill signals and the signalization at the Route 3/Continental Boulevard area are under state authority (Turnpike Authority / NHDOT), and the council agreed staff should follow up with the state on potential solutions.
Separately, the council held a public hearing on a highway safety committee recommendation to place a stop sign at the end of Bishop Street at School Street to address safety when school buses exit Upper Elementary School. The highway safety committee reported it had met with school staff and unanimously recommended installing the stop sign. The council opened the public hearing, heard no comments, and closed the hearing. The council then voted to move the item to the consent agenda for the next meeting.
Why it matters: The concerns raised touch on pedestrian safety near apartment complexes and school zones; the stop‑sign recommendation addresses an identified school‑bus/pedestrian safety issue and will return on the consent agenda for formal placement.
