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Tamworth board forms Traffic Safety Committee after contentious speed-limit debate
Summary
Select Board voted to form a seven-member Tamworth Traffic Safety Committee and appointed five initial members after residents presented traffic data and urged restoring a temporary 25 mph limit on Page Hill Road.
The Tamworth Select Board voted to create a Tamworth Traffic Safety Committee and approved five initial appointments Tuesday evening, following extended public comment about speeding and traffic volumes on Page Hill Road and other corridors.
Residents presented traffic data and urged action. Judith Reardon, who identified herself as a Payshield Road resident, told the board she viewed the week-long 25 mph temporary limit as a safety improvement and said the town’s engineers and local police had gathered comparative data showing fewer high-speed passes during that period. “If you could put back the 25 mile an hour speed limit while working with the DOT and the traffic committee … it would really make things a lot safer,” Reardon said.
Jim Diamond, who said he lives on Page Hill, told the board he had provided the RSA language and local traffic counts and argued the town had legal grounds for the earlier speed reduction. “We have those data. It was a good study. It was a real, legitimate traffic investigation,” Diamond said.
After discussion about data sources — including reference to TomTom Analytics and meter rentals — the board member moved to form the advisory committee with no more than seven volunteers. The motion passed on roll call, 3–0. The board then approved appointments of Rich Collins, Brian Forseier, Karen Holstron, Sienna Kaplan Thompson and Linda Medeiros to the committee by roll call, 3–0.
The committee’s written charge, read into the record, directs members to research road-safety options, work with the Lakes Region Planning Commission and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, and lead grant-writing efforts with select-board support. The Select Board retains final authority to act on any road-related recommendations.
Board members and residents noted potential ‘‘edge effects’’ on other roads (for example, increased speeds on Turkey Street when through traffic shifts), and stressed that any near-term changes to posted limits should be reconsidered when the board is fully seated. The committee’s initial focus will include the Route 16 corridor, White Lake State Park entry, the Route 113/16 intersection and the Lake Chocorua area.
Next steps: the board will notify appointees and the committee will schedule meetings and report recommendations to the Select Board for any proposed regulatory or signage changes.
