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Bedford designates Old New Boston Road an emergency (fire) lane and will plow this winter
Summary
After residents described years of town winter maintenance and safety concerns, the council voted to designate Old New Boston Road an emergency (fire) lane under RSA 231:59‑a and directed staff to plow the segment this winter while exploring costs and options to upgrade or discontinue the road.
The Bedford Town Council voted Oct. 9 to declare a short segment of Old New Boston Road an emergency (fire) lane and to continue plowing it this winter while staff examine options to either upgrade the road to Class V (pave) or discontinue town ownership.
The motion, made by Councilor Dave Gilbert and seconded by Councilor Kathleen Bemis, came after multiple residents described decades of town plowing, safety issues on the dirt approach, and difficulty hiring private plow services. “We would not have bought that house if the town of Bedford didn’t take care of this access road,” resident Tracy Fino said, describing representations by a real estate agent at purchase.
Public Works Director Jeff Foote told the council the town has no legal obligation to maintain Class VI roads but outlined what would be required to act: design and environmental work for upgrading to a Class V road is likely in the range of $200,000–$250,000, while winter maintenance costs were roughly estimated at $15,000–$20,000 per year. He said the town’s attorney had previously advised that letters giving notice of discontinuation were legal, and that DPW typically sends an annual notice when maintenance will stop.
Council discussed intermediate options. One near‑term step — which the motion directed — is to designate the segment as an emergency fire lane under RSA 231:59‑a, which allows the town to provide winter plowing for emergency access without assuming full long-term responsibilities of a Class V road. Councilors agreed to revisit the matter within a year and to get cost estimates and options, including engineering and potential paving, before making a permanent classification decision.
Chair Lori Radke confirmed that the council’s action guarantees plowing for the coming winter but does not promise indefinite maintenance. Town staff will notify abutters and monitor costs as the council weighs whether to make the road a permanent Class V road or to discontinue it.
