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Residents press council for crosswalk and speed-camera intervention near Peacedale School
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Summary
Residents and councilors debated options to improve pedestrian safety on Kersey Road near Peacedale School, weighing a private easement and crosswalk against a cheaper interim speed-camera approach; council asked staff to return in April with the police chief and technical options.
Residents pressed the Town Council on March 23 to act on a long-running pedestrian-safety complaint on Kersey Road near Peacedale School. Lorraine Miller Horton said she first raised the issue in July 2023 and told the council the situation remains unsafe for students walking to school.
Public Works staff summarized options they've explored: (1) build a full sidewalk (design plans exist but the construction estimate staff cited is approximately $750,000), (2) locate a marked crosswalk at either the bottom of Patty Hill Road or at an existing flight of stairs onto Kersey Road (which would require an easement from abutting private property unless a different alignment is used), or (3) deploy interim measures such as a school-zone speed camera and variable speed signage. Rich Bourbonnais said the town has construction-ready plans and a DEM permit and that staff will continue seeking grant funding but that the price tag is large.
Council members and staff disagreed over the most effective immediate location for a crosswalk. Some councilors preferred a crosswalk at the bottom of Patty Hill Road (arguing visibility there meets sight-line requirements), while others proposed short-term easements through adjacent private property to permit a cheaper crosswalk at the stairs. Staff said the Rhode Island DOT traffic study did not recommend the initial mid-block crosswalk and cited low pedestrian counts and sight-line limitations; members who reviewed the Crossman engineering memo said the sight-line criteria were met but questioned whether vehicular speeds make that location safe.
Several councilors urged a two-pronged approach: pursue long-term funding for sidewalks in the capital-improvement plan while seeking feasible interim steps (a dedicated crosswalk at a location with adequate sight lines or a speed camera) and to bring Chief Moynihan to the April meeting to discuss enforcement and the prior traffic-study results. The manager agreed to schedule the item for the second April meeting and to ensure the chief attends.
