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Resident asks Belgrade to request state speed study for Point Road; board approves request
Summary
A resident's emailed request prompted the Select Board to agree to send a speed-study request to the state for Point Road, where a 45 mph limit is posted. The board voted to submit the request after discussing whether a recent study exists (vote recorded as 4 in favor, 1 abstention).
The board considered an emailed request from resident Wendy Toothaker, who lives at 370 Point Road, asking the town to ask the state to re-evaluate the posted 45 mph speed limit on Point Road.
Toothaker’s message, read in part at the meeting, described Point Road as "a secondary road with no pull-offs or painted center line," with blind driveways and several hills. Her email said: "I have been a resident at 370 Point Road, Belgrade, Maine since mid-July 2025 and I have concerns regarding the posted speed limit on the road of 45 mph... A recent encounter with a walker, two dogs, and an oncoming truck on the first hill prompted this email. Is there a reason for Point Road being posted 45 mph? Is there a way to have it re-evaluated?"
Board members discussed whether the state had conducted a recent speed study and noted that Maine DOT sometimes declines requests or recommends different limits after conducting a study. The board agreed that staff should check with Daryl about recent studies and, if none or if it has been several years, send a request to the state. The motion to request a speed study was approved by voice vote (recorded as four in favor, one abstention). The board cautioned against repeatedly submitting requests if a recent study exists.
Next steps: staff will verify whether a recent state speed study exists and, if appropriate, submit a dated request to Maine DOT asking them to evaluate Point Road’s posted limit.
