Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Town Meeting approves speed humps/cushions for Walnut Street after debate over fire response
Summary
Town Meeting approved Article 28, permitting speed humps or speed cushions on Walnut Street after proponents cited crash history and narrow lanes and the fire chief said properly designed cushions would not impede apparatus. The vote passed 151–16 with three abstentions.
Town Meeting members voted to approve Article 28, allowing the Select Board and public works to install vertical traffic-calming measures — specifically speed humps or speed cushions — on Walnut Street to address repeated crashes and what residents called unsafe cut-through traffic.
The article’s proponent, Mr. Rottberg, told the meeting Walnut Street "is dangerous and very unsafe," noting narrow roadway widths (as little as 17–22 feet), frequent oversized vehicles, and multiple crashes. He said the town transportation study group’s consultant recommended cushions and argued cushions are less expensive and less disruptive than raised medians.
Fire Chief Senkabo, who had earlier warned that vertical devices can slow response times, told town meeting "anything that is going to slow my response down… is a big concern for us." When asked later about speed cushions specifically, the chief said if cushions do not create a vertical deflection for ladder trucks, ambulances or engines "we're not against it," clarifying the department’s concern centers on vertical transitions that affect large apparatus.
Several residents and longtime Walnut Street neighbors urged passage. Scott Fitzgerald, who lives on Walnut Street, said engineers counted as many as 4,600–4,800 cars per day and identified up to 17 tractor-trailer trucks, and argued speed cushions (which have gaps to allow large-axle vehicles to pass) would reduce cut-through traffic without the risks medians could introduce.
Opponents, including Iran Strad, argued the town already has an engineering alternative — raised medians — that the Transportation Safety Group favors because it does not add seconds to emergency response times. The Capital Expenditures Committee and the Appropriation Committee recommended against the article, citing equipment maintenance and safety tradeoffs.
Moderator announced the final vote: 151 in favor, 16 opposed, and three abstaining. The motion carried. According to the motion language, the Select Board will work with Public Works and Public Safety to determine final design (humps or cushions) and implementation details.
What’s next: If and when the Select Board approves a specific design, Public Works will carry out design and installation and report back to the town on siting, final costs and any mitigations for emergency response and vehicle maintenance.
