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Residents press Laconia subcommittee for speed cushions, limit reductions after crashes
Summary
Residents and councilors described repeated crashes and speeding on Shore Drive, Holman Street, Linwood Road and Lexington Drive; the subcommittee asked staff to study speed bumps/speed tables, signage and other traffic-calming options and will return recommendations.
Neighborhood residents and councilors pressed the City of Laconia Public Works Subcommittee on Feb. 2 to pursue traffic-calming measures after reported crashes and recurring speeding complaints.
Councilor Hoffman said he had received multiple complaints about speeding on Shore Drive, Holman Street and Linwood Road; Councilor Haynes and others linked those neighborhood concerns to broader traffic flow and signal timings downtown. Councilor Bogert asked the city manager to have Public Works assess what it would take — cost and placement — to install speed bumps or speed tables.
Rob Goudreault, of 195 Lynnewood Road and a member of the Wildwood Association board, told the subcommittee he supported speed bumps and lowering the speed limit, said he expects traffic to increase when a state school is put in, and urged the committee to weigh “the value of a life versus the cost of a speed bump.”
Dianna and Vinnie Ferrara, who said they live at 247 Lexington Drive, recounted multiple vehicle strikes to their property and asked the city to evaluate protective measures at their corner; the minutes include emails they submitted to the mayor and city manager documenting the incidents.
LT. Noyes suggested considering “speed dips” and asked whether they would affect winter plowing, while Acting DPW Director Gurette said the department will research multiple speed-reduction options and return recommendations to the committee.
Why it matters: Residents described property damage and safety risks for pedestrians and cyclists. The committee did not adopt a specific intervention at this meeting but directed staff to analyze options, including physical devices (speed tables/dips), signage, one-way conversions and speed-limit changes. Any installation or legal change will require further review of costs and placement and, where necessary, formal Council action.
What’s next: Public Works staff will prepare cost and placement recommendations for committee consideration; the committee flagged the Ferrara property and other specific crosswalks for follow-up.
