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Residents press Wolfeboro to lower Keywaden Road speed to 20 mph; board asks counsel about study requirements
Summary
At a public hearing residents described narrow lanes and safety risks on Keywaden Road and urged a seasonal 20 mph limit; the police chief said a 2024 law allows a four‑month 20 mph seasonal limit with supporting pedestrian/bicycle data and the select board voted unanimously to ask town counsel whether in-house radar counts or the department's sign would qualify as a traffic study.
Residents at the Select Board public hearing urged the town to adopt a seasonal 20 mph speed limit on Keywaden (Keewaydin) Road for the summer months, saying the narrow 20-foot road, telephone poles close to the pavement and a sharp increase in seasonal traffic create safety hazards.
Jamie Biddom (speaker 13) and Jerry Davidson (speaker 14), both residents of the road, described frequent summer traffic, children and walkers on the roadway and private roads that feed into Keywaden, urging the board to adopt a 20 mph seasonal limit rather than the current 30 mph standard. Davidson, who said he drives a school bus, told the board he would not bring his bus home on that road because it is too narrow for safe two‑way passage in some spots.
Police Chief (speaker 16) reviewed legal and practical constraints: he said recent 2024 legislation allows an up-to-four-month seasonal speed limit down to 20 mph if justified by data on pedestrians and bicyclists, and that a traffic and engineering study is required. The chief said the department can often provide historical crash and complaint data and that radar sign counts can be used as part of a study; he also said his informal driving checks showed speeds of 22 mph on the road and recommended starting with a four‑month 20 mph zone while pursuing a formal study.
Board members discussed whether a traffic study must be done by the state or may be prepared locally. Citing RSA provisions, select board members noted that a local engineering and traffic investigation may be acceptable if the municipality has adequate staff; the board directed town counsel to clarify what qualifies as a traffic study and whether the police department's radar sign and in‑house data would satisfy state requirements. The board voted unanimously to ask counsel for that clarification and to report back to the Select Board.
No formal change to posted speed limits occurred at the meeting; the board's direction was to pursue counsel guidance and data collection to inform a future decision.
