Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wolfeboro residents press Select Board for seasonal 20 mph on Keewaydin Road; board asks counsel about traffic‑study rules
Summary
Residents at a public hearing described Keewaydin Road as narrow and busy in summer and urged a temporary 20 mph limit; the police chief said recent law permits four‑month seasonal limits tied to pedestrian/bicycle findings, and the board voted to ask town counsel whether local radar counts would satisfy the required traffic/engineering study.
At a public hearing April 15 the Wolfeboro Select Board heard sustained testimony from Keewaydin Road residents asking the town to cut the posted speed limit from 30 mph to a seasonal 20 mph to improve safety.
Jamie Biddom and Jerry Davidson, both Keewaydin residents, told the board the roadway is roughly 20 feet wide with telephone poles within a foot of pavement, limited recovery space, and heavy summer traffic that includes service trucks and lake visitors. “People go 40, 45 miles an hour down the road,” Biddom said, adding that the neighborhood swells in summer when private roads off Keewaydin bring many additional users. Davidson, who drives a school bus, said two cars traveling more than 20 mph cannot pass without clipping, and that he won’t let grandchildren play in the front yard because it is unsafe.
Chief of Police (on the record) described recent state legislation he said—if applied—allows a four‑month seasonal reduction to 20 mph when an engineering and traffic investigation shows sufficient pedestrian or bicycle presence. He reported that local historical data and a radar speed‑count sign could be used as part of that investigation and recommended a four‑month trial while the town collects additional counts.
Board members debated whether the RSA requires a state‑conducted traffic study or whether locally collected engineering data would suffice. Several members noted RSA references and the need for a study that meets state standards; others pointed to statutory language and guidance they had reviewed indicating local staff and police data may be acceptable if the community has sufficient resources to perform the engineering investigation.
John Thurston moved that the town ask its counsel to advise whether data from the police department (including a radar sign) would meet the traffic‑study requirement for a seasonal 20 mph limit and to report back; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The board directed staff to return with specifics on what constitutes an acceptable local traffic/engineering study, possible costs, and implementation options for a 2026 seasonal sign if counsel approves the approach.
Next steps: the Select Board will seek counsel’s guidance on the traffic‑study qualifications and consider police‑collected counts for a summer 20 mph trial if the legal opinion supports it.
