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Selectmen approve four‑month pilot 20 mph seasonal limit on Keywaden Road, direct policy on studies
Summary
The Wolfeboro Board of Selectmen approved a four‑month pilot seasonal speed limit of 20 mph on Keywaden Road and voted to create a formal policy defining when police traffic investigations or engineering studies are required for future reductions.
The Wolfeboro Board of Selectmen voted May 20 to pilot a seasonal 20 miles‑per‑hour speed limit on Keywaden Road for four months and to craft a policy clarifying what counts as an adequate traffic study.
The decision followed public testimony from residents who said summer traffic and short sight lines make the road unsafe. Resident Jamie Biddom told the board the existing electronic sign is set to 30 mph and ‘‘people well exceed the 30’’ and that a permanent, posted limit would allow police to enforce speed.
Captain Mark Levy of the police department presented a one‑week radar sample and said the department recorded about 297 vehicles; most speeds fell between 19 and 25 mph, with a single outlier at 37 mph. ‘‘The recommendation that the police department did give is for a season. Try that first,’’ Levy said, describing a four‑month seasonal reduction as a way to gather data during peak use.
Board members debated whether a police investigation is sufficient or whether an engineering study is required under state RSA. Staff read advice from the town attorney indicating the board cannot reduce a limit below 25 mph outside an urban district under current law; members interpreted that guidance as a prompt to pilot a seasonal change while they clarify legal and DOT requirements.
Miss Murray moved for a four‑month seasonal pilot at 20 mph (June–September) and to seek clearer guidance on study standards; the motion passed on a roll‑call vote. The board also directed staff to consult the town’s traffic‑study vendor (STANETEC) and the town attorney and to collect summer data for a follow‑up vote.
The pilot will be enforceable while in place; the board noted it reverts to the prior posted limit at the end of the pilot unless it votes otherwise. Next steps: staff will request formal input from DOT and the town attorney and return with cost estimates and recommended study language.
