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Richmond residents and Select Board debate replacing Cochrane Road speed humps with speed tables
Summary
Residents, board members and staff debated whether to replace existing speed humps on Cochrane Road with speed tables, with several participants urging a broader safety study and more pedestrian access before hardware changes. No policy change was adopted; board members emphasized collecting data first.
A lengthy public discussion at the July 20 Select Board meeting centered on whether to replace existing speed humps on Cochrane Road with speed tables.
Multiple residents and board members said the road is used for recreation and has growing pedestrian and trail connections, arguing the town must balance vehicle speed control with safe walking and cycling access. "At the end of the day, I am not necessarily trying to remove the speed humps to remove the speed humps. I am trying to figure out what a good plan is to continue to talk about Cochrane Road," Select Board member Caitlin said, framing her continued engagement as an attempt to gather perspectives and data. Opponents warned that any hardware change will have trade-offs: some drivers may be slowed less by tables than by humps, and others raised concerns about vehicle damage and truck-route constraints.
Board members and residents urged collecting baseline speed data or running a full corridor study before making permanent changes; suggestions included an active radar sign, a comprehensive speed study of the full length of Cochrane Road and timing changes to coincide with road construction to reduce installation cost. The discussion ended with the board asking staff to collect available sign data and consider targeted monitoring and a larger study for the corridor.
