HANOVER — Town staff are proposing a speed limit reduction on Lyme Road as part of an ongoing initiative to improve traffic safety.

On Monday, the Selectboard will consider scheduling a public hearing to discuss lowering the speed limit on Lyme Road from 30 mph to 25 mph and the school zone limit from 20 mph to15 mph.

The recommendation was made by an informal advisory group organized by Town Manager Alex Torpey to study town traffic standards and policies and make recommendations to the Selectboard. The group members include Torpey and administrators within the police, public works and planning departments. 

The speed reduction also has the support of the town Bike Walk Committee, an advisory group dedicated to developing and maintining safe travel options for pedestrians and cyclists. 

“Students should have safe routes to school,” said Jennie Chamberlain, chairperson of the Bike Walk Committee and town Selectboard member. “The burden of providing this safety should not fall on the schools, but should be provided by the community.”

Chamberlain said the Richmond Middle School Principal Tim Boyle has asked the town for the speed reduction on Lyme Road, to match the 25 mph speed limits set on Rerservoir Road by Ray Elementary School and on Lebanon Street by Hanover High School.

Lyme Road, also knows as Route 10, is a commuter corridor that connects Hanover to communities such as Lyme and Orford.

Though available data does not indicate a significant speeding problem on Lyme Road, town staff have general safety concerns due to the heavy flow of pedestrian and vehicle traffic at Richmond Middle School, according to a memo from Torpey.

“We don’t believe (lowering the speed limit) will resolve the traffic and pedestrian issues in the area, although it may help,” the June memo states.

According to the memo, the advisory group also recommended “a series of meetings” between town staff, members of the Hanover BikeWalk Committee and school administrators to discuss traffic control procedures and “future engineering solutions” such as improved lane markings or signage.

“Additional engineering solutions may be considered for the future, but those will come at a significant capital cost and may or may not be possible,” the memo states.

The town also has been monitoring speed on Etna Road as a result of resident complaints and staff concerns about the lack of space for pedestrian along the roadway and sections with limited sight lines.

In a recent town manager report, Torpey said that staff would like to place a speed feedback sign on Etna Road to engage the attention of drivers, though there is no funding available in the current budget.

Torpey could not be reached for comment.

The Selectboard meeting will be held at Town Hall on Monday at 7 p.m.

Patrick Adrian may be reached at padrian@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.