LYME — Town officials are mulling whether to continue with plans to install flashing lights at a crosswalk on Route 10 after residents this week submitted a petition calling for the project’s delay.
The petition, which garnered nearly 200 signatures, asks that the proposal to install rectangular rapid flash beacons, or RRFBs, at the crosswalk between the K-8 Lyme School and Converse Free Library be put “on hold” so that a committee can study traffic in the village and explore other safety options.
“Many residents, even some Lyme organizations, have expressed strong opposition to the Selectboard’s plan to begin installation immediately in favor of establishing a study committee,” the petition said. “With schools closed for an extended period, there is plenty of time for discussions with the school, library, abutters, town residents and taxpayers.”
Meanwhile, Lyme’s School Board on Wednesday submitted a letter, saying it has “serious concerns regarding the propriety of RRFB at this location and the lack of public process to date.”
The letter was signed by School Board Chairman Jonathan Voegele, who told the Selectboard on Thursday that it had the full backing of School Board members.
Town officials have said the installation of the flashing beacons would improve safety on a state highway that sees about 2,900 cars a day.
The crossing outside the Lyme School has been on the town’s radar for upgrades since at least 2002, but it wasn’t until this year that it reached out to New Hampshire’s Department of Transportation, which recommended the lights after an inspection.
The speed limit on Route 10 drops to 20 mph in that area, since it’s a school zone, but about 80% of vehicles passing by don’t pay attention to street markings, the Selectboard said in a statement earlier this month.
Still, the School Board wrote, there may not be “sufficient evidence” the lights would work better than other safety improvements, such as repainting the crosswalk or putting up yield signs.
“To date, the Board and District are not aware of any road safety audit or traffic, speed, or safety studies conducted by the (state) or town along Route 10/Union Street that would support deployment of RRFB,” school officials wrote.
The board went on to register its displeasure that school officials haven’t been involved in decisionmaking and ask that safety options be considered in an “open, fair, and fact-driven process.”
Some residents have complained that the lights would be out of character for Lyme’s historic village center, and others worried the lights could be harmful to those who experience seizures.
Selectboard Chairman Kevin Sahr acknowledged the mounting opposition to crosswalk lights during a meeting held Thursday morning via phone.
“The board has taken all of that into consideration,” he told more than 40 community members listening in.
Sahr went on to say that the Selectboard hasn’t made a “final investment decision” to move forward with the lights and has committed only about $5,000 to engineering and permitting costs.
“From there, I don’t know. The board has not talked about that we’re going to do,” he said.
If approved, the new lights would cost less than $42,000 and be installed during a state resurfacing project planned for Route 10.
About $20,000 of that money would come from the nonprofit Lyme Foundation, which recently reversed an earlier stance and decided to support the project so long as construction starts before the end of the year, Sahr said.
Emails requesting comment from foundation Chairman Peter Glenshaw were not returned Friday.
The Selectboard ultimately decided to hold off further discussion until next week, when it hopes to formulate a response to the petition and School Board letter.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.