LYME — A decision to install blinking lights at a crosswalk on Route 10 connecting the town’s elementary school and library is drawing opposition from residents who say they weren’t notified or given an opportunity to comment on the changes.
In letters and Listserv posts, some people also complained that the lights — planned for a crosswalk between the Lyme School and Converse Free Library — are out of character for the historic village center.
And others worried the lights could be harmful to those with epilepsy or who experience seizures.
“There are a lot of things that could be done to increase the visibility of the sidewalk and help with safety that we don’t feel have been thoroughly vetted or opened up for a discussion of ideas,” said Leigh Prince, whose home is within sight of the crosswalk.
Prince is among several residents calling on the Lyme Selectboard and public safety officials to hold meetings on pedestrian safety in the village.
“There needs to be a broader community discussion to determine what’s the right solution for Lyme,” she said in a phone interview Wednesday. “I would like to see a community forum where everybody comes together and looks at the big picture for pedestrian safety in the area.”
However, the Selectboard says it intends to continue with the crosswalk project, with members saying the upgrade will improve safety for those crossing Route 10.
The state highway sees about 2,900 cars a day, according to the New Hampshire Department of Transportation traffic counts.
Town officials have worried about pedestrian safety surrounding the Lyme School crosswalk since at least 2002, according to Police Chief Shaun O’Keefe. He said other improvements were considered but didn’t prove effective enough or were shot down.
“We have thought of everything and tried just about every option,” O’Keefe said in an email. “But as you know, there are times when you have to weigh the ‘reward to risk’ factor, and every time we come with a thought, this is how we have looked at it.”
He added that while crossing guards do help, they are not outside all day long.
“Wouldn’t it be so much easier for anyone using the crossing to just push a button?” O’Keefe asked.
Lyme School Principal Jeff Valence also said the road crossing can be difficult to traverse.
“Drivers do not really cooperate in terms of slowing down as much as you would hope,” he said. “I think people are eager to get to work or wherever their destination is and they just lose track of where they are driving.”
It’s with those concerns in mind that Selectboard Chairman Kevin Sahr contacted the DOT earlier this year to discuss changes to the crosswalk.
After an inspection, engineers recommended the installation of rectangular rapid flash beacons that could be activated with the push of a button.
The lights are similar to those used on West Wheelock Street in neighboring Hanover, as well as crosswalk signs that were met with similar opposition in Norwich.
The current crosswalk achieves only a 20% yield rate, meaning about 80% of vehicles passing by don’t pay attention to the street markings, the Lyme Selectboard said in a statement.
Meanwhile, they said, studies show that crosswalks with blinking lights see the reverse, with 80% of drivers aware of pedestrians.
The new lights would cost less than $42,000 and be installed during a state resurfacing project planned for Route 10. The curbs connecting the crosswalk to the street also will be redone because they don’t meet Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines, according to DOT traffic engineer Mike O’Donnell.
In its statement, the Selectboard added that the installation of the lights is “currently conditional upon available funds to complete.”
Earlier this year, town officials solicited the Lyme Foundation for half of the project costs but the nonprofit demurred.
The foundation is “engaged in a dialogue” with the board but has “some unresolved issues,” Lyme Foundation President Peter Glenshaw said in an email on Wednesday.
“We understand there are some questions being raised by neighbors and Lyme citizens about potential funding and the process by which this project was considered,” he said. “We hope the Selectboard will answer those public inquiries appropriately.”
Michael Whitman, a volunteer crossing guard for the Lyme School, said he’s worried about the town’s process for approving the lights and communication with residents.
“Nobody heard about this until it seemed to be a done deal,” he said in a phone interview. “Something as expensive as this should have been discussed.”
Whitman also said he doesn’t see much use for the lights, considering crossing guards are stationed around the school during drop-off and when school ends. During the day, he said, teachers watch students who are crossing with their class to use the library.
Prince, who lives near the proposed lights, has also suggested a new coat of reflective paint for the now-faded crosswalk and increasing signage telling drivers to slow down.
But the Selectboard says plans for the lights are worth the cost.
“The significant improvement in yield rate, which equates to the safety of our Town citizens, outweighs the criticism, just as Hanover, Lebanon, East Thetford and Norwich have achieved,” the board wrote in its statement.
The Selectboard also said that past presentations on the lights were made to the School Board and library trustees. The matter also has been discussed during several public meetings over the last few months, the statement said.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.