The town of Waitsfield will pursue three speed limit changes on Main Street from north of Old County Road, south almost to Our Lady of the Snows Church. The select board reviewed recommendations made by VTrans at its November 8 meeting.
The town and a Tiger Team of transportation professionals and planners has been working with VTrans on conducting speed studies along the Route 100/Main Street corridor in Waitsfield. Those studies were aimed at assessing whether existing speed limits are appropriate.
The study area starts as a 50-mph zone in the south transitioning to a 40 MPH zone and then to a 30-mph limit that is in place through Waitsfield until north of the Waitsfield Elementary School where it transitions back to 40 mph and then back to 50 mph.
One of the proposed changes address the 40/50 mph transition at the south end of Waitsfield which takes place between the two driveways of the Alpino Vino property. VTrans suggests moving that transition south of both driveways.
At the north end of the village, VTrans found the 40-mph transition zone (where the speed limit for southbound drivers shifts from 50 to 40 mph) to be very short and suggested that extending the north end of the 40 mph zone would help drivers slow more easily as they approach the 30-mph zone. Moving the 40-mph zone to just north of Old County Road was suggested.
Finally, at the south end of the village, VTrans suggests moving the transition from 30 to 40 mph south of Eagles Roads, resulting in more business driveways in the 30-mph zone.
The town will need to request that the Vermont Traffic Committee make these changes at its next meeting, which the board will undertake.
