September 27, 2023 By Carol Britton Meyer
As part of the continuing discussion centering around the 25 mph flashing feedback signs that were recently installed in parts of historic downtown Hingham to alert drivers when they are exceeding the newly implemented speed limit, the Traffic Committee weighed in on the issue again at Tuesday’s Select Board meeting.
The feedback signs, along with speed limit signage, were installed after the committee recommended reducing the speed limit to 25 mph “on certain streets” within the town for safety reasons — to mixed reviews.
Following the most recent Traffic Committee meeting held the afternoon of the Select Board meeting, the committee remained in support of the signs at their current locations but was amenable to moving two of the four flashing feedback signs — the one in front of 25 North St. and the other in front of the Old Ship Meetinghouse — to alternative locations presented by Town Engineer JR Frey in response to concerns expressed by church members and the owner of the North Street property, he said. Both the current and alternative locations meet the town’s public safety goals.
This week, following a lengthy discussion, the Select Board voted to allow the flashing feedback signs at 190 North St. and 142 South Street to remain in place since there were no negative comments about those locations and to move the flashing lights at 25 North St. and in front of Old Ship Meetinghouse to the existing light pole abutting the frontage of 21 North St. and to a new foundation at the crosswalk abutting the frontage of 106 Main. St. respectively as a temporary measure pending further data collection. The board agreed to reevaluate the overall situation in 90 days.
Traffic Committee will perform another review
Prior to the one year anniversary of that vote (dated Sept. 26, 2023), the Traffic Committee will review the operation of these traffic calming measures and provide a report to the Select Board as to their effectiveness, including the Traffic Committee’s recommendation as to whether these measures should be maintained as is or modified in any way.
The Select Board will review this report during a posted public meeting and consider the Traffic Committee’s further recommendations at that time.
“We want to understand the impact [the flashing feedback signs] are having and if we see a trend that people are understanding that the speed limit in the downtown area is now 25 mph,” Select Board Chair Liz Klein said. “Hopefully [motorists] will follow the law, driving slower and being more careful. I like to think of this as an interim solution and that eventually people will [adhere to the new speed limit].”
Board member William Ramsey noted that “indications [so far] say these signs work and that drivers are slowing down.”
Fellow board member Joseph Fisher emphasized the importance of the town considering all possible options “to ensure we’re not relying on something that may be effective but not the best solution.”
Historic Districts Commission Administrator Andrea Young reiterated her support for finding signage that is designed to be more in keeping with the historic area. “Maintaining the idea of safety and having signs that fit into our environs are not mutually exclusive,” she said. The Select Board is amenable to this possibility, with more discussion to come.
The 25 mph speed signs are part of a larger effort to make the downtown area and other parts of town safer due to continuing serious traffic and safety concerns.
Frey explained that “the second largest complaint we get after speeding is people running stop signs. We want to try to impact driver behavior in ways that they are responsive to and respectful of. We’re trying to change the environment [to make it safer] and also drivers’ perception of that environment.”