Navigating New Hampshire’s Urban Paths
“The computer is like a bicycle for the mind.”
—Steve Jobs
Happy Spring, New Hampshire! Today is gorgeous, must be our first day to hit 70! That means plenty of biking, walking, running, and skateboarding is around the corner. Let’s keep it safe!
That’s where I need your help. If you care about safe streets, please read on….
NH towns should be allowed to lower neighborhood speed limits to 20 mph. Today the State restricts that minimum to nothing below 25 mph.
A bill, NH SB 559 to lower that minimum to 20, has moved through the legislature with support across the aisle, until now. (The bill by itself would not change any speed limits; it merely allows towns to do that if they so choose.)
The bill will go to the House Transportation Committee next week, on Tuesday – that’s the same group that recently recommended a $50 registration fee for all bikes.
I’ve heard the bill may hit opposition in this committee. The opposition that’s been communicated to me includes:
- “20 mph is painfully slow” (as painful as getting hit by a car???)
- The speed limit is set for 24/7, not just when cyclists and pedestrians are out (I didn’t know our outdoor times were restricted?!)
- Just changing signage to 20 mph without enforcement won’t slow traffic (signage must influence how people drive, else we’d see none.)
- Inconsistent speed limits across the state can lead to confusion (didn’t realize speed limits were the same everywhere – and if you’re so easily confused, maybe you shouldn’t be driving??)
- My favorite: “Drivers don’t have permission to run people over.” (Hmmm, no kidding?!)
Let’s address some of the facts:
- Per a NACTO document published in 2020, they state that “A growing body of research shows that speed limit changes alone can lead to measurable reductions in speed and crashes, even absent enforcement or traffic changes.
- NHTSA’s own web page states “convincing evidence exists that lowering speed limits can reduce average travel speed and crashes, even if no other changes are made to roadways
- Reducing speed limits from 30 to 20 mph will only increase typical commute time by 6% – because of time at stop signs & traffic lights. Imagine how small the difference is from 25 to 20 mph?
- On roads with 30 mph versus 20 mph speed limits, the likelihood of a fatality occurring during a crash is 3 times higher!!
- This year, to date, the number of pedestrian deaths on New Hampshire roads is already up 300% while fatalities on the roads are up 25% – whatever they’re doing IS NOT WORKING! Yet they refuse to take simple actions that cost the state nothing.
How can you help?
- Visit the Link below – it will bring you to the House’s online testimony submission page
- Select April 14 as the testimony date
- Select House Transportation as the committee
- Select SB559 as the bill
- And select “support” for the bill
- Feel free to cut and paste, or use any of the facts above in support of the bill if you want to add comments
- Click Submit
- THANK YOU – this will make a difference
- Please share this message widely!
Visit the link below to Register Your Support!
https://gc.nh.gov/house/committees/remotetestimony
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Stay safe and have fun out there!
Note: The author is a member of the board of the Bike Walk Alliance of New Hampshire, but the views expressed in this article are his own.