Don Morrissey, vice preisdent, student affairs

To the editor:

I write in response to the column by Doug Lambert printed in your Oct. 5 edition. Mr. Lambert’s column criticizes the recent lane reconstruction in front of the community technical college on Route 106. I too was present at the DOT public hearing and listened to Mr. Lambert and others express their concerns about Route 106 traffic. The college has had similar concerns for several years over safety issues relative to turning in and out of the campus. The former lane format may have worked when we were the “voc-tech” with less than 200 students but it simply did not meet the safety needs of the N.H. Community Technical College with an enrollment of 1,000 students. The new lane format seems to be working better relative to ease of getting into and out of the campus. Instead of trying to scan two lanes of southbound traffic for a “break”, we now only have to contend with one lane. The northbound lane change has permitted vehicles to sit and wait for a “break” to turn in without constantly looking in the rear view mirror worrying about vehicles bearing down heading north. Lastly, the new right turn lane added near the college driveway permits college traffic a safe move out of the southbound traffic flow for those commuting elsewhere. Time will tell if this new lane format is safer and more efficient for all Route 106 travelers, NHCTC-Laconia students and others, but, at least after a week or so, it certainly appears to be.

Don Morrissey, vice preisdent, student affairs

NHCTC-Laconia