Deadly Rte. 106 is more than just a 'corridor' between cities

To The Daily Sun,

I write as a concerned local resident, and also a former consultant to New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT).

This is no light matter. I speak on behalf of multiple local officials and residents, frustrated by apparent indifference of NHDOT. Route 106 is a death-trap highway. Safely driving locals and transients take "life in hands" when relying on it for commuting.

Multiple attempted interventions by local officials and residents to NHDOT regarding Route 106 have been dismissed. ALL HEREBY ARE ON LEGAL NOTICE.

Here are the problems: Route 106, from Concord to Laconia, and through several small towns in between, has been the incident location of an obscene, almost routine, number of fatal and non-fatal vehicle and pedestrian injuries and deaths — and of course, related costs and losses as to property, required police involvement, commuter traffic disruption, etc. TO CREATE SAFER CONDITIONS, INTENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS AS TO TRAFFIC CONTROLS AT INTERSECTIONS, DRIVING LANE CONTROLS, ETC. ARE REQUIRED.

ROOT CONFLICT: Route 106 partitions affected local communities, leaving residents with no viable transportation/commuter routes but to risk the run across and onto Route 106. Further is the conflict between the needs of local communities and the NHDOT's stubborn, set in stone, 10-year planning process, with little flexibility. IN SHORT: NH DOT's vision — and continued, piecemeal development — of Route 106 as a high traffic "transportation corridor" between Concord's interstate highways and the Lakes Region, with NO apparent consideration of the various passage requirements of and negative impacts upon local communities. Continued official inaction creates human risk and legal peril.

HEREBY: New Hampshire's governor, Executive Counselors, commissioners of New Hampshire Departments of Safely and Transportation, AND LOCAL OFFICIALS, are required — ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS — TO INTERVENE IN THE USE AND DEVELOPMENT ROUTE 106, INCLUDING TRAFFIC AND LANE CONTROLS, ETC. IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY INTERESTS.

Michael Harris, PhD

Loudon