Will Dept. of Transportation fumble the rumbles again?

To The Daily Sun,

Back in 2016, NHDOT installed the rumble strips on NH Route 28 without any public input. The eight-mile section of NH Route 28 north of the traffic circle to the Wolfeboro town line had both centerline rumble strips and white line rumble strips. These three lines of rumbles created what I called “Rumble Strip Alley.” The noise that was generated from these very aggressive rumble strips could be heard from over a mile away and the noise levels adversely affected quality of life and property values along this corridor.

As a result of numerous meetings and public resistance, NHDOT agreed to remove the white line rumble strips but stood fast on keeping the centerline rumble strips in place (even in the passing zones). This change provided some relief from the noise frequency but the high noise levels remained unchanged and frequency of rumble strip events has still been unacceptable.

For the past three years, I have been fighting for the removal of the centerline rumble strips because there is no significant accident data to support the need for these on this section of NH Route 28 and because of the continued very significant impact on the quality of life for the Alton citizens who live anywhere near (or even a mile away) from the highway.

At an April 1st BOS meeting in Alton, NHDOT made a presentation on the repaving of NH Route 28 in Alton. I and other concerned citizens had hoped that new rumble strip guidelines would be unveiled then and that the repaving would provide an opportunity for NHDOT to rectify the noise issues. QUITE THE CONTRARY. What we learned is that, after the repaving, not only would the centerline rumble strips be replaced, even in passing zones, but also that the shoulder rumble strips would be reinstalled. The only “concessions” that they made are that they will install quieter “sinusoidal” rumble strips in the passing zones and the shoulder rumble strips will be a foot outside the white line instead of on the line. However, all rumbles on the centerline in no-passing zones and all shoulder strips will be of the original aggressive and loud design that is currently in place.

IT APPEARS THAT WE WILL BE RETURNING TO NEARLY THE SAME NOISE FREQUENCIES WE EXPERIENCED IN 2016.

Safety is the issue. But when the local accident statistics don’t support the need, why disrupt the quality of life of Alton citizens? The federal guidelines for rumble strips allow the states considerable flexibility in installing rumble strips. One method in the federal guidelines is called Specific Corridor Safety Improvements — install the rumble strips where there have been significant crashes! We need to look at our eight miles of NH Route 28 as a Specific Corridor that has not experienced significant crashes and does not warrant such an aggressive rumble strip plan.

Because of the uproar from the citizens at the BOS meeting and from the Selectmen, NHDOT has agreed to hold a public meeting on Wednesday, May 29, at 6 p.m. at Prospect Mountain High School. Please plan on attending and let your voice be heard. Maybe we can keep NHDOT from fumbling the rumbles again.

Sylvia Leggett

Alton