EAST HARDWICK – Speeding in the village of East Hardwick is one of the biggest complaints and highest priorities the East Hardwick Neighborhood Organization (EHNO) reports hearing from residents of the village that they say lacks adequate sidewalks or speed patrols.
image courtesy EHNO
EHNO is now raising funds to purchase a radar speed calming sign for the village that will supplement the one purchased by the town last summer.
East Hardwick has four entrances into the village: Route 16 to Main and Cedar Streets, East Church Sreet and Brick House Road. The town moves its current sign between Main Street and Church Street at least once every summer.
That one sign is not enough to cover the village’s four entrances, says EHNO. But there’s no budget for the town to purchase signs for the other entrances to the village at Brick House Road and Cedar St., reports EHNO.
Having an additional sign will allow coverage that includes those roads, says EHNO.
EHNO has received a $2,500 grant from the Pleasants Fund of the Greensboro United Church of Christ toward the purchase of the additional sign and is fundraising for the remaining $1,250 to cover the $3,750 cost of the sign.
In an update Monday, March 23, the EHNO website reported being just $220 from reaching its fundraising goal.
In making its appeal for donations and explaining why it’s purchasing the sign instead of the town, the EHNO website said, “The Town of Hardwick maintains and polices miles of roads. The police department simply does not have the budget to purchase radar signs for all of them or enough staff to adequately patrol all areas.”
The EHNO board talked with the Hardwick Police Chief to find ways to slow traffic and improve walkability and bikeability in the village, they say.
That conversation resulted in the town agreeing to dedicate the current radar sign to the village and to move it at least once during the summer. The board then approached the Pleasants Fund and received their maximum grant towards this project.
“Owning our own sign will allow EHNO to provide traffic and speeding data to the community and the Hardwick Police Department,” they said. The additional data will allow the police department to maximize the effectiveness of patrols.
Additional traffic calming solutions are identified in a Better Connections Program Report, but most are long-term and require significant investments. New sidewalks, reconfigured intersections and a state traffic study on route 16 are all recommendations the report made for future village traffic improvements.
“Purchase of the sign will immediately address concerns about speeding,” said EHNO.
EHNO has promoted traffic safety in the Village in many ways, including participating in the Hardwick Planning Commission’s AARP Walkability Study and partnering with it on a Local Motion Study; “Making it safe, accessible, and fun for everyone to bike, walk and roll in Vermont.”
They have spoken with the Laggis Farm about issues regarding jake brakes and sometimes speeding, mostly due to equipment and operators contracted by that and other local farms. The farm has offered to send some trucks around on Steven’s Lane and to notify EHNO during heavy traffic periods.
EHNO also made a presentation to the Hardwick Select Board asking the town to request a DMV traffic study on Vt. Route 16. They support a lowered speed limit as Rte. 16 passes by the village, with a crosswalk and signage at the Main Street crossing to Ward Hill, as well as improved site lines at the intersection.
Learn more at ehno5.wordpress.com/donate.
Each year the EHNO brings village get-togethers, the Children’s Parade, Fall Folk, a Little Free Library and December Cookies to East Hardwick. Last summer it worked to have a Vermont Historic Marker installed at Overlook Park. This summer it is building a trailhead on the rail trail, including a large pavilion and a picnic table.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
