Engineer outlines town-wide speed-limit study; DOT approval still required

An engineering presentation at the April 14 Red Hook Town Board meeting laid out the town's plan to categorize and study roadway speeds to support requests to lower certain town road speed limits.

Ken Worstell of Creighton Manning told the board the study first inventories roads and classifies them by character: residential streets likely suitable for 25 mph postings, B-category roads in the 30'to'35 mph range and a small number of higher-speed routes. He said the firm plans to sample representative segments rather than test every road in town and then apply findings across similar roads.

Worstell emphasized that the town must coordinate with the New York State Department of Transportation because NYSDOT retains jurisdiction to set legal speed limits on state and county roads. After the town submits its proposed categorizations, Creighton Manning would perform targeted field studies and speed/volume analyses, produce engineering reports and then forward recommendations to DOT for review and final determination.

Board members asked about segmented roads that carry multiple classifications, the potential timeline and whether the town may install driver-feedback signs (radar speed displays). Worstell said DOT review of the preliminary list should be returned by summer, after which the firm would conduct data collection and produce findings for the town and DOT.

No board vote was required at the presentation; engineers will return with a refined list and a schedule after DOT feedback.