On August 24, 2022

Pittsfield wants drivers to slow down

By Brett Yates

On an average day, more than 4,000 motor vehicles pass through Pittsfield, which has a population of 504, on Route 100, the north-south state highway that crosses its village center. Here, the speed limit drops from 50 to 35 mph.

But how many cars actually slow down? New data from the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) sheds light on driving habits in the area, and town officials intend to introduce electronic signage to clue in the drivers themselves.

“Speeding traffic through the village has been a longstanding problem, and various previous select boards have tried to address it. This has been at least a decade-long effort,” Select Board chair Ann Kuendig observed.

This year, the Pittsfield Select Board resolved to “start from square one,” as she put it, and in June requested a traffic speed study on Route 100 at three points: the north end of the village; the south end; and between them, the village green. TRORC completed its analysis on Aug. 17 after setting up automated recorders to measure the volume and speed of traffic over a two-week span, starting July 27.

Traffic studies usually center upon what engineers call “the 85th percentile speed.” This refers to the speed that 85% of cars are observed to be traveling at or below in free-flowing conditions. At Pittsfield’s midpoint, along the village green, the 85th percentile speed is 39 mph for southbound traffic and 41 for northbound traffic.

But at either end of the 35-mph zone, drivers tend to go faster. The average of four sets of measurements taken near the village’s entrance and exit places the 85th percentile speed at 45, or 10 above the speed limit.

Years ago, Kuendig pointed out, the Select Board appealed to the state for a reduced speed limit on Route 100 in Pittsfield to try to get cars to slow down. The Vermont Traffic Committee rejected the petition.

Speed feedback signs offer another option for addressing the issue. They monitor speeds and then use electronic displays to tell motorists how fast they’re going. While they don’t issue tickets, they give drivers an opportunity to self-correct.

“We have noticed in surrounding towns that these speed feedback signs are going up everywhere,” Kuendig said. “And this is the course that we’re going to try.”

To put up a speed feedback sign on a state highway, a town needs a permit, and completing a traffic study is a prerequisite. The Pittsfield Select Board agreed to send its application to the Vermont Agency of Transportation on Aug. 18.

Speed feedback signs “run $3,000 and up,” according to Kuendig. The town aims, at first, to buy two for the north and south ends of the village on Route 100, with the expectation of using federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act for the purchase. Officials may add more to other town roads in the future.

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

Pride in Rutland: Flags, resistance, and showing up

June 25, 2025
By Emily Pratt Slatin Pride returned to downtown Rutland this June with more color, noise, and purpose than ever before. What began as a joyful celebration quickly became something deeper—something that felt like resistance. And belonging. And a promise that no one in this community has to stand alone. The day kicked off with the…

Plan to manage 72,000 acres of the Telephone Gap project is finalized

June 25, 2025
Staff report The U.S. Forest Service issued its final plan for managing 72,000 acres of public and private land on June 16. The proposed Telephone Gap Integrated Resource Project area is located on the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) within the towns of Brandon, Chittenden, Goshen, Killington, Mendon, Pittsfield, Pittsford, and Stockbridge. “The Telephone Gap project is…

Hot air balloons took flight over Quechee

June 25, 2025
By James Kent This past weekend, June 21-22, people came from all over New England to participate in the 45th annual Hot Air Balloon Festival. Music, food, games, and fun were available for all ages throughout the weekend, but the main attraction was the hot air balloons. And for those looking to see these gigantic,…

Killington residents push for skate park as town reimagines recreation future 

June 25, 2025
By Greta Solsaa/VTDigger As Killington celebrates the 50th anniversary of its recreation center, some residents are pushing to make a skate park a new permanent fixture of the town’s summer offerings.  The town crafted its recreation master plan to holistically determine how to best use its resources to serve residents in the future, Recreation Department Director Emily Hudson…