Town Aims to Enhance Traffic Safety on Fox Hill Road With Speed Table Plan

Burlington officials are looking into installing speed tables on Fox Hill Road as a traffic calming measure to mitigate ongoing traffic issues in the area; this is the first-ever application of a procedure approved by the Select Board in August.

The Select Board recently heard a proposal to place speed tables along the busy residential street near Fox Hill Elementary School, in place of the speed bumps that are currently there.

Resident and Town meeting member, Bill Boivin, presented the request, backed by signatures from 87% of residents on Fox Hill Road between Hart and Westwood Streets.

A traffic study completed in 2024 monitored the speed on each of four streets used as cut-throughs in the Fox Hill neighborhood, including Westwood, Beaverbrook, and Donald Road as well as Fox Hill Road; the study revealed that over 10,000 vehicles use Fox Hill Road during a typical school week. About 15% of these drivers were clocked at more than 5 mph above the 25 mph speed limit, with 5% exceeding it by 10 mph or more.

"There's a ton of foot traffic too," Boivin added, with residents walking their dogs, riding bikes, and walking their kids to school.

Town Engineer Tom Hayes explained that the speed tables, if approved, would be 4 inches high and 24 feet long. They're designed to slow traffic more effectively than the current speed bumps, which Hayes said are no longer allowed by federal law on residential roads in part due to the possibility of vehicle damage. Furthermore, Boivin said the ones on Fox Hill Road are flattened and residents often ignore or go around them.

"Studies show that speed tables can reduce speeds by 5 to 10 miles per hour," Hayes said, noting that the average speed on Fox Hill Road is about 7 mph above the speed limit. He estimated that up to nine speed tables could be needed, spaced about 300 feet apart.

Several Fox Hill Road residents voiced support for traffic calming measures, citing safety concerns for kids and pedestrians. However, some on nearby Donald Road, which runs parallel one street over, worried more traffic would be pushed onto their street, which doesn't feature any traffic calming measures or sidewalks.

The process for having speed tables placed on a street was approved by the Select Board at their August 12, 2024, meeting and includes several requirements including average speed, traffic volume, type of road, proximity to school, park, or pedestrian attraction, and more. More than 75% of residents of the street must sign on to the petition before it can be reviewed by the town engineer and, if approved, sent to the Select Board.

A request that is approved by the Select Board will then go before Town Meeting with a cost estimate, ensuring the project is coordinated with the road's paving schedule. The current cost estimate is between $5,000 and $10,000 per speed hump, meaning the project could cost between $45,000 and $90,000, though an official estimate will be issued before this project goes before Town Meeting.

Hayes assured the Select Board that the speed tables wouldn't cause any problems for snow plows. While several Board members balked at the number of speed tables Hayes said might be required, they ultimately approved the project, deferring to the expertise of the town's Engineering Department to determine the number and spacing that would most effectively calm traffic on that road while ensuring residence driveways and other key points on the road aren't blocked.

If approved by Town Meeting, the speed tables will likely be installed in 2028 or 2029, after construction of the new Fox Hill School is completed.