WILTON – Ways to make Lake Road safer were discussed Tuesday by selectmen, a Maine Department of Transportation director and residents from a stretch of scenic road to be repaved.

The board voted to repave a portion of the road from the stop sign to Walker Hill Road at its last meeting, but also asked the town manager to research costs and steps to add speed bumps, widen pavement by 4 feet, make the road one way, change the speed limit and assign weight limits.

The town’s ordinance gives the board quite a bit of authority, Peter Nielsen, town manager, told selectmen, but speed limits are set by MDOT.

After discussions with Peter Coughlin, director of MDOT’s Local Roads Center, who attended the meeting, Nielsen told selectmen that Coughlin advised considering a policy for speed bumps before they start adding them because people on other streets may want them, too. “They work for some but irritate others,” he said.

Some selectmen soured on the idea of widening the road when they realized the costs associated with moving utility poles, about $3,500 each.

While some opposed making the road one-way, safety for pedestrians, especially around the swimming area, were major concerns of residents.

After one said he wasn’t aware of a speeding problem on the road, police Chief Dennis Brown said that during a 30-minute period monitoring traffic on the road Tuesday, six of nine cars were going over the 25 mph limit.

Coughlin said police enforcement is the best deterrent to speeders because it hits people in their pocketbooks, but also noted that police cannot maintain a constant vigil on that one road.

Cutting speed

Coughlin did agree that a newly paved road would increase speed, but made other suggestions, including new and larger speed signs, a built-up crosswalk from the swimming area to Bass Park and road bumps done at the time of paving.

Speed limits are basically set by the speed people drive based on their perception of feeling it’s safe to drive that limit, he said. Painting double lines through the middle of the road and reflective white lines along the edge would create the illusion that the road is narrower and slow drivers down, he said.

The board postponed action and asked Coughlin, Nielsen and Highway Foreman John Welch to return with a plan for the road at the July 15 meeting.