Officials: No need to rush Killington Road decision

• By Josh O’Gorman
  STAFF WRITER | October 03,2013

  KILLINGTON — When it comes to planning for the future of Killington Road, a town official wants to wait for winter.
  
  David Rosenblum, chairman of the Planning Commission, updated the Select Board this week on a recent public forum discussing the changes that could make the road’s commercial district more attractive to visitors.
  
  At last week’s Planning Commission meeting, Patrick Olstad, a landscape architect with LandWorks, shared ideas for how the road — and the road’s surroundings — could be improved.
  
  The commission heard suggestions to plant trees on the grassy knoll near the north end of the road, upgrade the lighting and make zoning changes to encourage clustered development.
  
  But the biggest topic of discussion — both last week and Tuesday night — was the road itself, and whether two downhill, northbound lanes are needed.
  
  Olstad suggested the inner northbound lane be repurposed as a dedicated left-turn lane for traffic coming from each direction. He said traffic studies show one lane in each direction could handle the volume of traffic seen on the road, even in the winter.
  
  It was the second time this year a consultant hired by the town has said both northbound lanes are not needed. In January, Lucy Gibson, project engineer with Dubois & King of Rutland, told the Select Board a traffic study by her firm showed a single lane going downhill from the resort would handle current traffic loads.
  
  “When those consultants say we don’t need both lanes, they may be right,” Rosenblum said, noting recent traffic volume is a third less than it was when the second lane was installed.
  
  Olstad said a dedicated left-turn lane would make the road safer, make it easier for drivers to turn off Killington Road, and be safer for drivers trying to turn onto the road.
  
  Select Board Chairman Chris Bianchi said when the second lane was installed, dedicated left-turn lanes weren’t common or popular, and were referred to at the time as “suicide lanes.” However, he said a left-turn lane could eliminate the need to install traffic signals.
  
  And how would the town keep drivers coming off the mountain from just using the turn lane as a driving lane? Selectwoman Patty McGrath suggested installing islands to break up traffic, while at the same time noting how such a move would make snow plowing more difficult.
  
  And what portion of the road should have the left-turn lane? Bianchi suggested the portion of the road between Dean Hill and West Park roads, while McGrath and Chet Hagenbarth, director of the Highway and Facilities Department, suggested that, in the interest of consistency, having the turn lane for the length of the road.
  
  Bianchi said there was no immediate hurry to make any decisions. The study is being paid for with a planning grant from the state Department of Economic, Housing and Community Development. That grant expires in May, and Bianchi suggested waiting at least until winter to firm up any plans.
  
  josh.ogorman@rutlandherald.com