Slow the Speeds. Save Lives. Jericho Must Act.

1,000 Speeding Vehicles a Day: Jericho Needs Traffic Calming. Design, Not Delay: Jericho’s Path to Safer Streets. 

The 2024 CCRPC report tells us that over 1,000 vehicles are traveling 10 to 15 miles over our 25 mph speed limit every day. That’s a tenfold increase since 2013. And many are traveling even faster.  

To the Residents of Jericho,

Across Vermont and throughout the country, communities like ours are taking thoughtful steps to make local roads safer, quieter, and more livable. Jericho now faces that same opportunity.

Traffic calming is not about restricting movement—it is about bringing balance back to our roads. When speeds rise and cut-through traffic increases, everyday activities—walking, biking, talking with neighbors, or simply pulling out of a driveway—become more difficult and less safe. These are not abstract concerns; they shape the character and safety of daily life in our town.

Proven traffic calming measures—such as speed humps, curb extensions, lane narrowing, and improved crosswalk design—are widely used because they work. They reduce excessive speeds, improve driver awareness, and create safer conditions for everyone, including children, older adults, and those who use our roads outside of a vehicle.

Importantly, effective traffic calming is not one-size-fits-all. It requires thoughtful design, community input, and, when possible, pilot approaches that allow us to test and refine solutions. The goal is not inconvenience—it is predictability, safety, and shared use of our roads.

Jericho is a town that values community. Supporting traffic calming is a way to reinforce that value in a tangible, visible way. It signals that our roads are not just corridors for vehicles, but shared public spaces where safety and respect come first.

I encourage residents to stay engaged, ask questions, and support efforts that move us toward safer and slower streets. With careful planning and community collaboration, we can implement measures that reflect both our needs and our values.

Safer streets are not a limitation—they are an investment in the quality of life that makes Jericho home.

When we assumed the car, we did not lay aside the pedestrian. 

Meaning

When we designed our roads around the car, we did not set aside the needs of the pedestrian—and we should not do so now.

  

                                            

Notes and chart below:

There is considerable detail, data, and how-to guidance in the CCRPC 2024 report and my  6/12/20/2025 testimony to the Selectboard:  https://jerichovermont.blogspot.com/2025/06/slower-and-safer-streets-why-what-and.html. Both offer details to enhance tool selection and design for the best fit to the community’s needs. Also, the Selectboard has invited Jack Evans from Local Motion to offer his guidance.

Enforcement does bring in some revenue, but the cost exceeds the revenue by far, thus an argument against relying solely on additional enforcement.  Also, the availability of Sheriff hours is limited. The budget amount for Sheriff/traffic enforcement for FY26 is $ 190,000, with estimated fines of $ 60,000. This is for 50 hours per week. [$73 an hour].

Explanation is warranted from the Sheriff Department on why the fines were lower last year, given that the number of speeders continues to rise.