Brighton Road Neighbors Seek Speed Humps to Slow Seasonal Traffic

OLD LYME, CT – A committee of residents concerned about speeding is backing a call from Brighton Road neighbors to install speed humps on the narrow street leading to a private beach club that draws heavy seasonal traffic.

Road and Public Safety Committee Chair Greg Futoma presented the proposal to the Board of Selectmen at its regular meeting Monday. The committee was created in late 2024 to advise selectmen on road safety issues. 

The road runs less than half a mile from Old Shore Road to the Old Lyme Beach Club, which dates back almost 90 years.  

The proposal to install two seasonal speed humps gained traction among selectmen. They were less receptive to a related request to reduce the speed limit from 20 mph to 15 mph, which they said would have a limited effect among reports from residents that drivers don’t follow posted speed limits anyway. 

Futoma said multiple residents, bolstered by a neighborhood petition, are also asking for additional signage warning drivers to slow down.

“I think the committee felt, in listening to the residents and doing a little bit of research and looking at the roadway and so forth, that the residents’ requests seemed to be reasonable,” he said. 

He told selectmen the committee has funding in the current budget for one speed hump to be installed before the beach season. He said a second can be installed after July 1 with funding from the upcoming budget year. 

The committee was allocated $2,620 in the current budget and is slated to receive $2,180 in the 2026-27 proposed budget, according to budget documents.  

Speed humps have a lower and more gradual rise than speed bumps. A document provided by Futoma shows speed humps are typically 10 to 12 feet from front to back and 3 to 4 inches high, compared to speed bumps that are 1 to 3 feet long and 4 to 6 inches high.

Futoma described Brighton Road as unique for its narrow width, which he measured at 16.5 feet. Local standards for new roads typically call for travel widths of 22 to 24 feet, depending on the road type.

Resident Input

Greg Fox of 15 Brighton Road said speeding has forced his family to change how they use their property.

“We have four granddaughters. We can’t let them play in the front yard when it’s in season because it’s just too dangerous,” he said. 

Paulette De Rocco, who walks her dog daily, said she often has to step aside for passing vehicles.

“People fly down the road,” she said. “I have to actually give up the road so we don’t get hurt.”

Her daughter, Kristin DeRocco, echoed those concerns as a remote participant in the meeting. She recalled traveling the road in her motorized wheelchair with friends on foot to ensure her safety and warn drivers to slow down. 

“No one listens,” she said. “They just zoom past. And I have almost been hit. My friend has almost been hit. And it’s an accident waiting to happen.”

Jeff Sandmann of 37 Brighton Road pointed to the beach club as a major source of traffic and said signage alone has not been effective.

“I think speed bumps are more important than anything,” he said. “If you put up a sign for speeding, they don’t have to pay any attention to it.” 

Futoma said the committee has already reached out to the Old Lyme Beach Club. He described management as cooperative in communicating with its members about driving behavior.

Cost-Benefit

During deliberations, Selectman John Mesham questioned whether a cost-benefit analysis would support lowering the speed limit. He said the move would require an engineered traffic study and probably wouldn’t alter driver behavior.

“I think that the hump is much better as a traffic calming device than a speed limit sign that people are probably not going to pay attention to unless the police are sitting on the road,” he said. 

Selectman Jim Lampos agreed. He cited success with speed humps in slowing seasonal traffic in the Sound View Beach area. 

Shoemaker, acknowledging public works and fire officials are “not a fan” of speed humps, said they have successfully adapted to them in the Sound View area. 

“I think they can work around them on Brighton Road for this short season of twelve weeks,” she said. 

The first selectwoman outlined plans to request an increased police presence on the road early in the beach season and to ensure existing signage is visible. 

She said she’ll be prepared at the first selectmen’s meeting in May with pricing for the humps and potential signage changes, including warning signs alerting drivers to the speed humps, so selectmen can vote.  

The timeline puts the town on track for installation before Memorial Day, according to Shoemaker.