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Bailey Road is no longer 40 mph. The Select Board voted to drop it 35 to provide some consistency for drivers.

Lanesborough Select Board Decreases Bailey Road Speed Limit

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Traveling 40 mph down a section of Bailey Road is no longer permitted.

The Select Board on Monday voted to change the "questionable" 40 mph zone to a 35 mph speed limit.

Police Chief Robert Derksen came to the panel with the request, as there are currently three speed limits on the road.

It was hard to tell where the 35 mph and 40 mph speed zones were, he said, and there's a section that's 25 mph.

"From Route 7, there's a 25 mph zone and it also depends on what direction you're traveling so if you're traveling, I guess westbound towards Brody Mountain Road, it's 25, 35, and 40. At about Noppet Road is when it changes to 40," he explained.

"Now, the thing I did notice is traveling it from Brodie Mountain towards Route 7, it's not marked until that first sign, and if you're eastbound, right around where it changes from 40. If you're westbound, it's 35 so it's two different speed limits depending on the direction you're traveling."

The Police Department placed radar in the area hoping to gather data but the file was corrupted and unable to be used, Derksen said.

Select Board member Timothy Sorrell was ready to make a recommendation without the data, motioning to change the 40 zones to 35.


"I think keeping it 25 is going to be unrealistic for that road," he said.

Derksen agreed, recommending a few more signs.

"We should have one at the very beginning when you come up. Then you should have one when you turn, come off of any of the side streets either way, so you know what's going on," Sorrell said.

In other news, the Hometown Heroes banner program is coming to Lanesborough in 2025.

Town Clerk Ruth Knysh the hope is to have the banners out by Memorial Day and that they will stay up through Veterans Day. North and South Main streets will be adorned with signs honoring past and present armed forces members and first responders.

"I believe they said we have around 100 poles. The cost of the banners will be $200 and that includes the brackets and everything to hang them," she said.

"The Fire Department has actually volunteered to erect them out so that's nice. It will include picture, rank of service, any credentials, active duty or deceased military."


Tags: speed limits,   

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Pittsfield Conducting Housing Production Plan with BRPC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Berkshire Regional Planning Commission will conduct a Housing Production Plan for the city. 

Last week, the Affordable Housing Trust heard some points they are asked to consider in the infancy of this project.  This includes the types of housing missing from Pittsfield, where insufficient housing affects other efforts, and housing wins. 

A housing production plan helps create a pathway for municipalities to build housing through specific goals while contributing public input and a survey of community needs.  It also sets targets for the amount of housing to be produced. 

"We have worked with Berkshire Regional Planning before. I think you all remember where they did a housing needs assessment for us when we first convened," Director of Community Development Justine Dodds reminded the board during its July 22 meeting. 

BRPC will kick off the project this month with data gathering, meeting with city staff to see the metrics, capacity, and what Pittsfield has undertaken so far. 

In December and January, additional chapters will be presented around demographics, housing conditions, and barriers to housing.  In February, they will work on goal setting and setting forth an action plan.

A big part of this, Dodds explained, is community outreach and engagement, which will occur in the spring 

A final plan will be submitted to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities in May. 

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