KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Concern over dangerous driving and an increase in serious crashes along Route 9 has prompted city and state officials to hold a public meeting next week to discuss possible safety improvements.

The City of Keene, in collaboration with the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT), will host the session on Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Heberton Hall in the Keene Public Library, 60 Winter Street. Representatives from NHDOT, NH State Police, the Southwest Region Planning Commission, and Keene’s public safety departments are expected to attend.

The meeting aims to give residents an opportunity to share their experiences and suggestions regarding the heavily traveled Route 9 corridor, which has seen repeated crashes and enforcement operations over the past year.

Officials say the public’s input will help guide decisions about potential road design changes, signage, and enforcement strategies. “All voices are valued and participation is helpful,” the city said in its announcement.

The renewed focus on Route 9 comes after a series of high-visibility enforcement efforts and troubling crash statistics. In June 2025, state and local law enforcement launched a Safe Commute Corridors initiative along Route 9 between Stoddard and the Vermont border. The eight-hour operation resulted in 95 vehicle stops and 48 tickets, including one case where a juvenile from Brattleboro was clocked driving more than 100 miles per hour through Chesterfield.

That crackdown followed months of growing concern about speeding and fatal crashes, particularly among young drivers. A September 2024 report from the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles showed a sharp rise in road deaths statewide—100 fatalities as of late September, with 10 involving drivers under age 21, a fourfold increase from the year before.

In Cheshire County, Route 9 has been a focal point for enforcement. The Chesterfield Police Department conducted its own speed patrols in response to multiple serious crashes in July 2024, including one that claimed two lives.

Statewide, the New Hampshire Office of Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have been urging drivers to slow down and eliminate distractions, noting that cellphone use and inattentive driving remain major causes of crashes among young motorists.

Officials say community input at the Nov. 4 meeting will be key to developing practical, long-term safety solutions for Route 9—one of southwestern New Hampshire’s busiest and most hazardous roadways.