West Windsor council calls for fixes to Route 571
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| By: Shanay
Cadette , Staff Writer |
03/26/2004 |
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Safety of pedestrians and bike riders
a prime concern.
WEST WINDSOR — Instead of relaying a
cacophony of wants and desires for Route 571, the township
hopes to send a clear message that the busy roadway is unsafe
and must be fixed sooner rather than
later.
Council President Kristin Appelget
said some Mercer County officials believe West Windsor lacks a
unified vision for Route 571, so the Township Council spoke
with a single voice Monday.
It
unanimously adopted a resolution that urges the county to
redevelop Route 571, a county-owned road, to ensure the safety
of pedestrians and bicyclists who travel along many of the
intersections in the Princeton Junction
area.
Originally written by residents,
the resolution calls on the county to make Route 571 — from
the Cranbury Road to the Clarksville Road intersections —
bike- and pedestrian-friendly with a slew of safety measures,
such as proper lighting, pedestrian-crossing signals, pavement
striping and street
redevelopment.
Residents told the council
Monday they can't cross intersections, walk to the grocery
store or deli, or allow their children to bicycle or walk in
the area for fear of getting hit by a
car.
They also contended improvements to
Route 571 are long overdue.
Many plans
and proposals for the roadway have circulated and complaints
are endless, yet longtime residents said nothing has ever been
done to make the road safer.
"It's now
2004 and people are still talking about it and doing nothing
about it," said resident Arnold
Sirota.
Route 571 becomes more dangerous
as traffic increases, residents continued, citing a February
accident in which a Plainsboro man was struck by a car as he
attempted to cross the Route 571-Cranbury Road
intersection.
"It's a dangerous
intersection no matter what mode (of transportation) you
choose," said Ken Carlson, chairman of the township's Bicycle
and Pedestrian Task Force. It is an intersection that's
"really begging for change."
"This is a
summary of the wishes of a bigger group, of all the residents
of Princeton Junction," added resident Hemi Nae. "Traffic
along 571 is only getting worse."
Council
members affirmed the residents'
views.
"It is long past time for
something to be done about an unsafe intersection," said
Council Vice President Jackie Alberts. "The time for grand
visions is over. It's time for
implementation."
Ms. Appelget concurred.
"This is something that needs to get done before someone gets
more seriously hurt or killed," she
said.
Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh said he has
discussed safety issues with county officials, who have said
West Windsor hasn't clearly supported one vision for Route 571
in the past. He added he fully supports the resolution and
will work to keep the lines of communication open with the
county as decisions are made about the
roadway.
Also Monday, the
council:
• Approved the purchase of
$72,000 in furniture and modular office equipment for the
Community Development Department. The department office is
currently undergoing a renovation to improve spacing and
efficiency in the downstairs area of the municipal
building.
• Agreed to a $5.7 million
emergency temporary budget appropriation since the township
has yet to adopt a 2004 budget. The temporary budget covers
contractual agreements, workers' compensation and liability
and salaries, among other things.
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