Walking the Walk & Talking the Walk
Thanks to everyone who turned out on a cold and rainy evening for our walk along the "S" curve on Alexander Road by the D&R Canal last Tuesday night. About twenty residents of West Windsor and Princeton walked along the roadway and brainstormed about potential improvements.
The Princeton Packet featured an article about our efforts to raise awareness about this walk and how we want the planned improvements to include bicycle and pedestrian access – right now there isn’t any! As a follow-up we discussed having a joint-township meeting with residents...date to be scheduled for this fall, and word will go out.
I would like to suggest continuing the blacktop off-road lane that ends at the Princeton Township border into West Windsor for shared use by bikers and pedestrians, on the south-side from the canal to Canal Point Blvd. Additional overhead lighting is alos need.
Please add your comments, impressions and suggestions. ~ Susan
p.s. the recently re-stripped lanes are visible -- this improvement is a great first step:
BEFORE RECENT LANE RE-STRIPPING (photo taken August 6, 2006)
and now AFTER RECENT LANE RE-STRIPPING (photo taken Sept. 5 2006)
posted by Ken Carlson @ 1:26 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Recommendations from participants of this walk are as follows:
Short-term improvements:
o Include traffic calming measures to reduce the speed of traffic, which in general is too fast for the curve. Suggestions would include the placement of flexible plastic pylons along the center line of the road.
o Conduct a traffic study as soon as possible with the aim of reducing the speed limit.
o Place a flashing yellow caution light as you approach the curve from either direction.
o Increase the density of reflectors along the lane divider and add reflectors along the road edges.
o Cut branches along the south side of Alexander Road to make the existing dirt path more accessible.
o Add road surface treatments to create a less slippery roadway.
o Include Princeton University as a stakeholder in both interim and long-term improvements to the roadway.
Long-term improvements:
o Develop a macadam off-road pedestrian path on the south-side of the road that would extend from the existing path at the Princeton border to Canal Pointe Blvd. ADA compliance for this path would have to be taken into account to ensure handicap accessibility.
o Construct bike lanes on both sides of the road, with connectivity to Princeton and to Canal Pointe Blvd.
o Maintain the S curve but make changes to create a safer roadway environment for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. There is a fear that straightening the road would increase travel speeds. In fact, there was a suggestion to make the curves a little tighter (increased road curvature) to make motorists slow down even more.
o Narrow the travel lanes to slow traffic.
o Include lighting for both the roadway and for pedestrians. Pedestrian-scale lighting would encourage both bicycling and pedestrian activities and would increase the feeling of safety and security.
o Develop a dedicated bicycle-pedestrian path closer to the Dinky rail line that could serve as an additional route for residents to travel safely by bicycle or by foot in this area of the township. Such a path would not obviate the need for bicycle and pedestrian accommodations along the S-curve, but would provide an additional safe route for bicyclists and pedestrians in this area of the township. The WWBPA has been advocating for such a dedicated bicycle-pedestrian route between the D&R Canal and the Princeton Junction Train Station with a dedicated bicycle-pedestrian bridge over Route 1 in the vicinity of the Dinky Rail Line. A petition with over 500 signatures in favor of this bridge and path can be found at http://www.petitiononline.com/rt1brdg/petition.html. The DOT has agreed to conduct a feasibility study for the bicycle-pedestrian bridge and path as part of the Penns Neck Bypass project.
o Organize an Alexander Road Curve Coalition that would be involved in the process to improve the roadway. This Coalition, as suggested by a member of Town Council, could meet quarterly or semi-annually with prominent stake-holders, namely representatives from the WWBPA, the Princeton Sidewalk and Bikeway Advisory Committee, as well as West Windsor Township, Princeton Borough and Township, Princeton University, Mercer County and NJDOT.
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