By:David Weinstein
Kingston
has been heard.
After dozens of meetings and
hours of work to make Kingston’s
traffic calming requests heard, the
State Department of Transportation
last week agreed to many of the
Village of Kingston’s proposals for
making Route 27 safer for walking,
shopping and living in the
area.
Mea
sures to be implemented in the vil
lage, according to a DOT letter ad
dressed to the Townships of South
Brunswick and Franklin, include
additional parking along Route 27
and “Yield to Pedestrian” cross
walks.
The
Joint Citizens’ Advisory Task
Force for the Village of Kingston
has for two years lobbied the state
to lend a hand in its battle against
traffic.
King
ston resident and task force mem
ber Glenn Davis, said the measures
are a good
start.
“We
think this is an important stepping
stone,” Mr. Davis said Wednes
day.
“But
more work needs to be done on
speed reduction and other traffic
calming features,” he
said.
Resi
dents from Franklin Park and South
Brunswick, two of the communities
in which Kingston has boundaries,
make up this task force. Kingston
also has boundaries in Princeton
Town
ship.
The let
ter, dated May 19, states that both
townships have the right, as a joint
effort, to install “Yield to Pedestri
an in Crosswalk” signs on portable
stanchions along the Route 27
painted centerli
ne.
These
signs, the letter states, are to be in
stalled between a point 150 feet
north of Heathcote Road/Laurel
Avenue to a point 150 feet south of
Academy Street/Church
Street.
The
DOT will install post mounted
“Yield to Pedestrian” signs along
the right side of the road before
Heathcote/Laurel and facing Route
27 southbound traffic and before
Academy/Church and facing Route
27 northbound traffic, the letter
states.
The
state also will paint “cross-hatch
ing” within the crosswalks at the
signalized intersec
tions.
At these
intersections, the state said it will
install electronic “Walk-Don’t
Walk” signs.
&nb
sp;In addition, parking will be rein
stated along a 405-foot stretch of
northbound Route 27. This area is
immediately north of the Kingston
Garage driveway, 70 feet north of
Academy Street, and runs to the be
ginning of the bus stop at Heath
cote Road. The signing, the letter
states, will be installed once a high
way regulation is enac
ted.
A high
way regulation is currently being
established to reinstate that parking
area along Route 27, the letter
states.
Both
Franklin and South Brunswick will
have to pass a resolution or an ordi
nance reinstating the parking along
the road. After that, DOT spokes
man John Dourgarian said, the
measure is to passed on the
state.
“The
turnaround rate here will be fairly
quick, I think. Probably within two
weeks after we receive the resolu
tion or ordinance, we’ll get it back”
he said.
Mr.
Dourgarian said the townships are
under their own discretion and
schedule to implement the mea
sures which do not need further
state approv
al.
Township
Manager Matthew Watkins said the
council will have this item on their
agenda as soon as possi
ble.
“Probably
in June,” he
said.
“As soon
as we can get all this constructed
and get staff recommendations, it
will come before the council. We’d
like to get it done very quickly,”
Mr. Watkins said. The state de
clined to reinstate parking along
Route 27 southbound between
Church Street and Good Time
Charleys, citing additional travel
space for traffic to move past vehi
cles turning left onto Academy
Street.
The
state also said additional police en
forcement by Franklin Township is
needed at Good Time Charleys and
the Kingston Post Office, because
of a continuous disregard for park
ing regulations in the
area.
“We’ll
continue to be advocates as a model
not only for Kingston, but also for
other areas of the township,” Mr.
Davis said.
