By: David M. Campbell
WEST WINDSOR – In an attempt to work the bugs out of its latest traffic-relief effort, the New Jersey Department of Transportation has made another timing change to green lights at two Route 1 crossings.
Beginning late last week, and only during the morning rush between 6:30 and 9:30 a.m., the traffic signals at the intersections of Washington Road and Harrison Street with Route 1 now stay green a little bit longer.
Washington Road went from 42 seconds of green time to 70 seconds, and Harrison Street went from 35 seconds to 40 seconds, said DOT spokesman John Dourgarian.
On Sept. 26, the DOT changed the signal timing at six lights along Route 1 – at Nassau Park Boulevard, Meadow Road, Carnegie Center Boulevard, Washington Road, Fisher Place and Harrison Street – from two-minute to four-minute cycles during the morning rush hour.
Mr. Dourgarian said the original timing change was made to relieve congestion on the northbound off-ramp from Route 295 to Route 1, which Mr. Dourgarian said has posed "serious safety implications" for motorists.
The timing change doubled the green time on Route 1, but caused congestion on the affected side streets.
The latest changes at the Washington Road and Harrison Street lights have relieved the problem on those streets, Mr. Dourgarian said.
"It hasn’t eliminated backups, which have always been there, but from what we can tell it brought some relief," he said.
The original timing change met with criticism from Princeton residents who travel the affected side streets, as well as praise from motorists who travel Route 1.
"We’ve gotten comments both positive and opposed to the change," Mr. Dourgarian said. "To some degree, that was expected. But the backup on the interstate appears to have been greatly reduced, which was the primary impetus for this effort."
Mr. Dourgarian said the back ups on the I-295 off-ramp has been reduced by more than 50 percent.
