Violations galore, but few solutions seen at Johnson Park School intersection

By Nick Norlen, Staff Writer
   Nearly 50 violations — almost half of which came during a 15-minute period at the start of the school day — were observed Thursday by Princeton Township Police monitoring the intersection at Johnson Park Elementary School that parents and staff have cited as dangerous.
   But police also reported that there have been few accidents at the site recently, and neither township nor county officials said they were confident about potential solutions to the problem while meeting with the interested parties Monday.
   However, those officials left the session promising to meet and then reconvene with the parents and school staff to continue the discussion.
   The meeting was organized by Johnson Park Principal Robert Ginsberg to address what he has said is a series of near-collisions involving both motorists and pedestrians during the peak morning and afternoon transportation hours at the school on Rosedale Road.
   According to Mr. Ginsberg, those near-collisions are caused by drivers attempting to pass cars waiting to turn left into the school parking lot by using the right-turn lane for the Greenway Meadows park entrance across from the school.
   Parents have said the proximity of a crosswalk also makes the situation extremely dangerous.
   Police Sgt. Thomas Murray, the township’s traffic safety officer, told those at the meeting that the problems he observed Thursday were caused primarily by poor driving behavior.
   ”The number of turning lane violations are out of control,” he said, referring to those committed during the school’s peak arrival and departure times.
   According to Sgt. Murray, 21 of the 47 violations observed occurred between 8:16 and 8:30 a.m. Thursday — when buses and cars are dropping children off at the school.
   Only one motor vehicle accident has occurred on Rosedale Road in 2007, and of the eight that have occurred in the last three years, most have been low-speed, rear-end collisions, Sgt. Murray said.
   But Mr. Ginsberg said “it’s the near-misses that scare us.”
   He added, “Because something is eventually going to happen.”
   Traffic Safety Officer Kim Hodges acknowledged that the low accident rate doesn’t reflect close calls — and said police would continue to do all they can to address the situation despite personnel shortages that have occurred since the right-turn lane was installed at Greenway Meadows.
   ”We definitely know we have an enforcement issue. It burns me to see that many people totally disregarding the traffic laws — let alone in a school zone,” she said.
   Though parent Paul Taylor said he appreciates the proactive approach of the police, he said the situation ultimately warrants an infrastructure change — specifically, he said, the elimination of the “two-lane highway” created by the right-turn lane.
   While he called the situation a “very sensitive issue because it deals with kids,” Mercer County Engineer Greg Sandusky said he isn’t immediately aware of any viable fixes.
   Among the suggestions that were cited by the police and engineers as unlikely to be successful were a flashing crosswalk, a radar speed sign and the installation of a traffic light.
   In addition, Mr. Sandusky said the potential installation of a traffic signal down the street at Province Line Road has been delayed by utility relocation and other hurdles.
   And the possibility of removing the right-turn lane altogether was rejected because police and engineers said it still serves a purpose, albeit mostly on weekends.
   Still, Mr. Sandusky said he would look into a few of the suggestions, including Mr. Ginsberg’s recommendation of a barrier to keep cars in the right-turn lane, and the possibility of moving the Greenway Meadows entrance farther west.
   Township Engineer Bob Kiser said environmental concerns would make the latter “extremely difficult,” even if funding was allocated.
   The next meeting involving all the parties will likely take place in January.