Speeding on King George Road, East Franklin Avenue, Burd Street and Abey Drive is target
By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
Pennington officials want to crack down on vehicles speeding on four borough streets, but for now at least, installing speed humps is not part of their plan.
Those streets are King George Road, East Franklin Avenue, Burd Street and Abey Drive. Recommendations made by borough officials include new sidewalks, new stop signs and pedestrian crossing signs, and other measures.
Not included in the recommendations are installation of speed humps or speed tables, which have proven controversial in Princeton and other area communities. However, the officials, who include borough Engineer Don Fetzer and borough Councilman Joseph Lawver, say they would back speed humps and/or speed tables if the implementation of the measures that have just been recommended are not adequate to control speeding.
At Monday night’s Borough Council meeting, Mr. Lawver, chairman of the council’s Public Works Committee, said the improvements to the four borough streets initially were recommended by an ad hoc traffic committee. That committee includes residents Nancy Mollis, Gerry Lax, Richele Lieboff, Francie McManimon, Rick Doldy and Guy Rossi. It also includes borough police Director William Meytrott and Councilwoman Eileen Heinzel.
The ad hoc committee presented a written report to council several months ago. It was based on that report, which Mr. Lawver termed excellent, that the traffic-calming initiatives listed below have been recommended by the Public Works Committee and the borough engineer.
No formal action has been taken by council on doing any of the work. Customary procedure in matters such as these is to formally accept a written set of recommendations, as was done Monday night, then take action after studying and conferring on the written report.
For King George Road and East Franklin Avenue — Pending award of a state Department of Transportation (DOT) aid grant for 2008, the borough should install sidewalks on the west side of lower King George Road. This is the side of the road lined by houses. Stony Brook is on the other side.
— Also pending award of a DOT grant, lower King George Road should be repaved, with striping on the roadsides for bicycles.
— Pedestrian crossing signs should be added to crosswalks on King George Road. Shrubs and bushes should be kept trimmed, to ensure visibility of signs.
— An additional speed limit sign for East Franklin Avenue should be installed.
Burd Street — The intersection of Burd Street and Academy Avenue should be reconfigured to form a true T-intersection.
— All streets intersecting with Burd Street should be outfitted with stop signs. Some of them now have yield signs instead.
— New, four-way stops at Burd’s intersections with Lanning and West Welling avenues should be installed.
— A stop sign at Burd Street and Ingleside Avenue, pending DOT approval, should be installed.
— New curbing on the east and west sides of Burd between West Delaware and Academy avenues should be installed.
— New pedestrian cross signs for the crosswalk at O’Hanlon Avenue should be installed.
Abey Drive — Repainting the crosswalks at East Delaware and Curlis avenues is recommended.
— Pending additional feedback from the ad hoc traffic calming committee, painting approximately 600 feet of double yellow lines (no passing) through the curves at the southern end of Abey is recommended.

