By: centraljersey.com
LAMBERTVILLE – Jaywalkers, beware.
Lambertville police have begun issuing warnings to pedestrians who jaywalk across Route 165 between the new traffic light near Swan Street and the light at Bridge Street.
Police began issuing the warnings to make the public aware of the dangers of crossing outside of the marked crosswalk near the Route 165 traffic signal, which was installed in March.
Route 165, a small stretch of roadway, was the site of several accidents in recent years, one of them resulting in a fatality in 2006. In another accident in 2007, a 14-year-old South Hunterdon Regional High School student was struck as he walked to the library.
Despite the fact the new traffic signal with a pedestrian-activate button has been up and running for about seven months, some pedestrians continue to ignore the crosswalk there and jeopardize their safety, officials said.
At a City Council meeting last month, Lambertville resident Judy Wyckoff told officials she avoids the new signal while driving because she fears hitting one of the pedestrians who jaywalk. She said she would rather take a different route than risk another fatality.
Police Director Bruce Cocuzza said enforcement, beginning with warnings to jaywalkers, might help curb the problem. Police did not say when they would begin to hand out citations.
The fatality that occurred in April 2006 led Lambertville to push the New Jersey Department of Transportation for a new traffic signal on Route 165 along with a crosswalk.
The mayor has said many times in recent years that the way to ensure pedestrian safety was to stop traffic completely. Many people, including senior citizens and school children walking from their homes on Cottage Hill to attractions in the heart of the city, need to cross the highway.
Police have said the intersection at Swan Street and Route 165 is one of the most dangerous intersections in the city. They have said approximately 10 percent of all accidents in Lambertville occur there.

