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PENNINGTON: Crosswalks work is under way

By John Tredrea, Special Writer
   Pennington crosswalks used by many students and other pedestrians are being improved thanks to a $220,000 federal Safe Routes to School grant.
   The work will be done well before school opens in the fall, said Pennington Councilman Thomas Ogren, who prepared the grant application for the borough. The federal money is being forwarded to the town by the state Department of Transportation.
   The three crosswalks being upgraded are at the intersection of South Main Street and Curlis Avenue, the location of Toll Gate Grammar School; Green Street and Delaware Avenue, near The Pennington School; and West Curlis Avenue and Burd Street, a short block west of Toll Gate.
   All three crosswalks will have solar-powered flashing lights, warning motorists the crosswalk is being used or about to be used. The lights will be activated by the push of a button by pedestrians or a crossing guard. Posted will be signs alerting motorists coming from both directions about those flashing lights and the crosswalks.
   ”The East Curlis-South Main intersections will have curb extensions, known as ‘bump-outs,’ that will narrow traffic lanes a few feet, down to 14 feet,” said Mr. Ogren, who noted traffic lanes on interstate highways are 12 feet wide. “The bump-outs will prevent motorists from passing, on the right, cars waiting to make a left turn. This will make the intersection safer.”
   Another change at that intersection will be the installation of an island in front of the medical office building at the northeast corner of the intersection and the change to diagonal parking spaces in front of that building. Cars using those spaces will be channeled out of the northern end of the parking area created by the island. The northern end of the lot is the end furthest from the intersection at which the school sits.
   In addition, the crosswalk on South Main across East Curlis will be moved up to the edge of the intersection — it’s set back several feet now — thus shortening the distance the crossing guard will have to cover in order to reach the other crosswalk for which that guard is responsible. That crosswalk goes across South Main Street, from East to West Curlis avenues.
   GREEN STREET AND WEST DELAWARE is getting changes similar to those being made at Curlis and Main, Mr. Ogren said.
   ”Bump-outs will eliminate passing on the right of cars waiting to turn left, and there will be pedestrian-activated flashing lights and signs in both directions, alerting motorists to those lights and the crosswalk,” he said.
   WEST CURLIS AND BURD STREET will have raised crosswalks, similar to speed tables, in addition to the warning lights and accompanying signs, Mr. Ogren said.
   ”An added advantage to those speed tables is that they should slow down traffic overall on Burd Street,” he said.