By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Concerned about speeding cars on Province Line Road near the Yorkshire Village housing development, neighborhood residents have asked Township Council to lean on Mercer County officials to solve the problem on the county maintained road.
Bill Rodgers and Edith Wolff, who both live in the development, told Township Council at its Oct. 16 meeting that speeding on Province Line Road, combined with poor sight visibility exiting the development, is a serious issue.
Mr. Rodgers said the problem has been made worse because more cars are using Province Line Road because Quaker Road in Princeton Township is closed for bridge repairs. Motorists will be detoured to Province Line Road for the next few months.
The Yorkshire Village townhouse and single-family-home development is located on both sides of Province Line Road, between the Mercer Mall and the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park.
Mr. Rodgers said the 40-miles-per-hour speed limit on that stretch of Province Line Road is too high. He asked for the speed limit to be dropped to 25 miles per hour, noting that there are a “lot of cowboys” who travel in excess of the speed limit.
Mr. Rodgers, who lives on Vaccaro Road, said it is “challenging” to get out of his street onto Province Line Road because his view of traffic coming off the bridge is partially blocked. And cars traveling from Quakerbridge Road toward Princeton Pike must merge from two lanes into one, he said.
”You do have a horse race coming off the traffic light. It’s risky,” Mr. Rodgers said.
Mr. Rodgers and Ms. Wolff, who lives on Port Mercer Road, both pointed out that it is risky for pedestrians to cross Province Line Road from the northern portion of the development to the southern one, which is the location of the development’s swimming pool.
They suggested installing a lighted pedestrian crosswalk or a four-way stop sign at the intersection of Port Mercer Road and Canal View Drive. Mr. Rodgers added that speed humps should be installed on Province Line Road to slow down the traffic.
Ms. Wolff said she is concerned because her teenaged son crosses Province Line Road to reach the swimming pool. Someone is going to get hurt, she said, adding that “it’s just a matter of time before something happens.”
Councilman Michael Powers said Township Council had sent letters expressing concern about the issue to Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes and Mercer County Freeholder Pat Colavita Jr., who lives in Lawrence.
Mr. Powers said he occasionally takes that road home from work and “it’s scary.” It would be worthwhile for Mercer County officials to consider addressing the issue, he added.

