A public information session, outlining proposed pedestrian safety measures on Rosedale Road between Elm Road and Christopher Drive, has been set for April 19 at the Johnson Park School at 285 Rosedale Road.
The presentation, which will run from 6-8 p.m., is being sponsored by Mercer County, which maintains Rosedale Road, and the Municipality of Princeton.
Residents may review the proposed improvements and offer feedback to officials.
The project’s goal is to provide safe pedestrian and bicycle crossings across Rosedale Road and General Johnson Drive, which leads to the Johnson Park School. It would make it safer for students who walk or ride their bicycles to school.
The proposed improvements include installing an 8- to 10-foot-wide pedestrian and bicycle path on the north side of Rosedale Road (the school side), which would replace the existing 6- to 7-foot-wide asphalt path.
Also, a 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalk is proposed to be installed along portions of Rosedale Road on the south side. New curbs, ramps, crosswalks and driveway aprons would be installed on Rosedale Road.
Proposed improvements also include a mini-roundabout, or small traffic calming circle, to be constructed at the intersection of Rosedale Road and General Johnson Drive. Signalized intersection improvements at Rosedale Road and Elm Road also have been suggested.
Princeton received a $1 million Safe Routes to School state grant for improvements to the asphalt path on Rosedale Road and to make improvements to the intersection of Rosedale Road and General Johnson Drive.
The town’s initial Safe Routes to School grant application sought to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Rosedale Road and General Johnson Drive, but the New Jersey Department of Transportation denied it. Traffic signals must be approved by the state agency.
The proposed improvements have been under consideration since the town received the state grant in 2018, but Princeton residents have increasingly pushed for more safety measures following the death of a pedestrian who was killed as he crossed Rosedale Road near General Johnson Drive in August 2021.
There are some safety measures in place, such as a pedestrian-activated rectangular rapid flashing beacon and signage that indicates a school zone. There are flashing overhead lights that announce reduced speed when children are present.