Aerial photographs and charts show how residents already travel between neighborhoods and shopping centers – now, sidewalks and street signs may be placed to help.
By: Michael Arges
EAST WINDSOR -There is significant pedestrian and bicycle traffic in and around the Route 130 corridor through East Windsor, and state and township officials appear poised to take practical steps to improve the safety of walkers and bicyclists in the area.
And those officials appear ready to work together to take those steps, following a presentation at East Windsor Township Council Tuesday night.
Presentations were made by officials from the state Department of Transportation and Urbitran Associates consultant firm, which the DOT hired to prepare a report on bicycle and pedestrian safety on Route 130 and on the streets running under the Hightstown Bypass (Route 133).
One of the most significant findings of the report, from the perspective of Mayor Janice Mironov, is that "the 130 corridor and the cross streets are used by numerous pedestrians and bicyclists – that’s a given. And I think that is an important recognition. This is our main street; it’s got the bulk of our shopping facilities – either right along 130 or right off of 130. We’ve got numerous residential communities that abut 130."
The presentation featured aerial photographs showing places where there had been so much pedestrian traffic that "you could detect the foot-path" crossing a grassy area, Mayor Mironov noted.
For example, "behind the municipal building, over that field, they actually showed footpaths going out to Burlington Coat Factory. They showed that, like it or not, the fact of life today is that numerous pedestrians and bicycles travel along Route 130 and across 130," the mayor added.
The report suggested that it might often be best to construct sidewalks and bikeways along routes that people are already walking or biking.
The report included a number of recommendations including the completion of the sidewalks, adjustments in the timing of traffic signals, pedestrian crossing signals, adequate lighting at night, raised medians along 130 to help pedestrians get across, and adding trees along the roads as "a traffic-calming device," Mayor Mironov reported.
The next step will be finding money to make the improvements, , Mayor Mironov seemed optimistic that the state will provide the funding for many of the suggestions.
"One of the very positive aspects of this kind of partnership between the township and the DOT is that the state would pay for the improvements on the state highways, including 130," she said.
Council voted Tuesday to accept the basic concepts of the study, "so that it could advance to the next stage of implementation at the DOT," Mayor Mironov said.
DOT representative Lance Weight said many parts of the project could be done within the year, if the council moves forward with the ideas.
"At this point the study and the recommendations will be advanced to the next level in the Department of Transportation, and there will be further meetings with the town to agree upon the specific recommendations that we want to adopt, and to begin to implement some of them," Mayor Mironov said.
With regard to improvements on nonstate roads, the council will likely proceed on its own, Mayor Mironov added.