By Greg Forester, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — The combined voice of hundreds of Village Grande and township officials has called on Mercer County and the New Jersey Department of Transportation to install an acceleration lane at that neighborhood’s potentially dangerous exit onto Old Trenton Road.
A resolution emphasizing the problem was passed Monday by the Township Council and endorsed by Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh.
The push represents a second attempt to make life safer for motorists exiting Village Grande onto Old Trenton Road, where the presence of a passing zone means traffic headed southwest on Old Trenton Road sometimes comes at those motorists head-on.
”The problem is pulling out of that back exit,” said Council President Will Anklowitz. “With the acceleration lane, there would be an ability to accelerate safely and then merge onto Old Trenton Road.”
The idea of installing the acceleration lane is the township’s second stab at the problem. The township initially sought to remove the passing zone that exists on the part of Old Trenton Road near the exit.
That plan was shot down by the DOT and the county in the spring of 2007, which was a surprise to Mr. Anklowitz.
”I would have thought that would have happened,” said Mr. Anklowitz. “I am still disappointed.”
The resolution calls for the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders to pass a parallel resolution and hopefully prompt the county’s Engineering Department to begin looking into the installation of an acceleration lane.
West Windsor’s engineering officials will also begin discussions with the county officials to try and reach a resolution, according to Mayor Hsueh.
”If we reach an agreement with the county we will look at sources of funding,” said Mayor Hsueh, who stressed having in-depth discussions with the county about the problem before taking any action.
Village Grande residents seeking the removal of the Old Trenton Road passing zone collected 200 signatures on a petition supporting the move in March of last year.
Around that same time period, the township called on the county to look into eliminating the passing zone, which DOT and county officials eventually rejected.
”We need to really sit down with the county and talk about this,” Mayor Hsueh said.
Monday’s resolution also listed the numerous area legislators who have worked to address the problem, including State Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Hamilton), Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro), and Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes.
