TY for signing this petition and your support in improving the safety of Rabbit Hill Rd.
Monday eve, December 11, 2023, Mayor Marathe gave an update at the West Windsor Township council meeting, where we also observed a moment of silence in honor of Ananta Ahuja.
The Mayor spoke to each point in our petition and the concerns brought forward in the special meeting with him and councilmembers Linda Geevers and Andrea Mandel on December 2, 2023, as well as a Zoom meeting with Sonia Gawas on November 30th. He highlighted pedestrian safety priorities that the township has increased budgets for in recent years. They have $20k in the budget for crosswalks and will add to this amount in 2024. They increased the sidewalk repair program from every other year to yearly and currently have a budget of $175k yearly. They intend to add a $60k repeating line item to 2024 budget for Rapid Flashing Beacons to add as many as possible yearly across the township.
Here is a recap of the Mayor’s council update to our petition requests:
SPEED LIMIT:
Last week the 40MPH signs were put up on Rabbit Hill Rd, and the end of 35 speed zone was removed on the south end of the road. A further change to the speed limit is on the townships radar – as soon as they have flexibility beyond the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control’s 85% threshold speed regulations (supposed changes are expected to be announced soon), they will bring down the speeds. Mayor Marathe has not received confirmation if a fatality does change the regulation requirements.
CROSSWALKS & RAPID-FLASHING BEACONS:
There is a lot of demand for crosswalks and adding Rapid-Flashing Beacon lights once they are constructed. Each lighted crosswalk can cost up to $60k depending on the difficulty of the lighting. The Mayor was able to amend the current Rabbit Hill repaving project to add a Rapid Flashing Beacon at the newly constructed crosswalk that will be added at the end of Trolley Line Trail. A pair of beacons will be added at the Abbington/Bennington and Rabbit Hill intersections, the Mayor hopes to include this in the 2024 budget. Additional locations for lighted crosswalks on Rabbit Hill and Bennington Rd. will be determined by the Traffic Sergeant and Township Engineer.
He has requested that the current repaving project include a crosswalk at the north Abbington Rd intersection. He has not received confirmation if it will be added now.
Mayor Marthe has also requested reflective paint be added to the crosswalks on Rabbit Hill Rd.
POLICE ENFORCEMENT & TRAFFIC CALMING:
West Windsor Township needs more police, with the 50th officer hired just recently. They hope to hire more officers in the 2024 budget. In 2023 the police stopped 3000 cars (including stops on Rt.1). In 2023 there were 28 enforcements on Rabbit Hill. The township only gets $30 from tickets, the rest goes to the state, so ticketing does not significantly impact the township’s budget.
The Police Chief has agreed to increased police enforcement on Rabbit Hill, specifically in the weeks after the road repaving project is complete. The week of December 4th police stopped 7 drivers on Rabbit Hill Rd, 5 were residents, 2 were not.
The Mayor has continually tried to get speed bumps in West Windsor and the engineers say no. An elevated crosswalk is the only option they will consider. The Traffic Sargent and Township Engineer will have to determine any raised crosswalks on Rabbit Hill Rd. They will also have to conduct a traffic study to determine if a 4-way stop is feasible for the Rabbit Hill and Abbington/Bennington intersection.
SIDEWALKS:
Adding sidewalks is a long process with the most difficult aspect being that of getting easements from the home owners. Since signatures have been attained from home owners on the southside of Cranbury Rd. from Van Nest Park to Trolley Line Trail, the Mayor has committed to adding the extension into the 2024 budget.
ROAD SIGNAGE & SPEED RADAR DISPLAY:
Crosswalk warnings signs will be added to each crosswalk on Rabbit Hill Rd. Once completed we can work with the Mayor to determine additional signage that could be possible.
The Mayor will add temporary Speed Radar Displays to Rabbit Hill once the repaving project is completed. The engineers will need to determine where permanent Speed Radar Displays should be placed along Rabbit Hill Rd.
LIGHTING:
There is a demand for more lights on all West Windsor Township roads. The current policy is that road lights are placed at intersections and not at other points of a road. This is common for other communities around us. The Traffic Sergeant and Township Engineer determine where additional lighting should be placed. They have agreed to drive around and make recommendations for the Mayor and council to determine a lighting budget for the 2024 budget. They started a program with Solar road lights, which is more affordable and could offer a quicker solution.
Additionally the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance (WWBPA) sent a letter to the Mayor and Town Council in support of the requests in this petition and were in attendance to advocate for these requests.
We are thankful for the progress the Mayor has already been able to achieve and will continue to update you on each additional step as they take shape.