To the Editor:

The person in charge of the traffic lights in Princeton needs to do more homework or at least pay attention to the mess that’s been brewing.

Traffic in Princeton could move much more efficiently than it does, especially at rush hour. The traffic lights and the pedestrian crossing lights are terribly out of coordination. When one wants to turn on to Nassau Street from Witherspoon Street, for example, as the traffic light turns green, the pedestrians are given the go to walk across Nassau Street halting any vehicle from going left or right. Therefore, only 3 cars can get through before the traffic light turns red. This is also the case at Nassau and Vandeventer.

SOLUTION: Why not stop traffic completely at all lights to allow pedestrians to walk in any direction at the same intersection?

Also, the following traffic lights should offer a pause (or left turn light) for the lane that wants to turn left:

1.  Bayard Lane and Paul Robeson/Hodge

2.  Paul Robeson and Chambers/John

3.  Hamilton/Harrison

4.  Franklin/Harrison

5.  Vandeventer/Washington Road and Nassau

Chambers Street to Nassau Street is becoming a nightmare. The sign offering certain times for left hand turns must be changed to NO LEFT EVER!  Drivers are not able to make a left there as they can’t maneuver the task, so traffic sometimes gets backed up to Bank Street. SOLUTION: No left turn allowed on to Nassau from Chambers.

Then you get to the mess on Nassau between the light at University Place and the light at Route 206 where traffic is wanting to turn off and on to Mercer Street and vehicles approaching Nassau from Mercer need to go left or right with and against the traffic already moving in both directions there.

SOLUTION:  close the top of the lane that approaches Nassau from Mercer, sending that lane over to the light at the top of University Place.  From that light, vehicles could then go north or south on to Nassau.

These changes would require a coordination between the County traffic coordinator and Princeton Municipality engineer but the time has come for action.

Martha F Stockton

Stockton Real Estate, LLC

Chambers Street