To the Editor:

It has been six months since the tragic death of Pinghua Xu, who was fatally struck by a vehicle and died while crossing Rosedale Road at the Greenway Meadows and Johnson Park School intersection. My heart goes out to Pinghua Xu and his family. What’s even more heartbreaking is that this intersection has been an area of concern for many, many years and if only proper safety measures were put in place when concerns were first raised, maybe Mr. Xu would still be alive today. Before another accident happens, we urge the municipal and county officials to take action and address the safety issue at this intersection immediately.

The Rosedale intersection has been under scrutiny since as far back as 1999 when then-Princeton Township Mayor Phyllis Marchand met with Johnson Park’s principal and the Parent Teacher Organization to discuss the dangers of the intersection. In 2016, the intersection was flagged as an area of concern in the New Jersey Safe Routes to School Report. In 2021, we sadly lost a life proving just how dangerous this intersection really is. It is now 2022 and no significant improvements have been made to make the intersection safe. This spans over 20 years. That is far too long. Time is up and we need a solution now.

We believe installing a traffic signal is the best solution. We request for traffic calming measures to be put in place in the meantime. We implore the municipal and county representatives to work together and act now. Please protect our children, elderly, and all pedestrians that use that crosswalk. We have two children at Johnson Park, and their grandmother walks the same path Mr. Xu did. She saw him often on her daily walks. We need to do better to ensure the safety of all.

Pia Ahn
Audubon Lane