To the Editor:

It was such a treat to have Dodds Lane newly paved and void of potholes this summer. There has been a lot of construction on the street in the past three years, so I thought the paving signaled an end to all the noise, trucks, industrial smells, and uneven pavement that accompany progress. Those of us in the Littlebrook neighborhood very much enjoyed the clean, smooth paved street.

To my surprise, two weeks ago, long tubes were stacked up in 100-meter intervals and the entire newly paved street was marked with arrows and letters indicating where these tubes will be placed. Sure enough, this morning the street is being torn up by jackhammers. There are police cars indicating that the street is closed, and school children are having to cover their ears as they navigate the crazy and noisy work site. I am sure many Princeton residents have had the same experience in their streets.

How difficult would it be to require vendors that supply and maintain services to the town to coordinate their efforts so that this constant paving, digging up, and drilling could be reduced? Could the installing of cables, tubes, or any necessary work be done simultaneously every few years rather than piecemeal?

Our town prides itself for its efforts in sustainability. Shouldn’t the coordination of work undertaken in our streets by services providers be part of this effort? It would minimize the waste, noise pollution, air pollution and inconvenience of a constant digging up and repaving of our streets.

Gabriella C. Milley
Wittmer Court