Asking Town to Pump the Bakes on Harrison Street Traffic modifications
To the Editor:
The Municipality of Princeton should pump the brakes on the traffic modifications for North Harrison Street. While some evolution of traffic control on North Harrison may be necessary, the change is off to a bad start.
The new dedicated bicycle lane on North Harrison Street between Valley Road and Terhune Road creates hazards for all. A bicyclist in the bicycle lane who proceeds straight across Terhune Road faces the peril of motorists turning right across the bicyclist’s line of travel. It would be better for that bicyclist to ignore the bicycle lane. Motorists entering the block from various directions encounter a sudden merge from two lanes to one. Drivers in the right lane face an unenviable situation.
Choking traffic on North Harrison Street drives traffic onto Ewing Street. We see similar behavior in the vicinity of the (vital) traffic lights at Hamilton Avenue and Nassau Street. Drivers race up and down Linden Lane to dodge these lights, often continuing on Princeton Avenue or Murray Place.
Some natural diversion onto side streets is inevitable. Deliberate restriction on North Harrison Street is not the answer.