Snowden Lane Residents, Municipalities
Caught In Infrastructural Tug-of-War

Matthew Hersh

Snowden Lane residents came out in full force Monday night for Princeton Township Committee's discussion of a proposed sidewalk for Snowden Lane.

The sidewalk issue, which has simmered over the last few weeks, has brought legislators and residents to an impasse over how to resolve a 1,300-foot sidewalk "gap" along the western side of Snowden between Franklin and Hamilton avenues in a sidewalk system that otherwise continues along Snowden from Princeton-Kingston Road to Herrontown Road.

That portion, according to Robert Kiser, Township engineer, has always been slated for completion in the community master plan.

A complicating factor, however, is while Snowden Lane itself is completely in the Township, several residences potentially affected by the sidewalk are technically in Princeton Borough. About 400 feet of it, from Franklin Avenue to the Princeton Borough line, affects Township properties, and about 1,000 feet, from the municipal line to Hamilton avenue, of the proposed sidewalk would abut Borough properties.

Sidewalks installed between Hamilton Avenue and the Borough line would cost about $30,000. The matter was previously discussed by Borough Council, which had considered the matter but ultimately decided to table the discussion pending Township Committee's findings.

The Borough's policy in assessing for sidewalk work is that 50 percent is absorbed by the municipality and 50 percent is paid for by the property owner.

For the 400 feet of proposed sidewalk that would affect Township residents, Mr. Kiser estimated the total cost would be about $12,000 with 25 percent of the cost absorbed by the Township and the remaining 75 percent assessed to the property owner.

Among obstacles to building a sidewalk on that stretch, Mr. Kiser added, are several trees on the western side of the roadway, utility lines, driveways, stone walls, landscaping, and sloping areas which would have to be treated.

A heavily-travelled, but somewhat bucolic road, Snowden Lane has evolved into a thoroughfare that Township Police, and at least one neighborhood resident in attendance Monday night, believe is dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, especially children going to and from Riverside and Littlebrook elementary schools.

But residents opposed to the sidewalk proposal contended that there is no danger in not having a sidewalk. In fact, they argued, installing a sidewalk would be more of a potential hazard to pedestrians.

"I don't think there's one person who will come forward and say 'we do want a sidewalk.' I think, unequivocally, nobody wants it unless there is a paramount safety reason that hasn't come out," said Robert Aresty of Snowden Lane. "We'd all be better served by not spending the public's money on a) the sidewalk and b) the time taken for all of us to come here and adjudicate this position," he added.

Officer Michael Henderson, traffic safety officer for the Township Police Department, said he felt there was, indeed, a danger posed to pedestrians walking along that stretch of roadway. A video presentation compiled Monday morning by the department showed a typical weekday a.m. traffic scenario revealing moderate to consistent traffic flow. Officer Henderson indicated that during peak traffic times, 8 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 6 p.m., approximately 35 students walked through the intersection of Snowden and Rollingmeade. The study also indicated that three students walked directly down the stretch where proposed sidewalks would be.

Over a seven day period ending this past Monday morning, Officer Henderson's study tallied 15,150 vehicles travelling in both directions on Snowden.

Citing the low accident rate over the past several years involving pedestrians along that portion of the road, Chris Baldwin of Snowden Lane said he felt the safety issues raised by the police were "subjective."

Mr. Baldwin, a 10-year Snowden resident, said he had not seen any safety issue that would be addressed by installing sidewalks.

Several residents argued that placing a sidewalk at that point would actually increase the traffic and speed of the traffic, claiming motorists are more alert and tend to drive slower when there are pedestrians present. One resident, who said she moved to Princeton from New York City for its quietude, likened a Snowden Lane with sidewalks to "Queens Boulevard," the site of 72 pedestrian deaths between 1993 and 2000, according to the New York City municipal website.

But Josh Leinsdorf, a Forrester Drive resident and member of the Princeton Regional School Board, suggested that "if you want to reduce traffic on Snowden Lane, build a sidewalk. It's too unsafe [for pedestrians]," he said.

Mr. Leinsdorf added that that there are 13 student-age children on Forrester Drive who often walk along Snowden Lane to get to John Witherspoon Middle School.

"This is a no-brainer and we need the sidewalks very, very badly," he said.

The Township Committee discussion session resulted in no formal ordinance introductions. Area residents will be informed as further discussion scheduling appears on municipal agenda.