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Engineers recommend 25 mph limit and pedestrian beacons on Main Street after speed study
Summary
An engineering study reviewed three years of crash data and recommended reducing Main Street speed to 25 mph, adding flashing pedestrian beacons, advanced warning signs, speed feedback signs and markings; county approval and funding remain unresolved.
Justin, the agency engineer, presented findings from a Main Street speed evaluation between Washington Road and MacArthur Avenue and recommended lowering the speed limit to 25 miles per hour.
The study reviewed field conditions, three years of accident data and applicable guidance, including the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The engineer reported there were 25 accidents on Main Street over the past three years, and three of those were directly related to speeding. He said the current 85th-percentile speed (the speed at which most drivers travel) is 30 mph, and on that basis the traffic engineers concluded “this road should be 25 miles per hour.”
The nut graf: The recommendation, if adopted, would align the roadway’s regulatory speed with the agency’s classification of Main Street as a residential road and is intended to support a package of traffic-calming measures to reduce speed-related crashes.
In addition to the lower posted speed, Justin outlined a set of measures meant to encourage compliance: solar-powered flashing pedestrian beacons near OLV and Borough Hall that pedestrians would activate with a push button, advanced warning signs for crosswalks, a speed feedback sign and additional pavement speed markings. He cautioned against in-pavement lighted crosswalks, saying those were “very difficult to maintain” and that New Jersey generally does not use them; instead, he recommended pole-mounted beacons that illuminate when activated.
Commissioners asked about the process for adding mid-block crosswalks and who must approve them. Justin said mid-block crosswalks may be installed where justified and recommended they be at least 400 feet from intersections per standard practice. He said the study has been sent to Middlesex County for review and the county’s response is pending. The agency noted the county may require the borough to pay for installations on the county roadways.
The engineer and commissioners discussed a crosswalk used for church services near OLV; Justin recommended keeping the existing crosswalk and said adding a second crosswalk nearby would be considered if requested. Commissioners said they would follow up with Middlesex County and push for priority review.
Ending: The agency will await Middlesex County’s feedback before moving forward; no formal vote on changing the posted speed occurred at the meeting.
