Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press Franklin Township for Route 27 traffic signal; council urges shared costs and further study
Summary
Residents from Princeton Highlands urged the township to commit roughly $75,000 toward a traffic signal and pedestrian crossing on Route 27; council members said right‑of‑way and cost‑sharing with South Brunswick must be resolved and cautioned that similar requests from multiple neighborhoods would add up.
Residents of Princeton Highlands and other neighborhoods urged the Franklin Township Council to help fund a traffic signal and pedestrian improvements at an intersection on Route 27 during public comment on Feb. 10.
Kunal Lakia asked the township to provide a commitment letter or resolution for its share — he said the project cost was about $75,000 and stressed safety concerns after several accidents. Several other residents and speakers, including Theodore Chase, supported the request and pointed to senior safety and access issues at shopping centers.
Council and staff described obstacles: the project requires right‑of‑way acquisition on the South Brunswick side (possibly owned by a shopping center and gas station), and South Brunswick has indicated it would not contribute at this time. Mayor Kramer and other council members noted that multiple neighborhoods could request similar lights, creating many competing priorities and potentially large cumulative costs; the mayor asked staff to investigate acquisition costs and recommended a traffic‑warrant analysis and turn counts as a first step.
Manager and traffic staff said a preliminary warrant analysis can be done in‑house or at a modest consulting cost (an earlier Princeton Highlands warrant estimate was about $10,000) before any funding commitment. Councilmembers emphasized that any decision would consider townwide equity and the township's fiscal capacity.
