As the residents of Village Grande recently found, even the smallest road safety change can take many months, or even longer, to push through government’s multiple layers of bureaucracy.##M:[more]##
As West Windsor history has shown, officials act quickly after a serious accident or fatality occurs on a road, but getting them to take preventative measures is like moving mountains.
On April 18, state, county, and local officials gathered to announce that a stretch of Old Trenton Road, a county road that bounds the Village Grande development, was being re-striped as a no-passing zone.
Also at the announcement was Marvin Gardner, chairman of the township planning board and resident of Village Grande. But for Gardener, the changes probably wouldn’t have happened.
The re-striping was done to correct a potentially deadly situation on the road. On several occasions vehicles making right turns from a secondary exit in Village Grande onto northbound Old Trenton Road narrowly avoided head-on collisions with southbound vehicles trying to pass the car in front of them, says Gardener.
The issue was discussed at Village Grande homeowners meetings, the township was notified, and Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh sent a letter to the county requesting that the road be re-striped to prohibit passing.
The county said no, and explained that its hands were tied. “The county executive’s office responded that they could not change the road because federal traffic standards state that in a 50-mile-per-hour zone, if there is visibility of 900 feet, you cannot have a double line,” Gardner says.
“I made point to the county that there were extenuating circumstances and that to avoid fatalities, it was important that something be done immediately. It was literally an accident waiting to happen,” says Gardener.
He also pointed out that several commercial and residential projects were being build in that area of Old Trenton Road, which would make a hazardous situation even worse. “Remediation was the prescription to avoid a catastrophe.”
Gardener reached out to Assembly members Bill Barone and Linda Greenstein, who also wrote letters to the county. Still, the requested change was rejected. Gardener was contacted by County Executive Brian Hughes. “He indicated to me that there was nothing he could do. The county was handcuffed by federal restrictions.”
Undaunted, Gardener continued to work with the county executive. “Several months ago, I was in meeting with Hughes on other township issues, and I persisted with him. I said that sometimes exceptions need to be made. This was a clear case where the county and the state could circumvent the federal regulations in the interest of public safety. I urged him to take immediate action.”
Hughes contacted Gardener later that day and told him that he would pursue the matter “vigorously” with the state. A short time later, state certification was obtained, and the road was re-striped.
The roadwork was completed as Hughes’ April 18 press conference began.
