It seems like the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance will have another busy year, and advocacy is a major goal.
The WWBPA, which held its annual meeting last month, is pushing for continuous sidewalks along Route 571 in Princeton Junction from the Acme down to the train station. “We’ve been told Route 571 is going to be improved, but that’s in the future many years from now,” said Ken Carlson, the WWBPA president. “We want it for those who walk now. Currently, there is no way to walk from Sherbrooke to the train station. It is our most important sidewalk priority for 2009.” Carlson says the township already has permission from the county, and that it is a very simple, yet important request.
Another goal is to get bike lanes on Washington Road from the train station all the way to the Princeton border, and the county seems to be amenable to the idea. The township’s Master Plan will also be updated this year, and “we want to be very involved in that and work with the Planning Board to make sure West Windsor is as bicycle and pedestrian friendly as possible.”
In terms of communication, the WWBPA plans to redesign its website, so that it can operate as a better communication tool between board members and the public. With regard to education, the WWBPA will also be continuing its work on building a curriculum for students and adults about bicycle and pedestrian safety and awareness, Carlson says, adding that the curriculum will not only include information for pedestrians and bicyclists, but also for motorists.
The WWBPA will also be starting a campaign called Slow Down in Our Town, aimed at promoting traffic calming in West Windsor. “It’s a campaign that will include putting signs up in different neighborhoods,” said Carlson. The WWBPA will also continue its Share the Road Campaign, says Carlson, adding that the alliance is working with the township to get share the road signs installed on township roads that are too narrow for bike lanes that do not have compatible shoulders. One example would be South Lane, Carlson said. “It’s a beautiful rural road that a lot of cyclists bike on, but it’s narrow with no shoulder,” he said.
One of the other big goals for the WWBPA is continuing the progress it has made with the Walkability Map. The map was presented to the township council during a meeting last month. Chris Scherer, WWBPA vice president, explained that the map was created to develop a list of intersection improvements around town, and so that the WWBPA can prioritize those improvements.
The WWBPA will also be continuing its Pedals for Progress event and is looking to develop another Safe Routes to School event. It is also looking to further its trail building in conjunction with the Friends of West Windsor Open Space.
In other business, the WWBPA re-elected Alison Miller and Michael Ogg as trustees, and elected new member Jay Foster also as a trustee.
