I walk my dog, Harley, mostly every evening down Edgemere Avenue. Depending on what time of the year it is, I may have to walk Harley at a certain time to beat the night’s darkness. During the fall, the sunset is at approximately at 7:30 p.m. During the winter season, sunset hovers around 6 p.m. During spring, sunset could commence at 7:45 p.m. at the latest, or 7:15 p.m. at the earliest. And during the summer months, 8 p.m. is traditionally sunset’s cue. But no matter which season it is, the darkness of night shall come eventually.
And when darkness comes, Edgemere Avenue goes black.
The lighting on Edgemere Avenue is atrocious, and quite frankly dangerous. Walking down Edgemere Avenue at night is the same as walking blind. You can barely see your footsteps hit the concrete sidewalks. For the High School North athlete walking down Edgemere Avenue to get home after a late football game, for example, the walk home is like playing another game. Dodging broken branches scattered across the sidewalks, constantly looking around after hearing suspicious sounds, and maneuvering quickly to avoid a collision with pedestrians and cyclists.
For the late-night dog walker (like me), cyclists, stroller, and driver, dangers and concerns also arise. Regarding walking my dog, just even making sure that Harley does not stick his head into anything I would not want him sticking it into (groundhog hole, poison ivy, etc.) is a struggle. For the late-night cyclist, making sure that the bike does not hit any pothole, graze any tree, or run into anything (person, animal, or vehicle) are constant thoughts.
For the late-night stroller, even the simplest necessity, and comforting assurance, of being able to see more than a foot into the distance is quite difficult. And for the person behind the wheel, the fear of hitting a pedestrian, animal, and/or vehicle is unforgiving.
All of these dangers and concerns to Plainsboro’s pedestrians could be significantly diminished with the application of just three words: lights on Edgemere.
Now look, I am going to continue walking my dog late at night, cyclists are going to continue to cycle, strollers are going to continue to stroll, vehicles are going to continue to pass by, and students are going to continue to walk home regardless of if the lighting on Edgemere Avenue is significantly improved or not. But let one thing be very clear. The lack of lighting on Plainsboro Township’s Edgemere Avenue brings danger, fear, and inconvenience to the people who occupy and travel down it.
Daniel Hurley
Plainsboro
