Traffic safety was also a concern during the public hearing on an ordinance to reduce the speed limit along Village Road to 40 miles per hour. The ordinance, amending chapter 168 “traffic and parking” of West Windsor’s township code, passed with a 4-1 vote as Bryan Maher continued to be the only member of Council opposed to the lower speed limit.
Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh stated multiple times that the tradition in West Windsor of choosing to adopt the lowest legal speed limit permissible by state laws is based on serving the interests of residents.
A family that lives at 745 Village Road West, including teenager Aji Sjamsu, his father Andi, and sister Arianna, all spoke in favor of 40 miles an hour during Council’s August 6 meeting. Arianna, a 2012 graduate of South, heads to Brandeis University this fall, but she wanted to support an initiative her younger brother has stood behind since it first came to Council (WW-P News, July 20). On August 6, he drew a parallel to the topic of the day.
“I feel that we are not asking for something gargantuan because numerous residential roads all around our township have a 40-mile-an-hour limit. For example, North Post has a very similar smattering of houses and developments to Village Road West, and it has a speed limit of 40,” said Aji Sjamsu.
During the public hearing, Alison Miller of 41 Windsor Drive told Council that Village Road West is a residential street with hundreds of people living along it, and a lower speed limit would increase safety.
“There’s not time to zoom up the road safely at 50 miles per hour, unless you are an extraordinary driver with an extraordinary car, which most people are not. I think it is important to create a safer place for people to bike, walk, and drive as well. It is a through street where people go for recreation, and everybody’s needs must be taken into consideration,” she said.
Maher remained against the change until the end, bringing up data and financial calculations to support his theory against the 40-miles-per hour speed limit.
“I don’t want people to think I want speeds to be faster, but our priorities are misaligned. Why are we sitting here discussing Village Road when our priority should be Clarksville Road, up to the train station — where people actually cross the street all the time from the apartments to the deli (Clarksville Cafe)? The speed limit is 45 here, and this is the road that should go to 40,” Maher said.
Before Council voted, it was former Council member Charles Morgan who said not enough consideration was given to variations of posted speed limits crossing the township.
“There’s self-policing that drivers do when confronted with constraints or no constraints. This change is irrational in a sense: between Old Trenton Road and Penn Lyle, the speed limit is 35 instead of 40 –– why aren’t you lowering it to 35? The section between Penn Lyle and Old Trenton Road has no driveways facing the road. The section you’re dealing with does. Maybe the speed limit should be 30? I get the feeling nobody has thought about this,” he said.
