The addition of a new parking lot at the old dump/mulch site only emphasizes the need for realistic traffic circulation solutions. My concern is that in an attempt to create convenience for commuters entering and exiting the proposed lot the planners are losing sight of the bigger picture. The roundabout that replaced the “T” intersection on Alexander Road has provided only marginal relief of existing congestion as evidenced by the eastbound traffic still backing up through the Vaughan Drive intersection during peak hours. Adding intersections (and traffic lights) can only create more congestion on Alexander and Washington roads.
I believe that closing any existing roads, such as Old Bear Brook Road, to through traffic is ill advised and can only exacerbate our already failed traffic circulation situation. I suggest that all ingress and egress to the new parking lot be made off Vaughan Drive so that no new traffic lights or road closings will inhibit traffic flow and push our road system into deeper failure. Why make Alexander Road into a gridlocked “parking lot” at rush hour when we will have a perfectly good new parking lot for commuter traffic to queue in?
Since we are past the point of debating a Transit Village being located at the train station, we are left with imploring our planning officials to apply long-term solutions to the site’s weaknesses and their effects on the larger region. Vaughan Drive needs to be a major connector between Washington Road and Alexander Road and not merely an access road to high-density housing and shops. West Windsor must exert its influence to alter the Dinky’s penetration into the redevelopment area. This can be done by simply giving vehicular circulation precedence over Dinky commuting and stopping the Dinky in its tracks outside the redevelopment area.
West Windsor residents and pass-through drivers deserve a bold and smart approach to handling circulation at the train station, not merely a patchwork of haphazard “cow paths” and intersections around outdated roads and tracks that serve only to further confuse already frustrated drivers.
John Koran
Princeton Junction
