The Hopewell Township Committee has authorized the township to enter into a cost share agreement with the New Jersey Department of Transportation [NJDOT] for potentially a full traffic signal at the intersection of Ingleside Avenue and Route 31.
Township Committee members approved the measure at the governing body’s June 12 meeting.
“This will just involve the four corners of Ingleside and Route 31,” Township Engineer James Hutzelmann said. “It is not going to have any other impacts beyond that immediate corner.”
The township contacted NJDOT and their Bureau of Traffic operations a few months ago to request to have a traffic light constructed at the intersection. Route 31 is a state highway.
“The first thing NJDOT would have to do is a warrant analysis to see if it does meet the appropriate criteria for a traffic signal,” Hutzelmann said. “Before they get too deep into these studies, what they do is they request the municipality to enter into an agreement where we would share 25 percent of the cost for the ultimate construction of the signals.”
The NJDOT would then conduct the traffic studies to see if the full signal is warranted and what it might look like.
“Presumably it would be a full stop at that location and then they would come back and say this is how much we think it is going to cost and we would take on 25% of that cost,” Hutzelmann said. “Also, because Ingleside is a county route, we would want the county to endorse the idea of putting this traffic signal in.”
The township is asking for County support through a resolution. Hopewell Township ultimately has responsibility for maintaining the light, the cost of electricity, and the light, officials said.
“I fully support putting a signalize intersection at that four-way intersection,” Committeeman Kevin Kuchinski said, noting he recently gave up making a left turn at the intersection when he was driving his daughter and several of her friends to post prom because “it was so dangerous.”
Resident Melanie Phillips asked the township to also look at the other side of Ingleside Avenue.
“We were almost in an accident a couple months ago in that very location,” she said. “That is also a very terrifying place to make a turn. I’m just asking that you consider both ends of Ingleside.”
Kuchinski said the township has talked with the county about a traffic signal on the other end of Ingleside Avenue.
“They are open to it to provide better access,” he added.
Barbara Jenson, who lives on Ingleside Avenue, said she is also terrified as her kids walk across the street and ride their bikes, as well as her dogs that have run towards Route 31.
“If you do put in a light, there has got to be some traffic calming,” she said, adding it is her dream to see a traffic light at the intersection.
Another resident added, “Crossing that intersection is very, very dangerous having little kids in tow. I’m echoing the sentiment from others to have some sort of safe signal to cross in there to help slow down traffic.”
