Politics & Government

Beekman Road Safety Measures Move Forward

Speed limit to be lowered and two crosswalks to be installed, Township Council will also discuss moving location of new Park and Ride to a different site.

The South Brunswick Township Council is moving forward with a plan to improve safety for pedestrians on Beekman Road. The plan will lower the speed limit on Beekman Road from 45 miles per hour to 35 miles per hour, and involve the installation of two crosswalks adjacent to the entrances of both and  according to Public Affairs Coordinator Ron Schmalz. 

"A lot of the people who are utilizing those parks live on the opposite side of Beekman Road, so we asked the police department to take a look, and they concurred that a lot of pedestrians are crossing that road. So it’s important we get those crosswalks up," Schmalz said. “Because of the crosswalks, it's also recommended that we lower the speed limit as well."

An estimated 3,000 cars per day travel on Beekman Road as a connector between Route 1 and Route 27.

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"In terms of the topography of the road near the parks, folks who are crossing from the street, with a 45 mile per hour speed limit, they're at a decided disadvantage," said Deputy Mayor Chris Killmurray . "With the width of the roadway, how long it takes to walk and how much ground they have to cover, it's not a straight shot and we need to explore a further speed reduction."

In addition to the new safety precautions, the council will also consider extending a blacktop bike trail that runs along Beekman near Veterans Park.

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"We want to see if can extend that trail from where it ends now to see if we can extend it to Beech Woods Park. We want to see if we can bring it through the western side of the park," Schmalz said. "There are already some trails in there, so we'll be taking a look at that."

Given the the council will also be looking at alternative locations for a new Park and Ride facility that was The small two-lane road is regularly clogged with motorists making various turns and going to the shopping center across the street in Franklin.  

The township had until the end of December, 2011 to spend approximately $2 million remaining from a $4 million federal transportation grant awarded to South Brunswick in 2006. 

Included in the resolution that was passed in December for the new Park and Ride was language that stated work on the new facility would not begin until the long-awaited improvement project is completed at the Beekman Road intersection.

The Beekman Road intersection improvement project has been in limbo for close to three years, . The township went out to bond for the approximately $1 million improvement project about three years ago, yet the project stalled due to difficulties obtaining approval from the state. The improvement project will include the widening of the intersection, an improved turn radius, and the addition of a right-hand turn lane. The intersection will also receive a new traffic signal that will include right-hand turn only lighting.

 Work on that project is expected to begin this year. 

"In July we're going to come back with some other ideas for alternate sites for the Park and Ride at Beekman because of traffic concerns," Schmalz said. "Safety on Beekman Road is obviously a concern, but it’s also a quality of life issue."


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