Pennington Borough administrator GP Caminiti announced at the August 5 Council meeting that a traffic signal on Route 31 and Ingleside Avenue will be installed in 2025.
The traffic signal was approved by the State within a week of the Borough’s July 29 work session during which several residents and some Council members described the intersection as dangerous. Residents complained that they had been appealing for a traffic signal for several years, and it is time to get it done. Many warned that people could get killed if a traffic signal is not installed.
“There have been 40 accidents at that intersection,” said Council member Charles Marciante.
Responding to an argument that another traffic signal on Route 31 would cause some drivers to switch their route to Borough streets, a representative from HMR Architects said, “It’s better to have more traffic than a dead person.”
Speaking on the topic of The Great Western Bikeway, Emily Gingras pointed out that the intersection crosses one of the bike routes and therefore warrants a traffic light for safety. Several Council members agreed that State and County officials should be involved, including County Executive Dan Benson and Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli.
“Let’s get things moving. It’s time to act,” said Marciante.
When Caminiti reported that the traffic signal was approved at the August meeting, Council member Kati Angarone said she was glad that DOT was acting. Marciente was not overly impressed, saying it took too long.
However, he acknowledged the benefit of taking action saying, “I placed a call, and now it is being done.”
While no installation date has been set yet, it is expected to be installed in 2025.
