Community Development Department
Division of Engineering

September 12, 2005

To:       West Windsor Township Planning Board

From: James F. Parvesse, PE, Township Engineer

Subject: Princeton Hightstown Road, County Route 571
Concept Plan (Clarksville Road to Wallace Road)

During the past six (6) months, the Township Administration and Planning Board have been working with the County on the conceptual design plans for Princeton Hightstown Road (County Route 571) between Clarksville Road and Wallace/Cranbury Road. In addition, the Planning Board conducted a public meeting on March 16, 2005 and solicited comments and recommendations from the community on a variety of concept plans. Through this process the Township has arrived at a proposed concept plan that is detailed in the attached report prepared by Gary W. Davies of Urbitran Associates, dated August 15, 2005.

Subsequent to the preparation of this report, additional meetings were conducted with the County that have resulted in the following modifications:

The “Streetscape Cross Section – A” showing on the North Scheme L Concept Plan (attached) has been modified, as shown on the attached sketch, to reflect the following:

• A fifteen (15) foot grass area behind the curb with a five (5) foot wide sidewalk approximately four (4) feet from the curb. This area would be utilized for lighting, utilities, street furniture, etc.
• A reduced right-of-way from ninety (90) feet to eighty (80) feet.
• The addition of a five (5) foot wide landscape easement that will provide for street trees planted at approximately one (1) foot beyond the right-of-way. Mercer County ordinances do not allow street trees within the right-of-way.

As noted in the report prepared by Urbitran, the proposed improvements for the Clarksville Road Intersection will not fully mitigate the effects of traffic growth and it is anticipated that this intersection will have operational deficiencies, with some approaches experiencing Level of Service “F” , by Year 2015. However, the Township Administration and County agree that expanding this intersection to the extent required for future volumes, including the need for a double left turn from Route 571 onto Clarksville Road (westbound), would be out of scale with the community.

In an effort to further improve the scale of the intersection of Princeton Hightstown Road and Clarksville Road and to reduce the impacts to adjacent properties, the County has recommended that we consider the following modifications:

• At the eastbound Clarksville Road approach provide a designated left, through and right lane instead of the designated left and two through lanes.
• Provide only one (1) receiving lane from eastbound Clarksville Road.

This configuration, as shown on the attached sketch , is currently being evaluated to determine the associated impacts to Level of Service.

If you have any questions or need any additional information please let me know.