LETTER OPPOSING NO RIGHT ON RED CHANGE AT BAKER/VALLEY STREETS

March 21, 2017

Dear Mayor DeLuca and members of the Township Committee,

We write you as concerned residents of the Crescents neighborhood that
would be directly impacted by tonight's vote to allow right turns on red
lights at the corner of Baker and Valley.  As you may know, residents of
our neighborhood have to cross that intersection several times every day,
walking to the train station, walking our kids to Tuscan and the Middle
School, enjoying Memorial Park, and walking to the Village. In the past few
months alone, we've witnessed multiple accidents at night within a 100 ft.
of that intersection. The intersection is perilous for pedestrians, cars
frequently speed on Valley, and the turns into the neighborhood, which is
poorly lit, comes upon drivers too quickly.  If anything, we should be
looking at ways to increase traffic restrictions around that intersection.
We do not now advocate for what specific increased safety measures should
or could be taken. Rather, we're asking that the Committee vote No on this
proposal, ask the Police department for statistics reflecting incidents of
accident and speeding that occurred within 100 feet of the intersection and
investigate what additional measures could be put in place to increase
safety. Ultimately, we ask the Committee to prioritize public safety over
the inconvenience of some drivers who'd prefer not to wait at a traffic
light.

Thank you for your consideration on this issue.

Sincerely,