Police Director Suggests Stop Sign

Hightstown Police Director James Le Tellier recommended Tuesday at the Hightstown Borough Council Meeting that Morrison Avenue and Harron Avenue become a three-way stop intersection.

The police department monitored the intersection, located behind , for a little over a week beginning August 13, after which point Le Tellier concluded the intersection was too busy an area to be left as is.

Using a Jamar Radar recorder, police evaluated 21,209 vehicles that crossed the intersection during the assessment period. With the posted speed limit set at 25 MPH, 16,212 vehicles exceeded the limit by 1 MPH or more.

Le Tellier noted that the area is residential and within a school zone, with a number of parents, teachers, students, and pedestrians traversing the intersection many months of the year.

“I’m concerned frankly. It would be appropriate to make it a three-way, give a break in traffic,” Le Tellier said.

“My personal opinion, I think this warrants it,” he continued.

While the borough council was in agreement with Le Tellier’s suggestion, it will take more to approve the installation of a three-way stop sign on Morrison Avenue.

Borough Engineer Carmela Roberts explained that if the road were self-contained within Hightstown, she could approve the stop sign.

However, since the road is a thorough-way, Roberts believes the borough will need to pass its own ordinance, which it would then submit to New Jersey Department of Transportation for approval.

Roberts said she will look further into the necessary actions, but as far as the borough council is concerned, they are seeking to pursue the venture.