Council Passes Ordinance Limiting Speed On Princeton's Witherspoon St.

PRINCETON, NJ — Council on Monday passed an ordinance regulating speed limits on Witherspoon Street and John Street.

The ordinance amends municipality codes to establish a 20-mph speed limit for the entire length of both streets. The speed limit is currently 25 mph.

Residents applauded the move saying it would be safe for pedestrians and bikers.

“It is a very heavily traveled route for schoolchildren and this is going to be a great improvement,” a resident said during the public comment section.

In his memo to council, Assistant Municipal Engineer Jim Purcell said that the volume of pedestrians and bicyclists on Witherspoon Street has increased over the past few years.

“Witherspoon Street traverses the central business district and the historic Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, serving an elementary school, the municipal complex, and fire and first aid squad facilities. For all the reasons, it is appropriate that the speed be reduced to 20 miles per hour,” Purcell wrote in his memo.

While John Street is already a 20-mile-per-hour street between Paul Robeson Place and Leigh Avenue, extending the speed limit to the north of Leigh Avenue would be consistent, Purcell said.

The reduction in speed limit was been endorsed by the Princeton Police Traffic Safety Bureau and is subject to approval by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The ordinance will take effect after approval by the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

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