To the Editor:

We appreciate the anxieties expressed in last week’s letter about the changes to North Harrison [“North Harrison Street Should Be Restored to the Way it Was,” Mailbox, September 9]. But before calling for the restoration of North Harrison to a 4-car-lane configuration, let’s separate the legitimate design issues from claims unsupported
by evidence.

First, a “road diet” does not mean a “road choke.” North Harrison was reconfigured from two travel lanes in each direction to one, while retaining the left-turn lanes and repurposing the additional roadway space for buffered bicycle lanes. Following the reconfiguration, traffic continues to flow smoothly, with no evidence of increased travel times or congestion. The overall impact is reduced speeding, weaving, and conflict points, all of which are tremendous benefits for the relatively low cost of striping. Reduced speeds mean fewer and less severe crashes. Federal Highway Administration studies of road diets have found crash reductions of 19 percent to 47 percent on four-lane roads.

Second, bike lanes are not “dysfunctional” because of delivery trucks and debris. Cyclists like me and others regularly use them. They provide a dedicated space and a buffer from car traffic. Nationwide, the evidence is that separated bike lanes reduce bike-car crashes by over 50 percent and calm overall traffic. Delivery vehicles and accumulated debris are enforcement and maintenance problems that were there before the bike lanes. They are not reasons to remove a bike lane.

Third, there is no evidence that the current design has obstructed or delayed emergency vehicles. The project was engineered by the Municipal Engineering Department in consultation with emergency services. The most common obstacle for emergency vehicles is cars that don’t pull over, not bike lanes. Studies across North America and Europe report no negative impact on overall emergency travel times following street redesigns with bike lanes.

Fourth, there is a legitimate issue with automobiles turning across bike lanes. The four entry-exit points to the Shopping Center, as well as other driveway entrances, all existed before the bike lanes and were much riskier for cyclists and pedestrians then. By making cars slow or stop for passing cyclists, the current buffered bike lanes are safer than the previous configuration. Improved markings and signage could make it even clearer for motorists to know where to yield.

North Harrison is part of Princeton’s planned bicycle network and connects neighborhoods, schools, parks, the Shopping Center, and hundreds of new homes. The 2024 Harrison Street Corridor study identified 249 total crashes on the stretch over the previous five years. Before returning to a four-lane configuration that encourages higher speeds and more dangerous driving, let’s evaluate how the road diet and bike lanes are performing, identify improvements, and use the evidence to build a safer final design.

Laurie Harmon
Spruce Street

Andrea Malcolm
Mount Lucas Road

Harmon is chair of Princeton’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, and Malcolm is a member of Walk Bike Princeton.