The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1926-02-11
ASK FOOTWAY
OVER CANAL
Traffic Danger To Be Guarded
Against

Against
New Hope-A movement is under
way in the borough to secure a foot
walk across the south side of the
Canal Bridge on the Bridge street
hill. Several near accidents there,
when pedestrians have narrowly es-
capped being run down by cars and
trucks have resulted in petitions be-
ing circulated to have the footwalk
built outside the bridge proper.
The roadway of the bridge is only
fifteen feet wide, and due to the
fact that it has been raised a little
every time the road way is repair
ed, it is now level with the narrow
walk on the north side of the
bridge. And as the roadway is SO
narrow it always forces cars onto
the sidewalk when they have to
pass each other on the bridge.
During the winter when SHOWS
cover the bridge the present made
quate walk is obliterated so that
cars take up not only the roadway
but the the sidewalk as well. Nearly
all cars approaching the bridge from
Main street, put on as much speed as
possible in order to make the grade,
and not being able to see over the
bridge where cars are approaching
from the other side they are often
endangered by possible collisions
This also endangers pedestrians be-
cause there is so little room ON the
roadway of the bridge that they
would be run down if they are on
the bridge when two cars pass.
Harry Young, telegrapher at the
Reading Station, and who has to
cross the bridge several times each
day, says that he has had several
narrow escapes there, and that many
times he has seen school children
endangered George Hartman, an
employee of the Reading Railroad,
says he has expected daily to see
someone run over at this danger
point.
The greatest danger is for school
children, who are not any too care
full at best and who are constantly
jumping for their lives when cars
come dashing up the hill or meet
on the bridge. And many reckless
drivers coming up the hill toward
the bridge, and who have more
speed than other cars in front of
them, violate the law by speeding
past them. In this way they cannot
see ahead sufficiently to see if pedes-
trians or other cars are approach
ing the bridge from the other side,
and this has resulted in several mar
row escapes.
The situation has reached poiGt
where something drastic will have
to be done. Petitions are being eireu-
lated, praying the Borough Coun-
Gil to have the danger eliminated
by securing a footwalk connecting
the sidewalks on the south side of
the street so that pedestrians can
pass over without having to endan-
ger their lives by walking in the
roadway of the bridge.
1t is believed that the Canal
Company is obligated to provide suf-
ficient traffic Accommodations, and
that they built the present struc-
ture. But this has not been exactly
determined as yet. The petitions are
to supply the Council something to
work on, and then it can be deter
mined if the Canal Company is
responsible, and if so to force them
to build footwalk.
If not, the Council should imme-
diately take steps to remedy the
situation. 1t would not be a very
expensive operation to construct the
walk. Brackets could either be set
in the concrete of the bridge or
girders could be placed across from
the concrete walls on either side the
sidewalks terminate. At any rate,
the matter should not be neglected
until someone is seriously injured or
killed, but should be attended inn
mediately.
If you appreciate the need of
this safeguard, sign one of the pc
titions, or else speak personally
to a member of the Borough Coun-
ell. James Skillman has one of the
petitions, and others are expected
to be put into circulation.