Council approves traffic‑signal maintenance increase and $132,193 striping contract; town inventory shows more signals than municipal inventory suggests

The Princeton Mayor and Council on Sept. 8 approved two transportation‑related contract actions: an increase to the municipal traffic‑signal maintenance contract with Gen Electric Inc. and the award of a contract for North Harrison Street traffic striping and pavement markings. Why it matters: The actions fund short‑term maintenance and safety upgrades and implement a corridor experiment intended to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians on a key roadway. Contracts and votes: Resolution 25‑3‑07 authorized an increase of $65,000 to the contract with Gen Electric Inc., bringing the not‑to‑exceed total for 2025 to $107,040 for signal maintenance (term 01/01/2025–12/31/2025). Resolution 25‑3‑09 awarded a bid to Dan Swayze & Son Inc. for North Harrison Street traffic striping and pavement markings for an amount not to exceed $132,193.75. Both measures were approved by the council as recorded on the agenda. Council discussion: A councilmember asked why the marking work from Clearview to Sherhune cost $132,193.75. Staff responded that the project is part of the corridor program and the striping/delineator package includes components intended to test roadway safety improvements that could inform other projects. The councilmember who compiled a signal inventory said municipal ownership covers 14 traffic signals while an inventory of physical signals in town totaled 42; many signals are owned by NJDOT, Mercer County, Princeton University, the seminary and private institutions. Clarifying details: Staff said delineator units (the stick‑up devices used to separate lanes) were included in the bid package and that those items were priced roughly at about $19 each in the vendor’s pricing line, as discussed during the meeting. The striping contract award was the lowest responsive bid, per staff. Outcome and next steps: Both contract actions passed. Staff will oversee striping installation, corridor monitoring and procurement matters and will report back on safety outcomes as part of ongoing Vision Zero and corridor‑safety work.