MILLSTONE — The township recently took possession of a speed monitoring trailer for use in reducing and monitoring traffic on township roads.

The monitor will be placed at targeted locations throughout the township as part of a cooperative effort between the state police and Millstone Township Department of Public Works (DPW) in the hopes of getting drivers to slow down.

As drivers pass the monitor, their vehicle speed will appear on a screen, alerting them if they are speeding.

The town acquired the speed monitor in mid-November at a cost of approximately $11,000, said public works supervisor John Haines.

The monitor is put out during DPW hours, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. "We bring it out and return to the DPW yard at the end of the day," Haines said. "Generally, we’re putting it in areas recommended by the state police where they are handing out a lot of speeding tickets or there have been high accident rates."

One of those streets is Millstone Road, where, Haines said, there are a couple of S-curves. The monitor is set up just before the first S-curve in order to attempt to change driving behavior, he explained.

"We have also had some complaints from residents on Ely Harmony [Road] so we’ll put it out there this afternoon [Monday]. We’ve also had complaints from residents living along Conover Road, so we’ll put it there also. On the northern end of town, there are three connecting roads where people speed. One is Prodelin Way. We’ve had it out there two or three times."

Committeeman John Pfefferkorn said he hasn’t seen the monitor out on the streets yet. He would like to see it used in the evenings and on the weekends, he said, adding, "Why are we only looking to change behavior during the daytime. We need to change the driving patterns at all times of the day."

Haines said it is quite possible that the monitor will be used at other times, but he questions the feasibility of leaving it overnight because of vandals. "I’m sure it will be discussed at the [Township] Committee level," he said

"It’s a great awareness program for the residents," he added.

In addition, he said, the township is considering sharing it, for a fee, with Upper Freehold, Allentown and Roosevelt. "Again, that’s for the township fathers to work out. It would be a win-win for everybody," Haines said.