Monday, February 25, 2013
Eric Payne praises the New Jersey DOT for tackling the traffic issues, but says the state's concept plan isn't the right solution.
Although the New Jersey Department of Transportation has proposed a concept plan to reduce congestion along Route 1, a Penns Neck resident says it's not the right solution. "This is exactly the (failed) pilot plan, but it's worse because they're adding a light," said Eric Payne. "Anytime you add a stop ,you add delay. Adding lanes is good, but adding a light will nullify it. "Let's bite the bullet and do it right the first time," said Payne, a member of a volunteer group of concerned citizens known as Smart Traffic Solutions. The best idea, he says, is to build an overpass over Route 1. But if that plan isn't economically feasible, he proposes a first- and less expensive- step. His plan includes: Creating a road parallel to Route …
Thursday, February 21, 2013
"There is a lot happening here, we've got a lot of corporate folks here and new folks coming into the region. At some point, traffic is going to be a detriment, if it's not already."
New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson wants residents and elected officials to weigh in quickly on the conceptual plan to ease traffic along Route 1 in West Windsor and Plainsboro. "If we can get this (project) into the (federal transportation) program, if everyone buys into it, it will be a Herculean task," Simpson said. "So the message that I want to deliver to everybody here is get on board quickly or say no quickly." Simpson spoke to a packed crowd at a breakfast meeting the Nassau Inn on Wednesday, hosted by the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce. "This region is so critical to the Einstein Alley," Simpson said. "There is a lot happening here, we've got a lot of corporate folks here and new folks …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
"This is not a plan and this is not a project," NJ DOT Spokesman Joseph Dee said. "This is a conversation starter and funding has not been identified."
New Jersey Department of Transportation is considering an idea to reconfigure the jughandles on Route 1 and improve commuter traffic, following a failed experiment to close the jughandles last summer. The area up for discussion would affect a stretch of Route 1 from the Dinky railroad overpass south of Washington Road intersection to the Millstone River bridge just north of Harrison Street, Princeton Engineer Jack West said. NJ DOT Spokesman Joseph Dee said the new idea for the jughandles is just that- an idea. "This is not a plan and this is not a project," Dee said. "This is a conversation starter and funding has not been identified." "We made a commitment to the communities back when we pulled the plug on the no left turn pilot …
Monday, February 4, 2013
Measure is sponsored by Ocean County legislator
A bill that would ban the future construction of jughandles in New Jersey passed muster with a state Senate panel Monday, paving the way for its potential consideration before the entire body. The measure by state Sen. James Holzapfel (R-Ocean) would prohibit the planning, design or construction of any additional jughandles on roads or highways statewide. It passed the Senate Transportation Committee Monday. Holzapfel, in a statement issued after the committee vote, said the bill was inspired by projects on several state highways – including Routes 1, 4 and 130 – where issues of heavy congestion and frequent accidents were solved by removing jughandles and replacing them with flyover bridges and modernized intersection designs. "While …
Sunday, October 14, 2012
DOT Commissioner James Simpson arrived at a Saturday afternoon protest in Penns Neck with welcome news.
DOT Commissioner James Simpson arrived in Penns Neck on Saturday afternoon with welcome news to most area residents; he is calling an immediate end to the 12-week trial closure of the jughandles at the Washington Road and Harrison Street intersections with Route 1. The barrels, barricades and signs will be removed as soon as possible, probably starting in the next couple of days, Simpson told residents. By 10 p.m. on Saturday, nearby residents were already reporting the signs and cones had been removed. Drivers will also be allowed to make right turns from Route 1 north onto Varsity Avenue and Fisher Place, and left from Route 1 south at Fisher Place and Washington Road. The announcement came during a protest by neighbors in the …
Monday, October 1, 2012
A West Windsor resident launched an online petition requesting that state officials abort the project. DOT representatives never specified what would determine the project’s success or failure: many residents see only failure.
In what seems to be a growing movement against the Route 1 jughandle closures, a resident of Penns Neck in West Windsor has launched an online petition asking the New Jersey Department of Transportation to end the 12-week pilot program. The closures- which prohibit drivers from turning left off Route 1 north at Washington Road and Harrison Street- aim to reduce congestion along Route 1 north through Lawrenceville, West Windsor and Plainsboro. If the trial- which began in early August- is a success, the state plans to close jughandles permanently. But what confuses many people is that DOT representatives have never specified what would determine the project’s success or failure. Many residents see only failure. “The NJDOT implemented the …
Thursday, September 20, 2012
DOT Spokesman says issues are being addressed, but no problems are so big they would end the pilot program.
Despite Assemblyman Reed Gusciora’s call on Tuesday to end the Route 1 jughandle closure pilot program, a NJ DOT spokesman said there are no plans to do so. In a letter sent to NJ DOT Commissioner James Simpson, Gusciora said the 12-week pilot program to close the jughandles at the intersections of Route 1/Washington Road and Route 1/ Harrison Street has led to more illegal U-Turns and K-Turns in West Windsor’s Penns Neck neighborhood and lower sales at the Getty and Sunoco gas stations. “I understand DOT’s efforts to improve traffic, but it should not be at the expense of local residents,” said Gusciora, who represents West Windsor in District 15. NJ DOT Spokesman Joe Dee said DOT appreciates Gusciora’s input, but that the jughandle …
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
The project is causing a rise in illegal U-Turns and K-Turns, loss of business sales and increased safety concerns, Assemblyman says
NJ District 16 Assemblyman Reed Gusciora today called for the end of the Route 1 pilot program at Washington Road and Harrison Street in West Windsor, saying the project intended to fix traffic congestion woes has generated even further problems by increasing illegal U-Turns and K-Turns in the Penns Neck neighborhood. Both the Getty station at the corner of Washington Road and Route 1 and Sunoco station at the corner of Harrison Street and Route 1 have seen a decline in sales during the pilot program so far, he said. "I certainly appreciate the difficulty of this task in addressing the congestion that has plagued the area for some time," Gusciora wrote in a letter to NJ DOT Commissioner James Simpson. "Notwithstanding, my main concern is…
Monday, August 6, 2012
With the Route 1 jughandle closures now in place, how is your commute?
The 12-week pilot project to restrict left turns and U-turns on Route 1 at Washington Road and Harrison Street went into effect on Saturday, Aug. 4. If you travel through the area, we're interested to know what your experience has been with the traffic changes so far. Drivers traveling into Princeton may no longer turn left from Route 1 north onto Harrison or Washington. Instead, drivers may use Alexander Road or continue north to Scudder’s Mill Road and onto Route 1 south. The New Jersey Department of Transportation seeks to reduce congestion at those intersections where the rightmost of three lanes becomes crowded with motorists waiting to make left turns, particularly during peak travel periods.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
The 12-week pilot project will restrict left and U-turns on Route 1 at Washington Road and Harrison Street.
The pilot project to restrict left turns and U-turns on Route 1 at Washington Road and Harrison Street in West Windsor Township will begin by Saturday, Aug. 4, in preparation for the morning commute on Monday, Aug. 6, according the New Jersey Department of Transporation. The project will continue for approximately 12 weeks. The new traffic pattern will affect residents and commuters who travel in and out of Princeton. When the pilot begins, drivers may no longer turn left from Route 1 north onto Harrison or Washington. Instead, drivers may use Alexander Road or continue north to Scudder’s Mill Road and onto Route 1 south. The New Jersey Department of Transportation seeks to reduce congestion at those intersections where the rightmost of …
Jerry
9:21 am on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
If you're alive now, you understand fully that NJ has traffic - get used to it. Want to do something about it? Take the train or the bus. more ›