Gusciora to NJDOT: End Route 1 Jughandle Trial

September 19, 2012

State Assembly Deputy Majority Leader Reed Gusciora  is calling for the end of the Route 1 pilot program at Washington Road and Harrison Street in West Windsor Township.

The project that was intended to fix traffic congestion woes has generated even further problems by increasing illegal U-Turns and K-Turns.  Businesses along the stretch are also complaining about diminished sales due to the road closures, Gusciora said.

“The Department of Transportation wanted to conduct a 12 week program to address congestion problems with local traffic by closing the jug handles on Route 1 by Washington Road and Harrison Streets in West Windsor.  However, the project has resulted in unsafe driving, illegal turns, and headaches for local residents and businesses alike along that stretch of highway,” Gusciora said.  “It’s time NJDOT shut down the pilot program as unworkable.”

Gusciora, who has written a letter to the DOT commissioner calling for an end to the trial, cited complaints from area residents about the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and young children waiting for buses and expressed concerns that the Route 1 project is endangering their safety in exchange for evaluating the volume of traffic.

“I understand DOT’s efforts to improve traffic, but it should not be at the expense of local residents,” Gusciora said.  “Moreover, local businesses are suffering in diminished travel options at those intersections. “

The Assemblyman instead recommended an alternative that has been suggested in the past — to construct a tunnel underneath Washington Road that would allow traffic on Route 1 to flow unimpeded by the intersection.

“Since Washington Road is elevated, an underpass would properly alleviate traffic and allow vehicles to proceed below Washington Road from the direction of Harrison”, Gusciora said.  “In the long run, it is a plan that will bring jobs and alleviate traffic congestion in the area.”

by Krystal Knapp on September 19, 2012 · 4 comments

  • VOORHEESGUY

    For Commuters traveling North/South on Route 1 from or to Routes
    295/I95 on Route 1 it is a much easier and safer ride. For one, the less volume
    of cars speeding makes it much safer and secondly the Alexander ramp onto Route
    1 North doesn’t snarl up with cars passing Route 1 traffic on the right lane
    shoulder causing a bottleneck merge problem at the circle light. It has
    obviously caused problems for east to west commuters but is a pleasant change for
    North/ South commuters using Route 1. I am all for it, let the east west
    traffic from Hightstown to Princeton or vice versa know what it feels like to
    sit in bumper to bumper traffic, hours on end waiting every morning and night in
    commuter rush times. It seems the majority of biggest complainers are the
    spoiled PENNS NECK neighborhood, I mean having someone drive on your Princetonesque
    property or make a U-Turn in your twenty thousand dollar taxed driveway is
    giving homeowners migraines. How come everyone can see U-Turns out front but
    when someone gets mugged nobody sees a thing? I love the new traffic pattern
    and hope it remains PERMANENT.

  • http://www.facebook.com/eric.payne.3388 Eric Payne

    I do agree the pilot needs to be stopped but the tunnel is
    not the solution. A tunnel underneath Washington road would cost over 200
    million and have a significant negative environmental impact to ground water
    and have an extreme negative impact to the 100+ year old neighborhood of Penn’s
    Neck, Baptist Church and graveyard. The only reasonable solution is an overpass
    at Harrison Street which would have less of an environmental impact and cost
    about a quarter of the tunnel plan.

  • DB

    What a downright mess. Whoever thought this pilot program was a good idea is a complete moron. Let’s see – that intersection is already congested. So let’s give drivers zero options to turn anywhere and congest it even more. DOT – dig deep in your pockets and build an over or under-pass. It should have been done years ago. Enough is enough.

  • Chrys

    Thank God someone is stating the obvious!!

Previous post:

Next post: