Gusciora to NJDOT: End Route 1 Jughandle Trial
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.”
Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.
Thank God someone is stating the obvious!!
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.
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.
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.