U.S. 9/Garden State Parkway Corridor Study Draft Final Report Prepared for: South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization Vineland, New Jersey Prepared by: The Louis Berger Group, Inc. East Orange, New Jersey In association with: CH Planning, Ltd. New Jersey April 2004 U.S. 9/Garden State Parkway Corridor Study South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................1 1.1 Regional Setting...........................................................................................1 1.2 Study Location.............................................................................................1 1.3 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................3 1.4 Relationship to Existing Documents............................................................4 1.5 Coordination With Other Studies/Projects...................................................5 2.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS ...................................................................................7 2.1 Socioeconomics ...........................................................................................7 2.1.1 Population........................................................................................7 2.1.1.1 Population Change...............................................................7 2.1.2 Employment.....................................................................................8 2.1.3 Environmental Justice......................................................................9 2.1.3.1 USDOT Criteria...................................................................9 2.1.3.2 Study Methodology and Goals...........................................10 2.1.3.3 U.S. 9/Garden State Parkway Study Area .........................11 2.2 Land Use....................................................................................................14 2.3 Traffic Conditions......................................................................................14 2.3.1 Traffic Data Collection..................................................................14 2.3.2 Volume Development ....................................................................17 2.3.3 Capacity and Operational Analysis................................................18 2.3.3.1 Methodology......................................................................18 2.3.3.2 Locations............................................................................23 2.3.3.3 Results................................................................................25 2.3.4 Field Observations.........................................................................30 2.4 Other Transportation Modes......................................................................31 2.4.1 Pedestrian/Bicycles........................................................................31 2.4.1.1 U.S. 9.................................................................................31 2.4.1.2 Roosevelt Boulevard..........................................................32 2.4.1.3 Bay Avenue........................................................................32 2.4.2 Transit ............................................................................................33 2.4.2.1 Rail Service........................................................................33 2.4.2.2 Bus Service........................................................................33 2.4.3 Park-and-Ride................................................................................34 2.5 Physical Conditions ...................................................................................35 2.5.1 NJDOT Management Systems.......................................................35 2.5.1.1 Safety.................................................................................35 2.5.1.2 Pavement............................................................................42 2.5.1.3 Drainage/Flooding.............................................................45 2.5.1.4 Structures...........................................................................46 The Louis Berger Group, Inc. Draft Final Report Page i U.S. 9/Garden State Parkway Corridor Study South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Page 2.5.2 Other ............................................................................................49 2.5.2.1 Signage...............................................................................49 2.5.2.2 Geometrics .........................................................................50 2.6 Environmental Constraints.........................................................................57 3.0 FUTURE NO-BUILD CONDITIONS ...............................................................58 3.1 Socioeconomics .........................................................................................58 3.1.1 Population......................................................................................58 3.1.2 Employment...................................................................................59 3.1.3 Environmental Justice....................................................................60 3.1.3.1 Upper Township.................................................................60 3.1.3.2 Ocean City.........................................................................60 3.1.3.3 Somers Point City..............................................................61 3.2 Land Use ............................................................................................61 3.3 Traffic Conditions......................................................................................61 3.3.1 Growth Rate...................................................................................61 3.3.1.1 Garden State Parkway........................................................62 3.3.1.2 U.S. 9/Garden State Parkway Study Area .........................62 3.3.1.3 Conclusion.........................................................................63 3.3.2 Volume Development ....................................................................63 3.3.3 Capacity and Operational Analysis................................................66 3.3.3.1 Signalized Intersections.....................................................66 3.3.3.2 Unsignalized Intersections.................................................70 3.3.3.3 Two-Lane Highway Sections.............................................71 3.3.3.4 Basic Freeway Segments ...................................................71 3.3.4 Travel Characteristics....................................................................72 3.4 Other Transportation Modes......................................................................72 3.4.1 Pedestrians/Bicycles......................................................................72 3.4.2 Transit ............................................................................................72 3.4.2.1 Rail Initiatives....................................................................72 3.4.2.2 Bus Initiatives....................................................................72 3.4.3 Park-and-Ride................................................................................72 4.0 STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS ........................................................................73 4.1 General ............................................................................................73 4.2 U.S. 9 ............................................................................................73 4.2.1 Segment South of Route 50 ...........................................................73 4.2.2 Route 50 (M.P. 23.76)....................................................................73 4.2.3 Segment from Route 50 to Tuckahoe Road (CR 631) (M.P. 23.76 -28.57)........................................................................73 4.2.4 Tuckahoe Road (CR 631) (M.P. 28.57).........................................74 The Louis Berger Group, Inc. Draft Final Report Page ii U.S. 9/Garden State Parkway Corridor Study South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Page 4.2.5 Segment from Tuckahoe Road (CR 631) to Roosevelt Boulevard (CR 623) (M.P. 28.57-28.79) .......................................75 4.2.6 Roosevelt Boulevard (CR 623) (M.P. 28.79) ................................75 4.2.7 Tuckahoe Road Extension (CR 662) (M.P. 29.2)..........................76 4.2.8 Segment from Roosevelt Boulevard (CR 623) to the Beesley’s Point Bridge (M.P. 28.79 -30.7)....................................76 4.2.9 Beesley’s Point Bridge (M.P. 30.7 – M.P. 31.9) ...........................76 4.2.10 Segment from the Beesley’s Point Bridge to Mays Landing Road (CR 559) (M.P. 30.7 – 32.64) ................................77 4.2.11 Mays Landing Road (CR 559) (M.P. 32.64) .................................77 4.2.12 Segment from Mays Landing Road to Route 52/Laurel Drive (M.P. 32.64 -33.23)........................................................................78 4.2.13 Route 52/Laurel Drive (M.P. 33.23)..............................................78 4.3 Garden State Parkway................................................................................78 4.3.1 Interchange 20 (M.P. 20.25)..........................................................78 4.3.2 Segment from Interchange 20 to Interchange 25 (M.P. 20.25