City of East Orange 2006 Master Plan Circulation Element INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................VII-1 ROADWAY CHARACTERISTICS ...............................................................................VII-1 FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATIONS...........................................................................VII-1 Principal Arterials (Freeways/Expressways)............................................................. VII-5 Primary Arterials ....................................................................................................... VII-5 Minor Arterials .......................................................................................................... VII-5 Collector .................................................................................................................... VII-6 Local Access Roads.................................................................................................... VII-6 EXISTING TRAFFIC VOLUMES................................................................................VII-6 TRUCK TRAFFIC.........................................................................................................VII-6 TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ................................................................................................VII-8 COMMUTATION PATTERNS ..................................................................................VII-11 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.....................................................................................VII-15 BUS SERVICE ............................................................................................................VII-15 NJ Transit................................................................................................................. VII-15 Coach USA and DeCamp......................................................................................... VII-19 COMMUTER RAIL.....................................................................................................VII-20 Existing Stations....................................................................................................... VII-20 Ampere Rail Station ................................................................................................. VII-21 COMMUNITY SHUTTLE PROGRAM......................................................................VII-22 STATE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.................................................................VII-23 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.....................................................................................VII-23 LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS................................................................VII-25 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.....................................................................................VII-25 PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS .............................................................................VII-25 PARKING ISSUES AND IMPROVEMENTS............................................................VII-28 EAST ORANGE PARKING AUTHORITY ...............................................................VII-30 OVERNIGHT PARKING BAN...................................................................................VII-32 TRANSIT VILLAGE OPPORTUNITIES ...................................................................VII-34 ESSEX COUNTY TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS ...............................................VII-36 RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................................VII-37 Schoor DePalma TOC-1 City of East Orange 2006 Master Plan Circulation Element Schoor DePalma City of East Orange 2006 Master Plan Circulation Element It should be noted that the Census data presented herein for East Orange is from the Long Form (Summary File 3) of the 2000 U.S. decennial Census. The Long Form surveys a sample population (generally 1 in 6 households) in order to compile more detailed data. Acknowledging that fact, the Census may significantly underestimate the demographic, employment, economic, and housing characteristics of the City based upon 1) sampling methods, 2) probability of accuracy, and 3) underestimated population figures. In addition, the U.S. Census does not account for the redevelopment initiatives and activities that occurred after 2000 which have added new residents, jobs and housing. It should be noted that efforts to obtain more accurate information were incorporated into the Master Plan document, where available. Schoor DePalma City of East Orange 2006 Master Plan Circulation Element INTRODUCTION The Circulation Element provides an inventory of the existing and proposed transportation network. The primary emphasis of the Circulation Element will be the City’s roads and other transportation modes, including bus and transit services. It should be noted that the major trouble spots in the City, in terms of traffic circulation, are roads under Essex County, or the State of New Jersey jurisdiction and are subject to regional traffic factors beyond the control of the City of East Orange. ROADW AY CHARACTERISTICS Functional Classifications Functional classification is the systematic organization of highways and roadways into separate classes or groups, based upon their intended service function. For an urban roadway network such as East Orange, there are five (5) major classes of street systems: principal arterial, primary arterial, minor arterial, collector, and local streets. The roadway functional classifications are shown in Table 1. The roadways within East Orange consist of Interstate, State, County and local facilities. Table 2 lists the roadways in the City of East Orange, their jurisdiction, and functional roadway classification. The “Functional Classifications and Truck Routes” Map VII-1 illustrates the location of these roadways in the City. Schoor DePalma P a g e V I I - 1 City of East Orange 2006 Master Plan Circulation Element Table 1 – Roadway Classification System Principal A freeway or expressway is a principal arterial designed to carry regional traffic or through Arterials traffic to primary arterials. An expressway is a limited access road, carrying large volumes of traffic at higher sustained speeds. An example of an expressway is the Garden State Parkway. Primary Primary or major arterials which also carry regional traffic volumes, act as feeders to and from Arterials freeways and serve as carriers between major regional traffic generators. Minor Secondary or minor arterial roads are the links between collector roads and the principal arterial Arterials roads. Minor arterials are very similar to principal arterials, but handle shorter length trips and lesser traffic volumes. The jurisdiction of minor arterials is typically part of the County road system; however state and municipal roads may also be minor arterials. Collector Collector roads “collect” traffic from local streets and may provide direct access to a major development. Typically, collector roads are under Municipal or County jurisdiction. Local Any street which does not meet any of the above classifications is a local access roadway. Such Access streets provide land access for circulation and easement for public utilities. Schoor DePalma P a g e V I I - 2 City of East Orange 2006 Master Plan Circulation Element Insert map vii-1 Schoor DePalma P a g e V I I - 3 City of East Orange 2006 Master Plan Circulation Element Table 2 – Functional Classification System and Roadway Jurisdiction Principal Arterials Functional Roadway Classification Jurisdiction Garden State Parkway Principal Arterial State Interstate 280 Principal Arterial State Essex County 658 (Park Avenue) Principal Arterial County Primary Arterials* Essex County 508 (Central Avenue) Primary Arterial County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Primary Arterial Local Minor Arterials Springdale Avenue Minor Arterial Local Essex County 605 (Sanford Street) Minor Arterial County Essex County 653 (Thomas Boulevard) Minor Arterial County Essex County 509 (Grove Street) Minor Arterial County N. Park Street Minor Arterial Local Evergreen Place Minor Arterial Local S. Clinton Street Minor Arterial Local S. Munn Avenue Minor Arterial Local Wainwright Street Minor Arterial Local 6th Avenue Minor Arterial Local Glenwood Avenue Minor Arterial Local Dodd Street Minor Arterial Local Centre Street Minor Arterial Local Collector Springdale Avenue Collector Local Freeway Drive East Collector Local Elmwood Avenue Collector Local Ampere Parkway Collector Local Hoffman Boulevard Collector Local S. Arlington Avenue Collector Local Tremont Avenue Collector Local Local Access Rutledge Avenue Local Access Local All other roadways Local Access Local * While NJDOT does not categorize any roads in East Orange a primary arterial, it should be noted that Central Avenue (CR 508) extends from Orange to Newark, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard extends from West Orange to Newark. Schoor DePalma P a g e V I I - 4 City of East Orange 2006 Master Plan Circulation Element Principal Arterials (Freeways/Expressways) Principal arterials are inter-regional roadways that convey traffic between centers, and are usually excluded from residential areas. The principal arterial roadways in East Orange include the following roadways: the Garden State Parkway, Interstate 280, Essex County Routes 508 and 658, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. These roadways typically have limited or no access to abutting land uses. The Garden State Parkway is a freeway/expressway