INSERT: Chapter 1 Title Page 1 INSERT: Chapter 1 Title Page 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission was different as were the finished products. This is (DVRPC) continually programs transportation corridor discussed further in section 1.1. studies that strive to identify and address problems that impede the efficient and equitable movement of goods and At approximately 60 miles in length, NJ 70 provides a direct people in the Delaware Valley. The NJ 70 corridor, connection between the Delaware River (via US 30) and originally identified in Direction 2020 DVRPC’s long range the New Jersey coastline of Ocean County. Throughout its transportation plan, is the subject of this study. history Route 70 has been used as a city to shore route. Over time the 8.33 miles of NJ 70 that is the focus of this This report focuses on 8.33 miles of NJ 70 between the study has seen significant development. The population of Airport Circle in Pennsauken, Camden County, and the Cherry Hill Township, the second largest in Camden Marlton Circle in Evesham Township, Burlington County. County, has grown and subsequently expanded into nearly Cherry Hill Township accounts for the majority of the study all available land in the municipality. NJ 70 is the retail and area. In addition to Pennsauken, Evesham, and Cherry commercial center of the township, providing its economic Hill, Haddonfield Borough was included in the study area base. As a result, the NJ 70 corridor generates a due to its proximity to Cherry Hill and the influence of NJ 70 significant number of shopping and work trips—both local on the borough’s local traffic. A task force comprised of and regional. In addition, the corridor experiences municipal representatives and New Jersey state seasonal volume spikes due to shore traffic. transportation officials was formed to guide the activities of the study. Through meetings with the study task force, data analysis, and field visits, transportation problem locations were This study effort was unique because it was conducted identified within the corridor study area. This report focuses concurrent with the New Jersey Department of on 15 site-specific problem locations and includes a Transportation’s Route 70 Concept Development Study. discussion of corridor-wide problems, i.e. deficiencies that DVRPC and NJDOT worked closely, shared resources, and are common throughout the study area. Other problem collaborated on the public outreach component. Although types discussed include cut-through traffic, deficiencies in the study area was the same, the approach of each study signs and lane markings, and mobility issues. ii NJ 70 is plagued by three major corridor-wide problems along a one-tenth mile stretch during the three-year period. that became recurring themes during the study effort: Possible contributing factors and potential counter congestion, access, and accidents. Recurring peak period measures were discussed in the body of the report for the congestion has reduced traffic flow to stop and go five highest crash cluster locations. conditions in several sections of the study area. This is common knowledge to regular users of the facility, and was These three problems, congestion, access, and accidents, quantified in NJDOT’s Route 70 Concept Development are most common in the parts of the corridor that have the Report. highest demand due to retail concentrations and/or are proximate to major roadway connections, i.e.: I-295. NJ 70 is divided by a grass median that limits access opportunities to either signalized intersections or This report discusses the issues facing the corridor and unsignalized median openings, where available. Extra presents potential improvement scenarios for each. The distance and time is added to almost every trip as drivers findings of this study suggest that no simple, easy, solution are forced to turn around via the nearest intersection in is readily available to cure the ills of NJ 70. Nor are these order to access the opposite direction of NJ 70. As a result, ills solely transportation related. Rather, they are signalized intersections experience higher demand causing symptoms of the development pattern advanced throughout them to be overburdened. Congestion, combined with the corridor over time, exacerbated by a steady rise in limited access, also results in cut through traffic—the use of automobile ownership. neighborhood streets as short cuts to by-pass traffic congestion from long waits at signals on NJ 70. In order to best address current needs and plan for the future, the municipalities of the study area, namely Cherry Accidents on NJ 70 are largely the byproduct of congestion Hill, must decide what NJ 70 is to become. Addressing and access related problems. Rear-end crashes are only one of the three major transportation issues affecting common on congested facilities, especially where travel NJ 70, i.e. congestion only, may have impacts on other lanes transition from 3 to 2 as motorists arrive abruptly on aspects of life for corridor residents and for those who the heels of slower moving traffic. Crash clusters were depend on the facility. analyzed using 2001-2003 data. Twenty-two locations were identified where twenty-four or more crashes occurred iii INSERT: Chapter 1 Title Page 1 area municipalities have good highway access with NJ 70 1. INTRODUCTION being their main east-west facility. NJ 70 was identified as one of the many essential routes for To guide the study effort, DVRPC collaborated with a task moving people and goods in Direction 2020, the Delaware force comprised of municipal and state representatives. The Valley Regional Planning Commission’s (DVRPC) regional problem locations and corridor-wide issues identified through long-range, comprehensive land use and transportation plan. meetings with the task force formed the basis for the analysis. The long-range plan laid the groundwork for a more detailed The major concerns of the task force include congestion, evaluation of each identified corridor. This report takes a crash frequency, and access. comprehensive look at NJ 70. The purpose of the corridor study is to identify site specific and corridor-wide DVRPC’s effort is intended to dovetail with the New Jersey transportation issues, determine what the contributing factors Department of Transportation’s Concept Development Study are, and identify potential improvements. of NJ 70, which was conducted concurrently. The NJDOT study is a technical analysis based on current and future traffic The study area includes 8.33 miles of NJ 70 facility between count data. DVRPC’s corridor study takes a planning the Airport Circle to the west and the Marlton Circle to the approach that considers transportation problems in the context east, traversing Pennsauken, Cherry Hill and Evesham of the existing land uses and infrastructure. Identified Townships. Haddonfield Borough was also considered part of improvements, derived from quantitative and qualitative data the study area due to the presence of feeder routes that carry and analysis, seek to balance mobility and quality of life issues traffic from and through the borough to the NJ 70 corridor. in a context sensitive manner. A comparison of the two Cherry Hill Township, which accounts for the studies is summarized in section 1.1. largest part of the study corridor, is an older, densely developed suburban location comprised mostly of single- family detached homes all with access to NJ 70. The frontage of NJ 70 is a mix of retail and professional offices. Industrial To guide the study effort, DVRPC collaborated with developments are located along other select corridors that connect with NJ 70. Throughout the corridor there is very little a task force comprised of municipal and state undeveloped land; new developments come about through infill. One example is the Garden State Park redevelopment representatives. project that is currently underway. All study 2 The report is divided into eight chapters plus executive summary and appendices. Chapter two, Study Area Description, contains an analysis of demographic characteristics, travel patterns, environmental justice issues, and environmental sensitivities. Chapter three describes the transportation system in terms of vehicle, bus, rail, pedestrian, and bicycle movements. Chapter four focuses on safety through an analysis of crash data. Chapter five, entitled Transportation Issues, is divided into five subchapters that focus on corridor-wide and location specific transportation problems. The identified issues were culled from municipal interviews, field visits, and through collaborations with coordinating agencies. Improvement scenarios are provided for all identified problems. Chapters six and seven provide an analysis of intelligent transportation systems and the congestion management. The report culminates in chapter eight with a matrix of the recommended improvements and a discussion of overall conclusions. The matrix can be used as a punch list by local and state officials for advancing these concepts to the project stage. 3 1.1 COORDINATION WITH NEW JERSEY NJDOT: NJ 70 Concept Development Study DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION One-year effort conducted during fiscal year 2004. In July 2003 the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Study limits: Airport Circle to Marlton Circle Commission and the New Jersey Department of (8.33 miles). Transportation began independent studies of NJ 70. To better Engineering analysis of NJ 70 utilizing level of coordinate efforts, the two agencies collaborated