UNION COUNTY ROUTE 1&9 CORRIDOR STUDY FINAL REPORT JUNE 2011 ROUTE 1&9 CORRIDOR STUDY FINAL REPORT This report has been prepared as part of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority’s Subregional Study Program with financing by the Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Highway Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The NJTPA and Union County are solely responsible for its contents. Plan Prepared for: Plan Prepared by: In Association with: i ROUTE 1&9 CORRIDOR STUDY FINAL REPORT ROUTE 1&9 CORRIDOR STUDY COUNTY OF UNION BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS Deborah P. Scanlon, Chairman Alexander Mirabella, Vice Chairman Linda Carter Angel G. Estrada Christopher Hudak Mohamed S. Jalloh Bette Jane Kowalski Daniel P. Sullivan Nancy Ward George W. Devanney, County Manager M. Elizabeth Genievich, CMC, MPA, Deputy County Manager Alfred J. Faella, Director, Department of Parks and Community Renewal Union County Administration Building 10 Elizabethtown Plaza Elizabeth, NJ 07207 www.ucnj.org For Project Information: Liza Betz, AICP, PP, Special Assistant to Director Division of Planning & Community Development Telephone: (908) 527-4086 FAX: (908) 527-4715 ii ROUTE 1&9 CORRIDOR STUDY FINAL REPORT The Union County Route 1&9 Corridor Study benefited from a collaboration of public and private partners through their time and ideas. Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Members Thomas R. Boland, Chamber of Commerce, City of Linden Thomas Broughan, City of Rahway Police Department Steve Brown, PANY&NJ Joseph Burdulia, NJDOT Rosemarie Condi, NJ Transit Alfred J. Faella, Director, Dept. of Parks & Community Renewal, County of Union Ellie Ferrer, Meadowlink Richard Gerbounka, Mayor, City of Linden Christopher Hudak, Freeholder, Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders Michael Karlovich, ConocoPhillips Megan Kelly, NJTPA Sgt. Kevin Kiniery, City of Elizabeth Police Department James D. Moore, Council President, City of Linden Bruce McCracken, Department of Planning, Middlesex County Michael Ossif, City of Elizabeth Phyllis Reich, City of Elizabeth William Riviere, NJDOT Scott Rowe, NJTPA Jakub Rowinski, NJTPA Robert Sadowski, Councilman, City of Linden Cindy Solomon, Division of Community Development, City of Rahway Ron Stefanowicz, Executive Director, Linden Economic Development Corporation Linden Industrial Association Edmund Aversenti, President / CEO, General Magnaplate Corporation Joseph Barbanel, Solar Compounds Corporation Frank Brattole, Infineum Valerie Corigliano, General Magnaplate Corporation Wayne Cromwell, General Magnaplate Corporation Ed Kaminski, ConocoPhillips Michael Karlovich, ConocoPhillips June Lazaro, Primerica Andrea Martone, Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc. Ron Stefanowicz, Linden Economic Development Corporation George Vircik, City of Linden Craig Whittemore, NUStar Energy City of Elizabeth J. Christian Bollwage, Mayor, City of Elizabeth Phyllis Reich, City of Elizabeth Lt William Dugan, Elizabeth Traffic Division iii ROUTE 1&9 CORRIDOR STUDY FINAL REPORT City of Linden Sergeant Michael Babluski, Linden Traffic Division Richard Gerbounka, Mayor, City of Linden Mark Gialluca, Duke Realty Councilman Bob Sadowski, City of Linden Ron Stefanowicz, Linden Economic Development Corp. George Vircik, PE, City of Linden City of Rahway P.O. Joseph Kostick, Rahway Police Cindy Solomon, Department of Building, Planning & Economic Development, Rahway Peter Pelssier, Rahway Business Administrator Rick Proctor, Mayor, City of Rahway Union County Transportation Advisory Board 1&9 Corridor Study Consultant Team Jennifer Grenier, AICP, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Project Manager Stephen Chiaramonte, Parsons Brinckerhoff Anne Strauss-Wieder, Anne Strauss-Wieder Inc Ron Weening, Anne Strauss-Wieder Inc Todd Poole, 4Ward Planning Lee Klein, T&M and Associates iv ROUTE 1&9 CORRIDOR STUDY FINAL REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents I. Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................................... 1 II. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 4 III. Improvement Recommendations....................................................................................................................... 7 A. Corridor-Wide Improvements .......................................................................................................................... 7 B. Spot Improvements ......................................................................................................................................... 19 C. Implementation ............................................................................................................................................... 45 IV. Existing Conditions Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 58 A. Traffic Conditions .......................................................................................................................................... 58 B. Crash Data ...................................................................................................................................................... 67 C. Bicycle/Pedestrian Conditions ........................................................................................................................ 75 D. Pavement Management System Data ............................................................................................................. 76 E. Drainage Management System (DMS) ........................................................................................................... 78 F. Transit ............................................................................................................................................................. 78 G. Summary of Existing Conditions ................................................................................................................... 82 H. Land Use......................................................................................................................................................... 89 I. Socioeconomic/Demographic, Labor, and Industry ....................................................................................... 91 J. Environmental Screening ............................................................................................................................... 92 V. Stakeholder Involvement ................................................................................................................................ 97 A. One-on-One Meetings with the Municipalities .............................................................................................. 97 B. Meeting with Linden Industrial Association .................................................................................................. 99 C. Field Visit and Meeting ................................................................................................................................ 101 D. Technical Advisory Committee .................................................................................................................... 102 E. Union County Transportation Advisory Board ............................................................................................ 106 v ROUTE 1&9 CORRIDOR STUDY FINAL REPORT Figures Figure 1 – Route 1 & 9 Corridor Project Study Area ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6 Figure 2 – Recommended Cross Section Types by Segment ------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 Figure 3 – Arterial Cross Section --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 Figure 4 – Transitional Cross Section ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 Figure 5 – Urban Cross Section ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Figure 6 – Route 1 & 9 at Milton Avenue/Paterson Street Improvements --------------------------------------------------- 19 Figure 7 – Route 1 & 9 at Grand Avenue Improvements ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Figure 8 – Route 1 & 9 at Avenue C/Sylvan Street Improvements ----------------------------------------------------------- 23 Figure 9 – Route 1 & 9 at Wood Avenue Improvements ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 Figure 10 – Route 1 & 9 at Wood Avenue/Woodlawn Avenue/Willow Glad Road Improvements --------------------- 26 Figure 11 – Tremley Point Access Improvements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 Figure 12 – Route 1 & 9 at BJ‘s Warehouse/Morse Mill Road Improvements --------------------------------------------- 29 Figure 13 – Route 1 & 9 and I-278 Interchange Improvements --------------------------------------------------------------- 31 Figure 14 – Route 1 & 9 at Bacheller Avenue Improvements ------------------------------------------------------------------ 32 Figure 15 – Route 1 & 9 south of Bayway Circle Improvements-------------------------------------------------------------- 33 Figure