DELAWARE RIVER JOINT TOLL BRIDGE COMMISSION SOUTHERLY CROSSINGS CORRIDOR STUDY PHASE I TRANSPORTATION STUDY Prepared for: DELAWARE RIVER JOINT TOLL BRIDGE COMMISSION Prepared by: THE LOUIS BERGER GROUP, INC. EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY June 2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS Southerly Crossings Corridor Study TABLE OF CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................Executive Summary Page 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND STUDY METHODOLOGY.............................................1-1 1.1 Background.........................................................................................1-1 1.2 Objectives of the Southerly Crossings Corridor Study .....................................1-3 1.3 Traffic Forecasting & Analysis Methodology................................................1-3 1.3.1 Overview.............................................................................................................1-3 1.3.2 Travel Demand Forecasting ................................................................................1-4 1.4 Alternatives Development and Screening .....................................................1-7 1.5 Alternatives Analysis-Measures of Effectiveness .......................................... 1-10 1.5.1 Level of Service...............................................................................................1-10 1.5.2 Construction Cost Estimates............................................................................1-11 2.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS ..............................................................................2-1 2.1 Travel Patterns and Trends in the Corridor Per Other Studies............................2-1 2.2 Existing Traffic Volumes and Levels of Service........................................... 2-11 2.2.1 Route 1 Toll Bridge ................................................................... 2-12 2.2.2 Lower Trenton Bridge (Bridge Street & Trenton Makes)...................... 2-13 2.2.3 Calhoun Street Bridge ................................................................ 2-13 2.2.4 Route I-95/Scudder Falls Bridge ................................................... 2-14 2.3 Summary of Existing Conditions and Needs ............................................... 2-15 3.0 FUTURE NO-BUILD CONDITIONS.................................................................3-1 3.1 Future No-Build Highway and Passenger Rail Network ...................................3-1 3.2 Future Population and Employment............................................................3-1 3.3 Future No-Build Traffic Volumes and Levels of Service ..................................3-4 3.3.1 2005 Future No-Build Traffic Volumes and Levels of Service.........................3-4 3.3.2 2025 Future No-Build Traffic Volumes and Levels of Service.........................3-5 3.4 Summary of Future No-Build Conditions and Needs .......................................3-7 4.0 FUTURE NO-BUILD PLUS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT (TSM) CONDITIONS.............................................................4-1 4.1 Identification of TSM Improvements ..........................................................4-1 4.2 Future No-Build Plus Traffic Volumes and Levels of Service ............................4-7 4.2.1 2005 No-Build Plus...........................................................................................4-7 4.2.2 2025 No-Build Plus...........................................................................................4-8 4.3 Summary of Future No-Build Plus Conditions and Needs .............................................4-9 Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission TOC Page 1 Southerly Crossings Corridor Study TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Page 5.0 SENSITIVITY EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL BRIDGE IMPROVEMENT CONCEPTS .................................................................................................5-1 6.0 FUTURE 2025 BUILD SCENARIOS WITH ACCEPTABLE LEVELS OF SERVICE .6-1 6.1 Build Scenarios ....................................................................................6-1 6.1.1 Alternative A .....................................................................................................6-1 6.1.2 Alternative B .....................................................................................................6-3 7.0 COST ESTIMATES.......................................................................................7-1 8.0 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................8-1 9.0 IMPLEMENTATION.....................................................................................9-1 10.0 LIST OF REFERENCES .............................................................................. 10-1 APPENDICES Appendix A Results of Model Runs Under Various Scenarios LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1 Locations of the Corridor, Bridges and the Park-and-Ride Lots..........................1-2 Figure 1-2 Study Area..........................................................................................1-5 Figure 4-1 Illustrates the Transit Scoring Methodology..................................................4-2 Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission TOC Page 2 Southerly Crossings Corridor Study TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Page LIST OF TABLES Table ES-1 Levels of Service (LOS) for Various Studied Scenarios................................... ES-2 Table 1-1 Southerly Crossings Study: Screening Framework..........................................1-8 Table 2-1 Relevant 1990 Census Journey to Work Travel Patterns...................................2-4 Table 2-2 Route 1 Bridge Existing Operating Conditions ............................................ 2-12 Table 2-3 Lower Trenton Bridge Existing Operating Conditions ................................... 2-13 Table 2-4 Calhoun Street Bridge Existing Operating Conditions.................................... 2-14 Table 2-5 Scudder Falls Bridge Existing Operating Conditions ..................................... 2-15 Table 3-1 Existing and Estimated Future Population ....................................................3-2 Table 3-2 Existing and Estimated Future Employment..................................................3-3 Table 3-3 Route 1 Bridge 2005 No-Build Operating Conditions ......................................3-4 Table 3-4 Lower Trenton Bridge 2005 No-Build Operating Conditions .............................3-4 Table 3-5 Calhoun Street Bridge 2005 No-Build Operating Conditions .............................3-5 Table 3-6 Scudder Falls Bridge 2005 No-Build Operating Conditions...............................3-5 Table 3-7 Route 1 Bridge 2025 No-Build Operating Conditions ......................................3-5 Table 3-8 Lower Trenton Bridge 2025 No-Build Operating Conditions .............................3-6 Table 3-9 Calhoun Street Bridge 2025 No-Build Operating Conditions .............................3-6 Table 3-10 Scudder Falls Bridge 2025 No-Build Operating Conditions...............................3-7 Table 4-1 High Transit Potential Communities and Potentially Suitable Investments .............4-3 Table 4-2 Medium-High Transit Potential Communities and Potentially Suitable Investments ..4-4 Table 4-3 Medium Transit Potential Communities and Potentially Suitable Investments .........4-5 Table 4-4 Route 1 Bridge 2005 No-Build Plus Operating Conditions ................................4-7 Table 4-5 Lower Trenton Bridge 2005 No-Build Plus Operating Conditions.......................4-8 Table 4-6 Calhoun Street Bridge 2005 No-Build Plus Operating Conditions .......................4-8 Table 4-7 Scudder Falls Bridge 2005 No-Build Plus Operating Conditions.........................4-8 Table 5-1 Route 1 Bridge 2025 Operating Conditions Under Various Scenarios ..................5-1 Table 5-2 Lower Trenton-Bridge 2025 Operating Conditions Under Various Scenarios .........5-2 Table 5-3 Calhoun Street Bridge 2025 Operating Conditions Under Various Scenarios..........5-2 Table 5-4 Scudder Falls Bridge 2025 Operating Conditions Under Various Scenarios ...........5-3 Table 6-1 Route 1 Bridge Alternative A 2025 Operating Conditions.................................6-1 Table 6-2 Lower Trenton Bridge Alternative A 2025 Operating Conditions........................6-1 Table 6-3 Calhoun Street Bridge Alternative A 2025 Operating Conditions ........................6-2 Table 6-4 Schudder Falls Bridge Alternative A 2025 Operating Conditions ........................6-2 Table 6-5 Falls-Hamilton Bridge Alternative A 2025 Operating Conditions........................6-2 Table 6-6 Route 1 Bridge Alternative B 2025 Operating Conditions .................................6-3 Table 6-7 Lower Trenton Bridge Alternative B 2025 Operating Conditions........................6-3 Table 6-8 Calhoun Street Bridge Alternative B 2025 Operating Conditions ........................6-4 Table 6-9 Scudder Falls Bridge Alternative B 2025 Operating Conditions..........................6-4 Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission TOC Page 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Southerly Crossings Corridor Study EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Report presents the results of the Southerly Crossings Corridor Study (the “Study”) prepared for the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (the “Commission”) by The Louis Berger Group, Inc. This Report summarizes the results of the analysis of various alternatives to alleviate congestion in the Southerly Crossings Corridor in the year 2025. Other consulting firms contributing to the Study include Winsor Associates, Ammann & Whitney,