Fall 2007 TRANSPORTATION ISSUES IN THE NJTPA REGION Projects Making A Difference Getting It Right cross the NJTPA region—13 northern and central New Jersey counties—there are many examples Aof transportation projects “getting it right.” These projects make travel easier and safer for residents, reduce traffic congestion, offer alternatives for daily commutes and encourage sustainable growth. These projects rarely receive the public recognition they deserve, because in the world of transportation, as elsewhere, there often is more focus on things that go wrong rather than things that go right. This issue of Mobility Matters attempts to give a number of these projects their due. Most were not huge headline-grabbers beyond their location and they were certainly not among the most expensive transportation improvements undertaken in the region. However, they stand as good examples of projects that effectively do what they were designed to do—improve the region’s transportation system. G Housing Near Transit was dispersed throughout the Double Income, No Kids). Ten site. The design was a prime units were set aside for afford- example of “new urbanist” able housing. architecture. “The residents have been a 'New urban' housing The homes have been pur- real asset in patronizing down- chased by “people who are town businesses,” the mayor boosts downtown Metuchen attracted to living downtown says. The success of Franklin and using mass transit,” Square has prompted plans for New Jersey’s invited developers to create Metuchen Mayor Ed O’Brien additional downtown develop- train stations housing on the former site of a says. They are mostly couples ment. The town recently are more than school near its train station. without children (or, in real Metuchen • just hubs for After much community input, estate parlance, DINKs— Cont’d on next page commuter trav- the chosen developer construct- el. Increasingly, ed 105 housing units, paying p o k t t they are anchors special attention to fitting the i W l for creating hous- design to the scale and look of l i B : ing and other devel- the downtown while minimiz- o t o opment to revitalize ing traffic and other impacts of h P downtown business dis- concern to residents. tricts and realize the state's Units have a townhouse Smart Growth goals. appearance (though they con- The Franklin Square housing tain stacked apartments) and development in downtown make extensive use of brick to Metuchen was specifically create an appealing streetscape. designed with these objectives They include rear courtyards for in mind. In 1998, the town use by residents, and parking 2 Getting It Right Traffic Circle Replacement Westfield roundabout improves traffic Cont’d from previous page Traffic circles were gether,” says Union County Toglia. “The principle is that approved a zoning ordinance once the state- Assistant Engineer Timothy the cars in the roundabout of-the-art Mettlen. itself now have the right of that foresees the creation of a Westfield • six-acre town center, with approach to cir- The NJDOT decided to way to exit and anyone enter- mixed housing, retail and culating vehi- reconfigure, rather than elimi- ing has to yield to the cars office uses—also within walk- cles through nate, the Westfield circle. already in the circle.” ing distance of the train sta- tricky inter- NJDOT first proposed removing The key problem with the tion. changes of busy the circle and putting a new ‘T’ old circle was a “conflict point” Numerous other towns are roadways. For a intersection in its place, but fur- where state Route 28 (known getting into the act. Cranford, time, New Jersey ther study found a modern as South Avenue) entered the Rahway, South Orange and had nearly 70 circles in “roundabout” would be a bet- circle, Mettlen said. South Morristown are among towns operation, most built in the ter, more cost-effective and less Avenue now enters the circle at with new developments going 1920s and 1930s. As years intrusive solution, says Neal a right angle, forcing drivers to up or planned near their train passed and more and more cars Toglia, a design engineer with physically stop and yield to stations. The state has lent filled the roads, though, the cir- Jacobs Edwards and Kelcey, a enter the roundabout instead of support, through programs cles grew infamous for conges- consulting firm that worked on simply driving in. Other promoting Transit Oriented tion, accidents and driver confu- the project. Work on the round- approaches to the circle were sion over who had the right-of- about began in 2004. Development (TOD) including Cont’d on next page the Transit Village Initiative run way. “It has worked well,” says by the State Department of The New Jersey Department Transportation and NJ Transit. of Transportation (NJDOT) has To make a TOD project eliminated or reconfigured successful, Mayor O'Brien says, about half of the state’s traffic towns must not only “make circles in favor of designs to sure to structure development improve traffic flow in places consistent with the town's fis- such as Westfield in Union cal policy” but pay attention to County, Brielle in Monmouth aesthetics and community County, Bound Brook in involvement. He notes that in Somerset County, and Clifton in advancing the recent zoning Passaic County, among others. ordinance, the town held a At the old circle in Westfield, series of meetings and work- more than 250 accidents were shops, creating a “visioning recorded in or adjacent to the process that allowed people to circle between 1998 and 2000. buy into it.” It was “as trans- “It was just a bad situation alto- parent as possible.” G THE NJTPA The NJTPA is the federally authorized Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the 6.5 million people in the 13-county northern New Mobility Matters is published by the NJTPA Board of Trustees William C. Barham—Freeholder, Jersey region. Each year, the NJTPA over- North Jersey Transportation Planning Monmouth County sees over $2.5 billion in transportation Authority, Inc. with funding from the Daniel P. Sullivan, Chairman— Gene F. Feyl—Freeholder, investments. The NJTPA evaluates and Federal Transit Administration and the Freeholder, Union County Morris County approves proposed transportation Federal Highway Administration. The Susan Zellman, First Vice Chairman— Cory A. Booker—Mayor, City of improvement projects and provides a NJTPA is solely responsible for its con- Freeholder, Sussex County Newark forum for interagency cooperation and tents. public input into funding decisions. It Dennis McNerney, Second Vice James F. Lacey—Freeholder, Ocean also sponsors and conducts studies, Executive Editor: Joel S. Weiner, NJTPA, Chairman—Bergen County Executive County Executive Director assists county planning agencies and John DiMaio, Third Vice Chairman— Elease Evans—Freeholder, Passaic David Behrend, monitors compliance with national air Contributing Editors: Freeholder,Warren County County quality goals. The NJTPA serves the Ted Ritter, Mark Solof, Beverly Morris Thomas DeGise, Secretary—Hudson Peter S. Palmer—Freeholder, Somerset fourth most populous MPO region in the Design: Suzanne G. Bennett County Executive County country. The NJTPA Board consists of Host Agency: New Jersey Institute of one elected official from each of the Technology Joseph DiVincenzo—Essex County A. Matthew Boxer—Governor’s Executive Representative region’s 13 counties and two largest Inquiries should be addressed to: cities, Newark and Jersey City. The Board The North Jersey Transportation George D. Muller—Freeholder, Kris Kolluri—Commissioner, NJDOT Hunterdon County also includes a Governor’s Represen- Planning Authority, Inc. Richard R. Sarles—Executive Director, tative, the Commissioner of the NJ One Newark Center, 17th Floor Jerramiah T. Healy—Mayor, Jersey NJ Transit Department of Transportation, the Newark, New Jersey 07102 City Anthony Shorris— Executive Directors of NJ Transit and the Executive Director, Phone: 973.639.8400 David B. Crabiel—Freeholder, Port Authority NY & NJ Port Authority of NY & NJ and a Citizens’ Fax: 973.639.1953 Middlesex County Vacant—Citizens’ Representative Representative appointed by the www.njtpa.org Governor. NJTPA Board meetings are held bi-monthly and are open to the public. Getting It Right 3 Successful Suburban Transit Ocean County bus connects residents with jobs, health care Cont’d from previous page The Toms River Connection also realigned to be indirect, has opened up requiring drivers to slow down a world of and yield. transportation “It was challenging to do a possibilities for project like this in such a busy, Toms River • low-income highly-visible location,” notes residents of NJTPA Chairman Daniel P. y several barrier t n Sullivan, a Union County u island communities o C Freeholder. “But it wound up in Ocean County. n a e being a good project that The fixed-route bus service c O : improved safety for motorists o gives access to county services, t o and pedestrians.” h a hospital, major retailers and P Mettlen also says coopera- more activities on Route 37 in “We decided that it would to think of things from the tion and coordination went a Toms River and other nearby be strategic to include NJ rider’s viewpoint and make long way toward helping this towns. It provided nearly Transit in the early stages of public transit a little more project get it right. “NJDOT 105,000 passenger trips last the planning process,” Edmond approachable.” didn’t have to do anything they year. says. Working with NJ Transit Developing the Toms River didn’t want to, but they gave Collaboration has been the staff, the county studied Connection “was really a learn- us their plans, and let us have key to success for the connec- Geographic Information System ing process in terms of identify- our input,” he says. “And I tion, which began in winter (GIS) data, and conducted ing transportation needs and think our input made some dif- 2001 after receiving inspiration fieldwork, mapping out and gaps,” Edmond says, but the ferences.