Rutgers policy institute proposes new solutions to Rt. 1 traffic flow problem

Traffic congestion may be a fact of life, but local and state officials are hoping to improve the situation in the nearby Penns Neck area by constructing alternate roadways.

Earlier this fall, the circulation subcommittee of the Princeton Regional Planning Board debated solutions to the growing problem of traffic congestion in the downtown and Penns Neck areas of Princeton.

A projected increase in business commuters along Route 1 highlights the urgency of the problem. As of 2001, roughly 46,257 jobs were based in the areas of Plainsboro and West Windsor along the Route 1 corridor, The Princeton Packet reported. Projections show this number nearly doubling to 84,445 by 2028.

Though subcommittee members and Princeton residents generally agree that alternate travel paths must be built, no agreement has been reached on how to achieve that goal.

In an attempt to find a workable solution, the N.J. Department of Transportation commissioned the Rutgers Transportation Policy Institute to conduct research.

The Rutgers team has come up with 18 different proposals. The subcommittee is reviewing the designs, and the Rutgers team has also solicited input from Princeton residents.

Among the proposals is a plan similar to the former Millstone Bypass proposal and also a no-build alternative that will serve as a baseline comparison for the other proposals.

Of the Rutgers designs, the subcommittee expressed most support for Alternative D. This design includes two key components favored by the subcommittee: an eastside road connecting Route 571 near N.J. Transit's Northeast Corridor line to Route 1, and a westside road connecting Route 1 to Harrison Street near the Delaware-Raritan Canal.

Like many of the other options, Alternative D also calls for running Route 1 under Washington Road, a measure that the subcommittee believes would be key to controlling traffic flow in the Princeton area.

Borough Mayor Marvin Reed, who sits on the subcommittee, estimated that this part of the project would cost between $25 million and $30 million.

The subcommittee is analyzing the environmental impact of the different proposals. The Princeton Environmental Commission and other conservation groups argue that the new proposals are being rushed through review without considering environmental implications.

The DOT's first proposal, the Millstone Bypass, was rejected by former Gov. Christie Whitman in 2000 because of concerns that it would increase east-west traffic problems and would have adverse effects on the environment.

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But Reed said the situation "looks more promising than it did two years ago."

He added that the proposals of the Rutgers team reinforce the findings of Sam Schwartz Associates, independent consultants hired by the Township and Borough to evaluate the environmental impact of the proposed designs.

"If the right alternative is chosen, it will keep traffic in downtown Princeton from getting a lot worse," Reed said.

The University does not currently support any specific proposal and does not plan to make any such endorsement until all environmental reviews and design inquiries are completed, said Pam Hersh, director of community and state affairs.

Hersh said that in University considerations of the problem, "the main goal is equal distribution of traffic into Princeton."

The DOT plans to select one of the 18 alternates in April.

(Information from The Princeton Packet was used in this report.)