Improved safety and better traffic flow in the Route 22 corridor of southern Warren County are the goals of a study now underway.
“It’s important to make it safer for people who live in the area, and those who travel to the businesses in the area,” Warren County Freeholder Director John DiMaio said, noting input from residents and commuters is being sought throughout the study.
The Route 22 Corridor Assessment and Multi-Modal Mobility Plan will identify a series of roadway improvements as well as a package of transit enhancements, land-use and design strategies, travel-demand and travel-management strategies, and bicycle and pedestrian improvements. Detailed plans for each of these mobility options will be developed, as well as the feasibility of other options.
The study is being funded by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, the federally authorized Metropolitan Planning Organization for 6 million people in the 13-county northern New Jersey region. The first of several public meetings on the plan will be held in February 2009.
Study results will be finalized by June 2009, said DiMaio, who is Warren County’s representative to the NJTPA and who serves as Second Vice Chairman of the regional organization.
Increased development along the corridor brought increased traffic, and DiMaio noted there are some dangerous spots, such as the Route 22-Route 519 intersection, that need improvement. |
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The Route 22 Corridor Study will be conducted in cooperation with Phillipsburg, Alpha, Lopatcong, Pohatcong, and Greenwich Townships. The Route 22 corridor has seen increased travel demand as a result of increased development along the corridor. Route 22 also serves as a major transportation corridor for commuters that live in Pennsylvania and commute into the Central New Jersey area to work.
As part of the citizen outreach process, a website has been developed highlighting the purpose of this study. You can access it at www.maserconsulting.com/route22/route22.html. Citizens also will be asked to participate in an online survey to solicit input into the many ways the corridor can be improved. The online survey can be accessed on the study website or at www.transoptions.org.
The public also will be asked to participate in a series of informational sessions over the course of the project. The first public visioning session will be held on Saturday, February 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Warren County Technical School Cafeteria. See the project website for more details. These sessions will allow participants to review findings during the critical milestones of the project process and to provide valuable citizen input into the corridor study.
These potential improvements will benefit everyone by reducing traffic congestion, increasing bicycle and pedestrian access and increasing public transportation along the corridor.
The county's consultant on the study is Maser Consulting of Clinton.
For more information about the study or the survey, contact Warren County
Planner Brian Appezzato at (908) 475-6532 or bappezzato@co.warren.nj.us.
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