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It
does not appear that the state will be widening Route 1 in
South Brunswick in the near term.
While this maybe news to some, it is not news to me. It is
the same information I received when I investigated the
matter in October of last year. Despite Mayor Frank
Gambatese's comments during an October election debate that
the widening would happen in two years, and despite similar
statements from Township Manager Matt Watkins based on
meetings with DOT on related matters, my information at the
time was quite the opposite. My direct conversations with
the DOT section chief for our part of Route 1 and with
another engineer yielded the information that the widening
was not on any project list, which was prerequisite for any
near-term project.
The DOT's year-or-so-long study of the Central Jersey
Corridor, which included Route 130 and Route 1 drew the
conclusion that the widening was too expensive to do and
that instead the state should pursue other means of
improving traffic flow. These other changes would include
light timings, jughandles and other less expensive
alterations.
Now it appears that the DOT Commissioner is telling the
South Brunswick officials the exact same thing that the DOT
engineers were saying to me seven months ago, and in reports
and memos to one another back in the fall [2006] and
earlier.
Certainly citizens of South Brunswick need to know why they
are the last to know from the hand of the officials. Was the
township misled by some state officials? Did the town not do
due diligence in pursuing this matter?
Beyond these issues, what should be done now? We need a
strong local effort to get the state to reconsider the
widening decision. In addition, we need a strong lobbying
effort to get the reverse jughandles installed that would
end the need to cut across oncoming traffic. This would
minimize motorist's anger and danger when getting on and off
Route 1 at New and Majors Roads. As part of that lobbying
effort, we need to see that the state's corridor improvement
plan includes our jughandles and, overall, meets South
Brunswick's needs.
I know one person who will do something. Assemblyman Bill
Baroni will fight for us on this issue as he has in the
past.
It will take everyone pulling together if we are to get a
change in the state's attitude and to get these
improvements. Get to your candidates for state office, make
them work for you. Get to acting Gov. Codey and Gov. Corzine
and make them work for you.
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