New Jersey

[vdeane]

Why don't they just have the arrow added? Dispatch a crew to hang new signal heads? In Florida it would be done instantly.  Even on the mast arm signals we have had an extra head mounted.

Because a signal head can't just be added. Wiring needs to be fished to the control box.  The computerized software needs to be updated.  A detection system needs to be installed.

And that's even assuming that the signal controller has the ability to handle the additional phase.  If it doesn't, you have to get creative or are stuck with what you have until the whole signal is replaced.

[roadman65]

Why don't they just have the arrow added? Dispatch a crew to hang new signal heads? In Florida it would be done instantly.  Even on the mast arm signals we have had an extra head mounted.

Because a signal head can't just be added. Wiring needs to be fished to the control box.  The computerized software needs to be updated.  A detection system needs to be installed.

You haven't been to NYC.  They do it all the time and using the old click box controllers as nothing in NYC is computerized.  Still using the technology from decades ago and have plenty of signals with add on arrows to the existing heads.

[jeffandnicole]

Why don't they just have the arrow added? Dispatch a crew to hang new signal heads? In Florida it would be done instantly.  Even on the mast arm signals we have had an extra head mounted.

Because a signal head can't just be added. Wiring needs to be fished to the control box.  The computerized software needs to be updated.  A detection system needs to be installed.

You haven't been to NYC.  They do it all the time and using the old click box controllers as nothing in NYC is computerized.  Still using the technology from decades ago and have plenty of signals with add on arrows to the existing heads.

Wait what?  You were talking about Florida, not NYC. 

[roadman65]

I am saying that it is easy to be done. I used NYC as its got many permissive arrows added with no problems.  If you want me to say Florida, I will.

[SignBridge]

Amazing that NYC is so far behind the times. They still have a lot of 8-inch signals too.

[jeffandnicole]

Amazing that NYC is so far behind the times. They still have a lot of 8-inch signals too.

8 inch signals are fine for 25 & 30 mph roadways with short distance intersections, so most of them are within spec.

[roadman65]

Amazing that NYC is so far behind the times. They still have a lot of 8-inch signals too.

NYC does use them on the West Side Highway, the 12 inch that is.

[SignBridge]

Yes I think Queens Blvd. and some other main thoroughfares now have 12-inch signals too. But most signals on the low speed local streets are still 8-inch, unlike many parts of the country (like California) where 12-inch lights are used in most newer installations.

[roadman65]

Yes I think Queens Blvd. and some other main thoroughfares now have 12-inch signals too. But most signals on the low speed local streets are still 8-inch, unlike many parts of the country (like California) where 12-inch lights are used in most newer installations.

San Francisco still uses 8 inch at many intersections.  Though, US 101 is slowly upgrading to 12 inch and standard Caltrans Mast Arms, so whenever the rest of the city's intersections are to the point in time to be replaced I am sure they will install 12 inch signals for sure.

[jeffandnicole]

https://www.nj.com/news/2021/12/your-parkway-and-turnpike-tolls-are-going-up-jan-1-again.html

...Under the indexing plan, Parkway barrier tolls for E-ZPass customers in passenger vehicles will increase from $1.90 to $1.96 on Jan. 1, Feeney said. Cash tolls are rounded to the nickel instead of the penny, meaning the cash toll at a Parkway barrier plaza will be $2, he said.

On the Turnpike, an E-ZPass customer in a passenger vehicle would pay $4.23 instead of $4.10 to travel from Interchange 11 in Woodbridge to Interchange 14 in Newark during peak periods, he said. A cash customer would pay $4.25 for that trip. Under a 25% discount for New Jersey E-ZPass customers during off-peak Turnpike travel, that trip would cost $3.17, he said.

The average passenger vehicle Turnpike toll that now costs $4.80 will rise to $4.95 under this increase, Feeney said.

[kernals12]

https://www.nj.com/news/2021/12/your-parkway-and-turnpike-tolls-are-going-up-jan-1-again.html

...Under the indexing plan, Parkway barrier tolls for E-ZPass customers in passenger vehicles will increase from $1.90 to $1.96 on Jan. 1, Feeney said. Cash tolls are rounded to the nickel instead of the penny, meaning the cash toll at a Parkway barrier plaza will be $2, he said.

On the Turnpike, an E-ZPass customer in a passenger vehicle would pay $4.23 instead of $4.10 to travel from Interchange 11 in Woodbridge to Interchange 14 in Newark during peak periods, he said. A cash customer would pay $4.25 for that trip. Under a 25% discount for New Jersey E-ZPass customers during off-peak Turnpike travel, that trip would cost $3.17, he said.

The average passenger vehicle Turnpike toll that now costs $4.80 will rise to $4.95 under this increase, Feeney said.

In real terms, that's a drop in toll rates.

[Alps]

https://www.nj.com/news/2021/12/your-parkway-and-turnpike-tolls-are-going-up-jan-1-again.html

...Under the indexing plan, Parkway barrier tolls for E-ZPass customers in passenger vehicles will increase from $1.90 to $1.96 on Jan. 1, Feeney said. Cash tolls are rounded to the nickel instead of the penny, meaning the cash toll at a Parkway barrier plaza will be $2, he said.

On the Turnpike, an E-ZPass customer in a passenger vehicle would pay $4.23 instead of $4.10 to travel from Interchange 11 in Woodbridge to Interchange 14 in Newark during peak periods, he said. A cash customer would pay $4.25 for that trip. Under a 25% discount for New Jersey E-ZPass customers during off-peak Turnpike travel, that trip would cost $3.17, he said.

The average passenger vehicle Turnpike toll that now costs $4.80 will rise to $4.95 under this increase, Feeney said.

In real terms, that's a drop in toll rates.

I guess it's because of COVID, but we had 6% inflation this year. Future years are projected under 3%.

[jeffandnicole]

https://whyy.org/articles/investigation-into-i-295-route-42-wall-collapse-is-nearly-complete/

A few quotes from the story:

...A draft report is expected to be complete in the next couple of weeks...

..."When we finalize that and have the plans in place, then the balance of the old wall will be demolished to make room for the construction of the new one," ...

...the department hopes the design will be completed by the end of the first quarter in 2022, with construction beginning after plans are approved...

Based on the above timeline (which I'm sure will be delayed, like the rest of the project): For those considering the Philadelphia Multi-Day meet in August, 2022, Wall 2.0 may be under construction during that meet.

[Alps]

Based on the above timeline (which I'm sure will be delayed, like the rest of the project): Everyone who reads this is going to attend the Philadelphia Multi-Day meet in August, 2022, Wall 2.0 may be under construction during that meet.

ftfy

[storm2k]

Atlantic City girl, 14, among three dead in fiery expressway crash

An Atlantic City teenager was one of three family members killed after their car crashed into an Atlantic City Expressway toll plaza and caught fire Sunday night.

...

The vehicle was traveling eastbound when it struck the Egg Harbor Toll Plaza just past milepost 17.6 and burst into flames.

Apparently there was a similar crash at the same toll plaza in 2005.

[ixnay]

Atlantic City girl, 14, among three dead in fiery expressway crash

An Atlantic City teenager was one of three family members killed after their car crashed into an Atlantic City Expressway toll plaza and caught fire Sunday night.

...

The vehicle was traveling eastbound when it struck the Egg Harbor Toll Plaza just past milepost 17.6 and burst into flames.

Apparently there was a similar crash at the same toll plaza in 2005.

KYW radio reported this morning (on one of their traffic reports) that four of the five eb lanes were knocked out of commission, and we can expect months for repairs to be made.  If the plaza is not fixed by Memorial Day...

[storm2k]

Took another ride on 440 in Woodbridge/Perth Amboy to get pictures of more new signage.

These are on the Exit 10 ramp from the Turnpike to 440. First one replaced a NJTA structure that had new signs erected when they did the MUTCD signage project. Second replaces an old NJDOT structure that was likely due to fall down. NJDOT has really embraced the black on yellow panel where a black on yellow panel is not required.



New exit sign for 9 southbound. I guess NJDOT will just never give 9 control cities through here.


Onramp from Smith Street in Perth Amboy to 440SB. Talk about shield overload.


440SB exit to Amboy Ave. If you thought that previous sign had shield overload...


Exit to 184/Pfeiffer Blvd. I wish they had laid this out better.


Got a better picture of this sign at the 514/Turnpike exit just to capture the utterly ridiculous nature of that giant "Left 3 Lanes" panel.


At this point, I really have to wonder what the NJDOT engineers that either designed or signed off on the plans for these signs were honestly thinking. This new style of signage is atrocious. Panels that are not needed. Layouts that are confusing. Repeated information overload... over and over and over again. I don't know how these engineers can look at some of these signs and think that these are helping motorists find their ways when some of them are so dense that they're more likely to cause a fender bender while a motorist tries to take all this in and not pay attention to the likely stopped traffic in front of them.

[famartin]

If you think this is "shield overload", then you haven't spent much time around the GWB, where similar overloads are common.

Honestly, my only issue with any of these signs is the use of "NJ Turnpike" instead of control cities. Otherwise they seem alright.

[DrSmith]

If you think this is "shield overload", then you haven't spent much time around the GWB, where similar overloads are common.

Honestly, my only issue with any of these signs is the use of "NJ Turnpike" instead of control cities. Otherwise they seem alright.

Maybe this is their response to not being allowed to use backplates.
All the shields possible sans backplates

[famartin]

I inserted links to old signs from GSV for comparisons

Took another ride on 440 in Woodbridge/Perth Amboy to get pictures of more new signage.

These are on the Exit 10 ramp from the Turnpike to 440. First one replaced a NJTA structure that had new signs erected when they did the MUTCD signage project. Second replaces an old NJDOT structure that was likely due to fall down. NJDOT has really embraced the black on yellow panel where a black on yellow panel is not required.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5255702,-74.3342371,3a,75y,127.53h,85.25t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sIwjyvrfoazSoVkT0SD4TMQ!2e0!5s20201101T000000!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5251496,-74.3311494,3a,75y,64.22h,87.51t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sWn1kJxMEcdQAQ56OZwOBpw!2e0!5s20201101T000000!7i13312!8i6656

New exit sign for 9 southbound. I guess NJDOT will just never give 9 control cities through here.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5212249,-74.307493,3a,75y,126.2h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1siVxkM0wCuLf4a5iAuJGPEQ!2e0!5s20210701T000000!7i16384!8i8192

Onramp from Smith Street in Perth Amboy to 440SB. Talk about shield overload.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.526044,-74.2684424,3a,75y,298.51h,91.61t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sn9QLzq-9kHymmlB_Yo5Rwg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

440SB exit to Amboy Ave. If you thought that previous sign had shield overload...

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.526992,-74.2711669,3a,75y,294.4h,88.95t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sww_srw4LkoOLb5f40iO4AA!2e0!5s20211001T000000!7i16384!8i8192

Exit to 184/Pfeiffer Blvd. I wish they had laid this out better.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5285166,-74.2755621,3a,75y,294.4h,88.95t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sopkSTnmzJPxK4wSuWnohQg!2e0!5s20210701T000000!7i16384!8i8192

Got a better picture of this sign at the 514/Turnpike exit just to capture the utterly ridiculous nature of that giant "Left 3 Lanes" panel.

I can't do a direct comparison because there wasn't any gantry near here before. Which was, IMHO, an error which long needed correcting.

At this point, I really have to wonder what the NJDOT engineers that either designed or signed off on the plans for these signs were honestly thinking. This new style of signage is atrocious. Panels that are not needed. Layouts that are confusing. Repeated information overload... over and over and over again. I don't know how these engineers can look at some of these signs and think that these are helping motorists find their ways when some of them are so dense that they're more likely to cause a fender bender while a motorist tries to take all this in and not pay attention to the likely stopped traffic in front of them.

[SignBridge]

NJDOT has a long history of info overload on its signs though these new ones do seem pretty extreme. They definitely are not consistent with the MUTCD's stated objective of having brief, easily readable sign messages.

What's always puzzled me about NJDOT is why they think they need to show that any given route leads to so many other numbered routes. I've always made it my business to know that I needed to take Route A to Route B to Route C, etc. Or in the above cases, Route 440/287 to get to the GS Parkway or NJ Turnpike.

[jeffandnicole]

Personally, I generally like them.  If you're looking for a specific route, you can pick it out easily and go that way. 

The 'Left 3 Lanes' is horribly bad though.  But even in the not-so-bad versions, NJDOT likes using it for some reason. It's not needed when it's basically a pull-thru sign.

[roadman65]

Why doesnt the Parkway exit NB have Toms River and Shore Points used instead of NO TRUCKS solo?  Why is Woodbridge signed solo from Exit 10 off the NJ Turnpike? Being Metuchen is the control city from the Turnpike for I-287, sign it with Woodbridge so that both I-287 and CR 514  have a city each?

Then having all the indirect routes is dumb as NJ 138 and NJ 29 now on I-195 in Central Jersey pull through signs.   I have to say that NJ freeway guides have gotten worse instead of better.

[roadman65]

Hey does the SB New Brunswick Avenue exit still use Woodbridge as a control city?  That should be Fords as Woodbridge is reached via NJ 35 North previously.  Or did they copy it over ?

https://goo.gl/maps/pPguXXjvqXbCRkFp7

Another issue I see is naming control cites that aren’t on the maps? Solebury,PA might be where US 202 enters PA from NJ. However, New Hope, PA is very nearby and is not only on the map, but more popular and well known.

[storm2k]

Why doesnt the Parkway exit NB have Toms River and Shore Points used instead of NO TRUCKS solo?  Why is Woodbridge signed solo from Exit 10 off the NJ Turnpike? Being Metuchen is the control city from the Turnpike for I-287, sign it with Woodbridge so that both I-287 and CR 514  have a city each?

Then having all the indirect routes is dumb as NJ 138 and NJ 29 now on I-195 in Central Jersey pull through signs.   I have to say that NJ freeway guides have gotten worse instead of better.

1. NJDOT still refuses to use any control cities for the Parkway or Turnpike except for some variation of "Garden State Parkway" or "NJ Turnpike". It's been that way my entire life and doesn't seem likely to change.
2. Metuchen as a control city at Exit 10 is strictly a NJTA thing. NJDOT's recognized control cities for 287NB have been Morristown and Mahwah since the early 1990s.

My general thought here is that NJDOT should pick one or two critical key routes that your current route follows and sign for it. In this case, the Parkway, 95/Turnpike, and 287 would make sense. Routes 9 and 35 are not important for long haul travelers in this area. It's the same how 29 and 138 are not important to most travelers on 195 until they're in the immediate area. Not does signing to 80 or 95/Turnpike on 280 as has shown up on some signs. Either just sign them at exits that serve them, or put them on aux signs like most states do.