New Jersey

[Mr. Matté]

New GMSV shows the lack of black backgrounds on shields on new guide signs for the Turnpike / NJ 18 interchange reconstruction:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.478701,-74.4104604,3a,46.9y,343.87h,92.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSdzvDUl6FjQI5Lanz1IiAQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

For those in the know, does this new sign put up within the last month (and similar signs around the restriped/repaved Pennington Circle) fall under old sign contracts similar to how there were a mix of new signs on the Turnpike of "THRU TRAFFIC" and "New York"/"Wilmington?"

[jeffandnicole]

New GMSV shows the lack of black backgrounds on shields on new guide signs for the Turnpike / NJ 18 interchange reconstruction:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.478701,-74.4104604,3a,46.9y,343.87h,92.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSdzvDUl6FjQI5Lanz1IiAQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

For those in the know, does this new sign put up within the last month (and similar signs around the restriped/repaved Pennington Circle) fall under old sign contracts similar to how there were a mix of new signs on the Turnpike of "THRU TRAFFIC" and "New York"/"Wilmington?"

No.  If there was a construction project at this circle, this sign would've been part of that specific project.

[KEVIN_224]

Damn! That sign must be confusing as hell if you're speeding through there! It's easy to understand just sitting here looking at the picture, of course!

Of course, Connecticut doesn't have a lot of traffic circles the way NJ or MA do.

[Zeffy]

I guess the small typical guide signs you'd find weren't doing their job well enough. They didn't mention the fucked up turn one has to make if you want to get back to CR 546 heading towards US 1 though. Which entry is this sign located?

[bzakharin]

New GMSV shows the lack of black backgrounds on shields on new guide signs for the Turnpike / NJ 18 interchange reconstruction:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.478701,-74.4104604,3a,46.9y,343.87h,92.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSdzvDUl6FjQI5Lanz1IiAQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Was it NJTA that put up these signs? If so, this is the way they've done it since the beginning

[odditude]

Which entry is this sign located?

looks like it's on EB 546.

i'm not a huge fan of that sign in general; i definitely don't like stretched CR shields.

[vdeane]

New GMSV shows the lack of black backgrounds on shields on new guide signs for the Turnpike / NJ 18 interchange reconstruction:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.478701,-74.4104604,3a,46.9y,343.87h,92.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSdzvDUl6FjQI5Lanz1IiAQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Was it NJTA that put up these signs? If so, this is the way they've done it since the beginning

definitely NJDOT signage.  NJTA uses rounded corners.

[Zeffy]

New GMSV shows the lack of black backgrounds on shields on new guide signs for the Turnpike / NJ 18 interchange reconstruction:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.478701,-74.4104604,3a,46.9y,343.87h,92.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSdzvDUl6FjQI5Lanz1IiAQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Was it NJTA that put up these signs? If so, this is the way they've done it since the beginning

definitely NJDOT signage.  NJTA uses rounded corners.

Yup, that's how I knew it wasn't a NJTA job. With the pushing of the MUTCD to the Turnpike, soon NJTA signs will resemble ones you'd find on the NYS Thruway.

[cl94]

New GMSV shows the lack of black backgrounds on shields on new guide signs for the Turnpike / NJ 18 interchange reconstruction:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.478701,-74.4104604,3a,46.9y,343.87h,92.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSdzvDUl6FjQI5Lanz1IiAQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Was it NJTA that put up these signs? If so, this is the way they've done it since the beginning

definitely NJDOT signage.  NJTA uses rounded corners.

Yup, that's how I knew it wasn't a NJTA job. With the pushing of the MUTCD to the Turnpike, soon NJTA signs will resemble ones you'd find on the NYS Thruway.

Until NYSTA drops Clearview, more like NYSDOT signage. They're virtually identical except for font.

[NJRoadfan]

NJDOT hasn't switched to cutouts on signs yet, plenty of new ones going up with them. The rest of the signs posted at new projects like the Chimney Rock Rd. interchange on US-22 has them.

This sign, now uncovered, doesn't have cutouts: https://goo.gl/maps/PCV3ebffu432

[Alps]

Damn! That sign must be confusing as hell if you're speeding through there! It's easy to understand just sitting here looking at the picture, of course!

Of course, Connecticut doesn't have a lot of traffic circles the way NJ or MA do.

I would turn the CR 546 arrow a bit more to the right to separate it from Pennington Rd. Otherwise it does the job.

[ixnay]

Which entry is this sign located?

looks like it's on EB 546.

i'm not a huge fan of that sign in general; i definitely don't like stretched CR shields.

Stretched CR shields don't bother *me* one bit.  Guess that's why there's chocolate, vanilla, and rocky road (no pun intended).

ixnay

[roadman65]

Does anyone ever remember the old Fire Signal on US 202 in Raritan, NJ?  It was removed after the Somerville Circle Flyover was added, but what used to amaze me was the fact that there was no median break for the firetruck to actually cross US 202.  I found that to be quite odd as the purpose to the signal was to allow fire trucks protected access to US 202.  If the signal was to allow one way only right outs for the emergency vehicles, then it would have been on one side of the highway only and not for both US 202 North and South.

I am just curious to how that worked then.  However, with emergency signals you could pass through one everyday to and from work, and for years never get stopped at one.  In 25 years in Florida I only stopped 4 times for one, and two were in Tampa and two at two completely different fire stations.  The odds for you to be stopped for one are very high, so unless someone who lived in the area actually caught that particular signal turn red, only that one person could answer it.

[NE2]

Did the Jersey barrier sink to let trucks cross?

[storm2k]

Does anyone ever remember the old Fire Signal on US 202 in Raritan, NJ?  It was removed after the Somerville Circle Flyover was added, but what used to amaze me was the fact that there was no median break for the firetruck to actually cross US 202.  I found that to be quite odd as the purpose to the signal was to allow fire trucks protected access to US 202.  If the signal was to allow one way only right outs for the emergency vehicles, then it would have been on one side of the highway only and not for both US 202 North and South.

I am just curious to how that worked then.  However, with emergency signals you could pass through one everyday to and from work, and for years never get stopped at one.  In 25 years in Florida I only stopped 4 times for one, and two were in Tampa and two at two completely different fire stations.  The odds for you to be stopped for one are very high, so unless someone who lived in the area actually caught that particular signal turn red, only that one person could answer it.

I vaguely remember that fire signal (I was 13 when the 202 flyover opened). I think that it was a remnant from a time before 202 had a Jersey barrier. If you look at this HA from 1979, you can see a clear crossover in the median area which I imagine was for emergency vehicles to come from the Raritan fire house and cross 202 to get to calls on the other side of the road. You can even sort of still see it in this 1987 HA of the same location. By the time they did the flyover in 1994, there was a full jersey barrier in place leading up to the death trap.

[jeffandnicole]

It appears Mercer County wants to untangle a fairly unusual (meaning, fun) intersection near the Brunswick Circle by converting it into a roundabout. 

Location of the intersection: https://goo.gl/maps/EMLGxq14bHH2 .  The road curving to the right leads to the actual Brunswick Circle.  The building in the lower right is Lottery Headquarters.  If you need to go there, you're probably having a good day! :-)

DVRPC description & public comment form: http://www.dvrpc.org/asp/boardcomment/detail.asp?id=1822 

[ekt8750]

If you need to go there, you're probably having a good day! :-)

At least you'll be able to pay for the inevitable accident you'll get into trying to traverse that intersection.

[Zeffy]

It appears Mercer County wants to untangle a fairly unusual (meaning, fun) intersection near the Brunswick Circle by converting it into a roundabout. 

Location of the intersection: https://goo.gl/maps/EMLGxq14bHH2 .  The road curving to the right leads to the actual Brunswick Circle.  The building in the lower right is Lottery Headquarters.  If you need to go there, you're probably having a good day! :-)

DVRPC description & public comment form: http://www.dvrpc.org/asp/boardcomment/detail.asp?id=1822

If there were actually pavement markings in the circle and everyone knew how to properly navigate it, it wouldn't be such a death trap. I routinely avoid going anywhere that takes me to that circle if I can help it.

[jeffandnicole]

It appears Mercer County wants to untangle a fairly unusual (meaning, fun) intersection near the Brunswick Circle by converting it into a roundabout. 

Location of the intersection: https://goo.gl/maps/EMLGxq14bHH2 .  The road curving to the right leads to the actual Brunswick Circle.  The building in the lower right is Lottery Headquarters.  If you need to go there, you're probably having a good day! :-)

DVRPC description & public comment form: http://www.dvrpc.org/asp/boardcomment/detail.asp?id=1822

If there were actually pavement markings in the circle and everyone knew how to properly navigate it, it wouldn't be such a death trap. I routinely avoid going anywhere that takes me to that circle if I can help it.

Reread the description...it's not the circle that's being reconstructed.  It's the small intersection to the west of it. 

In a separate project, North of the Brunswick Circle, they're supposed to road diet US 1B to 1 lane per direction. 

If you need to go there, you're probably having a good day! :-)

At least you'll be able to pay for the inevitable accident you'll get into trying to traverse that intersection.

If this particular intersection was wider all around and in a more rural area, it would be fine.  It's just a very tight area with a lot going on before and after it that makes it tricky.

[jeffandnicole]

For those in the Flemington Area: The Flemington Circle will be undergoing some changes (although it won't be reconstructed into a normal roundabout):  http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/community/meetings/documents/handout021816mh.pdf

[Zeffy]

For those in the Flemington Area: The Flemington Circle will be undergoing some changes (although it won't be reconstructed into a normal roundabout):  http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/community/meetings/documents/handout021816mh.pdf

Hmm. I can't visualize most of these proposals, but I'm glad that something is being done to upgrade this circle into something less deadly. There are a lot of bad drivers who do not know how to navigate this (or any circle, really) circle without being a threat to the other motorists.

Now what would be nice is some improvements to the Somerville Circle...

[jeffandnicole]

For those in the Flemington Area: The Flemington Circle will be undergoing some changes (although it won't be reconstructed into a normal roundabout):  http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/community/meetings/documents/handout021816mh.pdf

Hmm. I can't visualize most of these proposals, but I'm glad that something is being done to upgrade this circle into something less deadly. There are a lot of bad drivers who do not know how to navigate this (or any circle, really) circle without being a threat to the other motorists.

Now what would be nice is some improvements to the Somerville Circle...

My image is a smaller circle, basically inside the current circle.  The footprint of 202 NB basically remains the same. 

The public meeting usually has the maps of the proposed plans.  If you've never stopped at one, here's a good one to check out.  Usually the reps there from NJDOT and the consultants figure that everyone attending has no clue about roads and highways...and granted, most of the time they are right.  Many of those attending will complain about the project and how horrible it is and that no one ever does anything right and that it's going to take too long. 

Good times!

[J Route Z]

Somebody isn't happy with the DOT: http://politickernj.com/2016/01/the-new-jersey-department-of-transportation-ran-me-over/

Rumble strips are annoying. Do they really prevent crashes?

[jeffandnicole]

Somebody isn't happy with the DOT: http://politickernj.com/2016/01/the-new-jersey-department-of-transportation-ran-me-over/

Rumble strips are annoying. Do they really prevent crashes?

Per the story:

"...As my property is situated at a sharp curve in the road, motorists consistently contact the rumble strip as they speed around the bend..."

Then he says:

"...that there was no known safety issue on this road..."

Because, as we all know, speeding around a curve & crossing to the wrong side of the road is never a safety issue.

While he does have some good points in the story, and there have been issued raised about NJ's installation of rumble strips in residential areas, he seems to be more concerned about the bicycle/pedestrian aspect of it which he really doesn't provide any relative data.  Heck, even the opening picture of his family enjoying a trail next to some wildlife seems to have no relevance whatsoever with the caption below, which states "This photo of the author's family on the canal path shows how cyclists, walkers and wildlife will all be disturbed by the noise generated by the rumble strips".

[Alps]

In a separate project, North of the Brunswick Circle, they're supposed to road diet US 1B to 1 lane per direction. 

Hm. Let's talk more about that one. Are they taking out the median barrier finally or just converting lanes to shoulders? A three lane road with bike lanes might be nice here. I don't know what rush hour volumes look like here though. If directional hourly volumes ever exceed 1,000, I would be opposed.