Garden State Parkway

[jeffandnicole]

I would imagine it's wherever all that traffic is going. I know the Hilton (the one on Wood Ave) shuttle uses that exit for local destinations (in Woodbridge and Edison) to avoid the perpetually jammed Metropark area, but signing "Woodbridge" would be confusing because you are already in Woodbridge, and just had two Woodbridge exits behind you and one ahead of you. If most of the traffic is that local, I would use street names, local community names (Fords?), or landmarks (Woodbridge Center Mall). Certainly not Newark, though.

Blame the recent MUTCD/FHWA crackdown (excuse me, discouragement) on the use of regions, landmarks and so forth for primary guide sign control destinations (for the record, I do not agree with such *ahem* logic but nonetheless).  They either want actual cities or street names.  Granted, the construction of this ramp, along with the original signage predated, the latest MUTCD standards but nonetheless, such was the reason why the city listings weren't changed on the new signage. 

According to Google Maps, the street name for this stretch of US 1 is just called that... US 1.  If such is indeed correct & accurate, and since both NJTA & NJDOT typically don't just sign a ramp as just XX NORTH (on BGS'), an exit BGS reading 1 NORTH - US 1 would look pretty stupid let alone redundant.

Does it have to be the name of US 1 on the sign or can streets indirectly served by the exit be included as well? For example Woodbridge Center Drive is probably where a lot of the US 1 North traffic is going here. Can that be the destination?

According to the Straight Line Diagrams, US 1's street name is Herbert Highway between Lawrence Twp and Newark.

Let's see a show of hands if you knew this from memory...

[bzakharin]

I would imagine it's wherever all that traffic is going. I know the Hilton (the one on Wood Ave) shuttle uses that exit for local destinations (in Woodbridge and Edison) to avoid the perpetually jammed Metropark area, but signing "Woodbridge" would be confusing because you are already in Woodbridge, and just had two Woodbridge exits behind you and one ahead of you. If most of the traffic is that local, I would use street names, local community names (Fords?), or landmarks (Woodbridge Center Mall). Certainly not Newark, though.

Blame the recent MUTCD/FHWA crackdown (excuse me, discouragement) on the use of regions, landmarks and so forth for primary guide sign control destinations (for the record, I do not agree with such *ahem* logic but nonetheless).  They either want actual cities or street names.  Granted, the construction of this ramp, along with the original signage predated, the latest MUTCD standards but nonetheless, such was the reason why the city listings weren't changed on the new signage. 

According to Google Maps, the street name for this stretch of US 1 is just called that... US 1.  If such is indeed correct & accurate, and since both NJTA & NJDOT typically don't just sign a ramp as just XX NORTH (on BGS'), an exit BGS reading 1 NORTH - US 1 would look pretty stupid let alone redundant.

Does it have to be the name of US 1 on the sign or can streets indirectly served by the exit be included as well? For example Woodbridge Center Drive is probably where a lot of the US 1 North traffic is going here. Can that be the destination?

According to the Straight Line Diagrams, US 1's street name is Herbert Highway between Lawrence Twp and Newark.

Let's see a show of hands if you knew this from memory...

I don't think there is any widely known name for US 1 in NJ, at least south of the Pulasky Skyway. North of that you get signed local street names along US 1/9.

[storm2k]

I would imagine it's wherever all that traffic is going. I know the Hilton (the one on Wood Ave) shuttle uses that exit for local destinations (in Woodbridge and Edison) to avoid the perpetually jammed Metropark area, but signing "Woodbridge" would be confusing because you are already in Woodbridge, and just had two Woodbridge exits behind you and one ahead of you. If most of the traffic is that local, I would use street names, local community names (Fords?), or landmarks (Woodbridge Center Mall). Certainly not Newark, though.

Blame the recent MUTCD/FHWA crackdown (excuse me, discouragement) on the use of regions, landmarks and so forth for primary guide sign control destinations (for the record, I do not agree with such *ahem* logic but nonetheless).  They either want actual cities or street names.  Granted, the construction of this ramp, along with the original signage predated, the latest MUTCD standards but nonetheless, such was the reason why the city listings weren't changed on the new signage. 

According to Google Maps, the street name for this stretch of US 1 is just called that... US 1.  If such is indeed correct & accurate, and since both NJTA & NJDOT typically don't just sign a ramp as just XX NORTH (on BGS'), an exit BGS reading 1 NORTH - US 1 would look pretty stupid let alone redundant.

Does it have to be the name of US 1 on the sign or can streets indirectly served by the exit be included as well? For example Woodbridge Center Drive is probably where a lot of the US 1 North traffic is going here. Can that be the destination?

According to the Straight Line Diagrams, US 1's street name is Herbert Highway between Lawrence Twp and Newark.

Let's see a show of hands if you knew this from memory...

I've never heard it called anything other than Rt 1 or 1&9 south of the Skyway in my 35 years on this planet.

[NJRoadfan]

According to the Straight Line Diagrams, US 1's street name is Herbert Highway between Lawrence Twp and Newark.

Let's see a show of hands if you knew this from memory...

Even that isn't correct. Its Spring St. in Elizabeth and Edgar Rd. in Linden and maybe even Rahway. Both names are still used by the towns for various functions (property records, police dispatch, etc.). Old maps tend to have the original street name for divided highways on them, but NJDOT would rather it be referred to as the number.

[bzakharin]

According to the Straight Line Diagrams, US 1's street name is Herbert Highway between Lawrence Twp and Newark.

Let's see a show of hands if you knew this from memory...

Even that isn't correct. Its Spring St. in Elizabeth and Edgar Rd. in Linden and maybe even Rahway. Both names are still used by the towns for various functions (property records, police dispatch, etc.). Old maps tend to have the original street name for divided highways on them, but NJDOT would rather it be referred to as the number.

I wonder how widely this policy is applied. For a long time NJ 38 and NJ 70 had just numbers posted, and only printed maps would give them names, but when they started deploying large street blades on traffic lights, Caign Ave and Marlton Pike made an appearance everywhere.

[jeffandnicole]

According to the Straight Line Diagrams, US 1's street name is Herbert Highway between Lawrence Twp and Newark.

Let's see a show of hands if you knew this from memory...

Even that isn't correct. Its Spring St. in Elizabeth and Edgar Rd. in Linden and maybe even Rahway. Both names are still used by the towns for various functions (property records, police dispatch, etc.). Old maps tend to have the original street name for divided highways on them, but NJDOT would rather it be referred to as the number.

I wonder how widely this policy is applied. For a long time NJ 38 and NJ 70 had just numbers posted, and only printed maps would give them names, but when they started deploying large street blades on traffic lights, Caign Ave and Marlton Pike made an appearance everywhere.

Then there's John D Rockefeller for NJ 70, as seen on the NJ Turnpike.  https://goo.gl/maps/gXz48bGVH5J2

(I've yet to get a good picture driving under it due to its small size!)

[J Route Z]

Google Maps has US 1 listed as Brunswick Pike around Trenton/Princeton.

[roadman65]

According to the Straight Line Diagrams, US 1's street name is Herbert Highway between Lawrence Twp and Newark.

Let's see a show of hands if you knew this from memory...

Even that isn't correct. Its Spring St. in Elizabeth and Edgar Rd. in Linden and maybe even Rahway. Both names are still used by the towns for various functions (property records, police dispatch, etc.). Old maps tend to have the original street name for divided highways on them, but NJDOT would rather it be referred to as the number.

Only north of the Elizabeth River Viaduct and up to the Newark City Line is it Spring Street.  Its Carlton Street south of the viaduct into where Edgar Road merges in south of the Bayway Circle.

Another note is some maps show US 22 as Albert Street in Hilliside but local businesses use Route 22 as their mailing address.  Some older RN maps show US 1 & 9 south of US 22 into Elizabeth as Caranagie Avenue and even show US 46 in Totawa as Pellington Blvd.

Also to note that even though NJ 23 is the Hamburg Turnpike between the Hamburg Turnpike split in Kinnelon to Hamburg itself, my cousin who owned the now defunct Outdoorsman Sports Shop on Route 23 in Oak Ridge used Route 23 as his street names on his documents as West Milford did not recognize the road as that.  The same in Wayne as the part of NJ 23 that is Newark- Pompton Turnpike is not recognized by Wayne Township as such and used the route number as street name as well.

[roadman65]

I would also note that not all motorists on the Parkway SB approaching the Turnpike or U.S. 1 got on in Newark.  There are other intervening interchanges between Exit 144 and Exit 130 or 129.

That US 1 North exit ramp (signed for Newark) from the southbound Parkway is a relatively recent addition (compared to the surrounding Parkway ramps); that interchange, originally only allowed Parkway Southbound to US 1 Southbound (BGS originally had both New Brunswick & Trenton listed) and US 1 Northbound to Parkway Northbound movements.

Regardless, if you are on the Parkway South approaching US 1, you're not going to Newark via US 1. If you got on north of I-78, you'd take that. Otherwise, you probably want to take 78 anyway, so would want Parkway North. You might be going to Newark via the Turnpike if you got on between 132 and 130. If you're already on US 1 trying to get onto the Turnpike via the Parkway, you must have gotten on in the immediate vicinity because otherwise, you'd have use NJ 18, I-287, or I-278

The point I was trying to make was that there was enough traffic demand to justify adding the northbound US 1 exit ramp from the southbound Parkway and, hence, that ramp's a Johnny-Come-Lately.  The reasoning for using Newark for a northbound US 1 destination, despite other exits parkway southbound users have available for such, was likely due to Newark is the nearest major city along US 1 northbound from Parkway interchange.  What would you suggest for a nearby northbound US 1 destination at this location instead: Woodbridge, Linden?

I already suggested Woodbridge as its already on Exit 129 for US 9.  Have that moved back and BTW people do not consider Iselin to be Woodbridge despite it being part of it.  Its like Staten Island being part of NYC, but people tend to use the borough names for the outer boroughs and consider Manhattan to be NYC proper. 

All of Woodbridge's areas are generally thought of as independent towns for reference.  Its Colonia, Iselin, Fords, Keasbey, Woodlawn, Sewaren, and Port Reading.  When people think of Woodbridge they think of Downtown and its immediate areas which is all around the mall.

For the record, before 1980, Exit 130 had no control cities for US 1 there.  It was signed US 1 despite it being only SB at the time, as there was a sign on the ramp suggesting that US 1 NB use Ford Avenue to compensate for lack of ramp.  It was removed in 1980 when the Parkway got widened and all new overhead signs installed. 

However, Exit 140 is still listed for both directions of US 22 despite it being for US 22 E Bound only and Exit 157 is listed for US 46 with no cardinal directions as the SB ramp there is exclusively for US 46 Westbound.  Both cases do not have follow up signs either to tell you to use U turn ramps as you would need to reverse yourself to the other direction.

[NJRoadfan]

The signs at Exit 156 and 157 are close to being replaced. Hopefully they acknowledge NJ-21 15 years after it was completed.

[bzakharin]

I already suggested Woodbridge as its already on Exit 129 for US 9.  Have that moved back and BTW people do not consider Iselin to be Woodbridge despite it being part of it.  Its like Staten Island being part of NYC, but people tend to use the borough names for the outer boroughs and consider Manhattan to be NYC proper. 

I'm not sure I understand. Are you advocating for changing the destination for Exit 129? Have both Exit 130 and 129 be signed for Woodbridge? Combining the two exits somehow? Combining the signage for the two exits somehow?

All of Woodbridge's areas are generally thought of as independent towns for reference.  Its Colonia, Iselin, Fords, Keasbey, Woodlawn, Sewaren, and Port Reading.  When people think of Woodbridge they think of Downtown and its immediate areas which is all around the mall.

I don't know how much of this is "thought" and how much the post office telling you where you live. And you forgot Avenel and Metuchen (Part of Woodbridge is under Metuchen's USPS jurisdiction). Also, I assume you mean Hopelawn, not Woodlawn.

[roadman65]

Yes Hopelawn.  Its been 26 years since I left Fords.  As far as Avenel, yes shoot me because I forgot that one.  And only the post office considers one part of Woodbridge as Metuchen.  My cousin lives there two blocks from US 1 so I know that one.

If you read my first post, you would see I suggested replacing Woodbridge on the Exit 129 guide with Staten Island and just using Exit 130 for that part of Woodbridge.

[Alps]

The signs at Exit 156 and 157 are close to being replaced. Hopefully they acknowledge NJ-21 15 years after it was completed.

I doubt they would post anything northbound (156), since 21 only heads south and there's no convenient connection. Southbound at 157 there's a chance of posting 46 to 21 (or to 20/21), but now you're talking about a free alternative to the Parkway so they still might not.

[roadman65]

I like the new signs at Exit 105 along NJ 36.  It now features Toms River and Woodbridge.  In addition the new Parkway signs along NJ 70 now feature both of those at the new ramps for both directions of travel.

[J Route Z]

I like the new signs at Exit 105 along NJ 36.  It now features Toms River and Woodbridge.  In addition the new Parkway signs along NJ 70 now feature both of those at the new ramps for both directions of travel.

Those signs are awesome.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.2871151,-74.0787173,3a,16.7y,241.78h,91.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZ4emzNEbG9GV0z25rh_jig!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[jeffandnicole]

I like the new signs at Exit 105 along NJ 36.  It now features Toms River and Woodbridge.  In addition the new Parkway signs along NJ 70 now feature both of those at the new ramps for both directions of travel.

Those signs are awesome.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.2871151,-74.0787173,3a,16.7y,241.78h,91.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZ4emzNEbG9GV0z25rh_jig!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Should've used a black on white 'No Trucks' banner, but otherwise not bad.

[akotchi]

I am surprised that the ALL TRUCKS banner was not carried on the sign to southbound.

[bzakharin]

I am surprised that the ALL TRUCKS banner was not carried on the sign to southbound.

That would be redundant. Are there "All Trucks" signs at every place where "No Trucks" is posted (I don't mean just on the GSP, I mean nationwide)?

Also, why is there a "Parkway Entrance" sign in the background for the Southbound direction only?

[akotchi]

At either end of the Pulaski Skyway there are examples.  I do not know if this is a New Jersey practice or nationwide.

This location also happens to be the dividing line for trucks -- all trucks south, no trucks north -- so the extra treatment might be reasonable here.  It was at one time.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7082032,-74.1716113,3a,75y,81.43h,90.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sG3leOzeV__t3PEBj2N6RUA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7393407,-74.0641125,3a,60y,276.51h,92.64t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1szLs-_OrH3OvINFLoTEn3MA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

(Please let me know if these come in properly . . . I am not the most adept at inserting images or url's on this board.)

[jeffandnicole]

I am surprised that the ALL TRUCKS banner was not carried on the sign to southbound.

That would be redundant. Are there "All Trucks" signs at every place where "No Trucks" is posted (I don't mean just on the GSP, I mean nationwide)?

Here's coming off the NJ Turnpike Interchange 11, approaching the GSP North & Rt. 1, 9 & 440 ramps: https://goo.gl/maps/j3AeXpyZRez

Also, why is there a "Parkway Entrance" sign in the background for the Southbound direction only?

Here's the old view approaching that split:  https://goo.gl/maps/wm4QbjawQDs  (You can see the old sign had 'All Trucks', so maybe it's something they're doing away with).

Previously, the GSP South ramp was more like an exit than a lane split.  I'm thinking that ground-mounted sign remains there today only because it's historically been there. 

[roadman65]

I am surprised that the ALL TRUCKS banner was not carried on the sign to southbound.

That would be redundant. Are there "All Trucks" signs at every place where "No Trucks" is posted (I don't mean just on the GSP, I mean nationwide)?

Also, why is there a "Parkway Entrance" sign in the background for the Southbound direction only?

Actually at the split in Woodbridge on the US 9 to NJT and Parkway North Connector the old dark button copy overheads had both a NO TRUCKS and ALL TRUCKS there for both respected toll roads.

The yellow TOLL banner is nice, however the question is how effective is that going to be to drivers as people here in Florida ignore the hell out of them and of course show up at the toll booth claiming they have no money and being the GPS is guiding them they had no idea it was a toll road.

I will bet that the ramp toll at 105 gets people who ignore that large PARKWAY ENTRANCE sign just after Hope Road, and claim they have no money because they were unaware of where they were at.  If we get the crackpots here I am sure some will end up there especially being NJ 36 starts out a free arterial and defaults into the Parkway interchange.

[jeffandnicole]

I am surprised that the ALL TRUCKS banner was not carried on the sign to southbound.

That would be redundant. Are there "All Trucks" signs at every place where "No Trucks" is posted (I don't mean just on the GSP, I mean nationwide)?

Also, why is there a "Parkway Entrance" sign in the background for the Southbound direction only?

Actually at the split in Woodbridge on the US 9 to NJT and Parkway North Connector the old dark button copy overheads had both a NO TRUCKS and ALL TRUCKS there for both respected toll roads.

The yellow TOLL banner is nice, however the question is how effective is that going to be to drivers as people here in Florida ignore the hell out of them and of course show up at the toll booth claiming they have no money and being the GPS is guiding them they had no idea it was a toll road.

I will bet that the ramp toll at 105 gets people who ignore that large PARKWAY ENTRANCE sign just after Hope Road, and claim they have no money because they were unaware of where they were at.  If we get the crackpots here I am sure some will end up there especially being NJ 36 starts out a free arterial and defaults into the Parkway interchange.

The conditions you describe have been in existence for 60 years. 

[roadman65]

If you are referring to people being unaware of a toll situation yes.  If you are talking about the yellow TOLL, yes NJ had them for as long as I can remember, and I always liked it as other states would just write TOLL ROAD in white on the green sign which is not that effective.

Those dark signs were there when Exit 11 became the connection to the Parkway as Exit 11 was originally an interchange with US 9.  It was circa 1971 when the change took place so those dark button copy signs came into place there and were NJT signs and not GSP or NJDOT.

[storm2k]

interesting observation i've seen. as the mutcd sign replacements have been going on, some gsp-unique secondary signs are being replaced. the most obvious ones are the speed limit signs with the thick numbers and the "conditions permitting" banner (you know, this) with more standard speed limit signs with normal width number font and no banner. also, the classic "keep right | pass left" signs are being replaced with standard "keep right except to pass" signs.

[jeffandnicole]

interesting observation i've seen. as the mutcd sign replacements have been going on, some gsp-unique secondary signs are being replaced. the most obvious ones are the speed limit signs with the thick numbers and the "conditions permitting" banner (you know, this) with more standard speed limit signs with normal width number font and no banner. also, the classic "keep right | pass left" signs are being replaced with standard "keep right except to pass" signs.

I'm a little surprised the NJTA didn't upgrade the GSP to Variable Speed Limit Signs, as they have added and replaced all (or nearly all) of their variable message signs.  Even though the two toll roads have been under one authority for well over a decade now, they have curiously kept the historic features of each roadway, with minor exceptions such as the speed limit signs you mentioned.