New Jersey

[bzakharin]

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.

I can't answer the question about signage, but Fords is an unincorporated entity in Woodbridge. The recent trends in NJ are away from signing those, so I wouldn't expect it (although Iselin was recently added GSP signage at exit 132, so you never know). At least Solebury is incorporated.

[famartin]

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.

With the exception of along I-195 and US 206, you are correct. New York and Camden are signed there instead of "NJ Turnpike".
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.1956442,-74.6061952,3a,75y,290.93h,88.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_67HQxUAZEGP6wVw1kw3qw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.1988752,-74.6191547,3a,75y,110.72h,89.71t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUoGB3HCdh6bObdSVtRJlhw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.1179995,-74.7063688,3a,75y,355.7h,91.2t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZuomsf-sEunLRzJHSV1a1A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[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.

I can't answer the question about signage, but Fords is an unincorporated entity in Woodbridge. The recent trends in NJ are away from signing those, so I wouldn't expect it (although Iselin was recently added GSP signage at exit 132, so you never know). At least Solebury is incorporated.

Crows Mill Road NB is always been signed Fords and so is Keasbey for the first NB Smith Street. Also both unincorporated parts of Woodbridge Township, yet signed always.  Ditto for Sewaren off the State Street Ramp.


Also New Hope is incorporated in Bucks County, PA.  It really should be the control city after Lambertville or go for Doylestown at least. However, NJDOT don't like PA points from signing experiences and that only Easton and Stroudsburg and recently Philadelphia added since I-95 is now complete.

Chester is much larger city than Bridgeport , but the latter gets used on US 322 over the former.  Even Exit 11 signage on I-295 in Gloucester County would rather use Commodore Barry Bridge than sign Chester. Only the Turnpike used Chester for Exit 2 up until the NJTA decided to finally acknowledge Glassboro as a point of interest giving both east and west US 322 a control city each instead of only WB.

[roadman65]

I have to admit seeing the new Flemington Circle reconstruction completed is only a half ass job as still SB US 202 has to circumvent the circle.  The only thing that project improves is that NB US 202 traffic bypasses the circle completely.

[artmalk]

I have to admit seeing the new Flemington Circle reconstruction completed is only a half ass job as still SB US 202 has to circumvent the circle.  The only thing that project improves is that NB US 202 traffic bypasses the circle completely.

I have to agree.  Even before. it was not so bad to continue north on 202, but trying to navigate the circle to stay on 202 south, or do anything else, is a chaotic nightmare.  Please, NJDOT, fix this mess!

[storm2k]

I have to admit seeing the new Flemington Circle reconstruction completed is only a half ass job as still SB US 202 has to circumvent the circle.  The only thing that project improves is that NB US 202 traffic bypasses the circle completely.

This was the best that we were going to get without a huge amount of landtaking and probably a decade or more's worth of court battles over eminent domain and the like (reference the numerous court battles that have occurred in Flemington about the redevelopment of their Main Street, and also the ones that will likely follow for the redevelopment of Liberty Village). They made the improvements they could do in the land that they had. This is why I also think there haven't been further improvements to the Somerville circle which I feel like needs to be completely demolished and reconfigured way more than Flemington does.

[NJRoadfan]

NJDOT had grand plans to bypass the whole mess in Flemington and Raritan Township to the east. It of course died quickly.

[roadman65]

NJDOT had grand plans to bypass the whole mess in Flemington and Raritan Township to the east. It of course died quickly.

Not to mention the bypass of NJ 31 that was created because the business owners along NJ 31 in Flemington didn't want Route 31 widened in front of their stores.    |

NJ 31 is also on the state's list of widening as from Flemington to Washington the road does need complete four lane status.  It took a big fight to get it done in Clinton Township which is most of what is four lanes now. 

[interstate73]

Has anyone else noticed that the temporary paper license plates look different recently? They used to have a font similar to the regular plates but lately I've been seeing them printed with a much narrower serif font. Anyone know what's up with that? Is it just a dealer thing?

[NJRoadfan]

See: https://www.state.nj.us/mvc/pdf/about/Law_Enforcement_Advisory_1121.pdf

[jeffandnicole]

Has anyone else noticed that the temporary paper license plates look different recently? They used to have a font similar to the regular plates but lately I've been seeing them printed with a much narrower serif font. Anyone know what's up with that? Is it just a dealer thing?

See: https://www.state.nj.us/mvc/pdf/about/Law_Enforcement_Advisory_1121.pdf

It does seem odd they went with a thinner font, which us harder to read.

[storm2k]

Has anyone else noticed that the temporary paper license plates look different recently? They used to have a font similar to the regular plates but lately I've been seeing them printed with a much narrower serif font. Anyone know what's up with that? Is it just a dealer thing?

See: https://www.state.nj.us/mvc/pdf/about/Law_Enforcement_Advisory_1121.pdf

It does seem odd they went with a thinner font, which us harder to read.

It seems the focus is more on making the expiry more obvious, which makes sense. The old expiry text was very small and easily missed. Plus, upgrading from a 1D to 2D barcode lets them encode more data into it which is also useful.

[jeffandnicole]

Has anyone else noticed that the temporary paper license plates look different recently? They used to have a font similar to the regular plates but lately I've been seeing them printed with a much narrower serif font. Anyone know what's up with that? Is it just a dealer thing?

See: https://www.state.nj.us/mvc/pdf/about/Law_Enforcement_Advisory_1121.pdf

It does seem odd they went with a thinner font, which us harder to read.

It seems the focus is more on making the expiry more obvious, which makes sense. The old expiry text was very small and easily missed. Plus, upgrading from a 1D to 2D barcode lets them encode more data into it which is also useful.

I would think they could've kept a bolded font while making the expiration date larger.

When are the scan codes used anyway? Regular license plates now feature a very small 1D barcode, but I've never heard them used, or why they exist.

[roadman65]

I was wondering about the new alignment for NJ 7 on the Wittpenn Bridge?  Google maps show an exit ramp to St Paul's Avenue. Yet move the peg man to it, and your back in 2007 on the old Truck US 1 & 9.

I assume now that there is a ramp leading to St Paul's Avenue from Route 7 and Google never got the caption yet, or mislabeled the blue line.

[famartin]

I was wondering about the new alignment for NJ 7 on the Wittpenn Bridge?  Google maps show an exit ramp to St Paul's Avenue. Yet move the peg man to it, and your back in 2007 on the old Truck US 1 & 9.

I assume now that there is a ramp leading to St Paul's Avenue from Route 7 and Google never got the caption yet, or mislabeled the blue line.

Yes there is exit ramp to St Paul's Avenue.

[Alps]

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.

I know I'm way late to this party, but I was a little far from home at the time. There are simply way too many routes signed on these overheads.

From left to right:
* Get rid of the bottom panel on the left sign. Not needed here yet.
* Get rid of the top panel on the center sign. 184 can be done with a supplemental ground-mounted assembly.
* Get rid of the left panel on the right sign. U-turn can be done with a supplemental ground-mounted assembly.

The problem boils down to NJ trying to put all the information in one place instead of spacing it out.

[NJRoadfan]

The old sign directly after it conveys the same information with far less text. I don't understand why they are scrunching these signs up in the middle of the gantry. They have room to spread them out!

[storm2k]

The problem boils down to NJ trying to put all the information in one place instead of spacing it out.

This never used to be a major issue on most signs from NJDOT. Seems to really have sprung up in the past 4-5 years or so as they've started doing big replacement projects. Seems like whatever engineer is doing the specs or signing off on them seems to think every route that the route you're on touches needs to be on that new sign. It's so much overload I don't know how a driver takes that all in within the couple of seconds you have to comprehend the sign at highway speeds.

[jeffandnicole]

The problem boils down to NJ trying to put all the information in one place instead of spacing it out.

This never used to be a major issue on most signs from NJDOT. Seems to really have sprung up in the past 4-5 years or so as they've started doing big replacement projects. Seems like whatever engineer is doing the specs or signing off on them seems to think every route that the route you're on touches needs to be on that new sign. It's so much overload I don't know how a driver takes that all in within the couple of seconds you have to comprehend the sign at highway speeds.

They're just amuzing themselves listing to GPS systems giving directions to see if people react fast enough...

"In 1,000 feet, take the South 440 to North 287 South 9 South Garden State Parkway 95 New Jersey Tu...Recalculating"

[roadman65]

It is bad the way they did that for sure. The first exit should be Amboy Ave/ NJ 35 North. I agree with Alps on that the U Turn Info should be on a ground mount separately.

The second exit should be NJ 35 South  and NJ 184 West with TO GSP N Bound as a control city.  The pull through should read NJ 440 South to GSP South and maybe Somerville or Morristown as a control city.

This is the worst signing I have ever seen.

I also loathe NJDOT reassigning the directions back in the late eighties from E-W to N-S as well. It worked better as an E-W Route signed. There was no confusion as far as I saw.

[storm2k]

It is bad the way they did that for sure. The first exit should be Amboy Ave/ NJ 35 North. I agree with Alps on that the U Turn Info should be on a ground mount separately.

The second exit should be NJ 35 South  and NJ 184 West with TO GSP N Bound as a control city.  The pull through should read NJ 440 South to GSP South and maybe Somerville or Morristown as a control city.

This is the worst signing I have ever seen.

I also loathe NJDOT reassigning the directions back in the late eighties from E-W to N-S as well. It worked better as an E-W Route signed. There was no confusion as far as I saw.

Yeah, that change was never great because you have a south to north and north to south direction change between 287 and 440. You can have a route change directions fine. I get that it was to stay contiguous with the New York and northern New Jersey segments, but that's still jarring.

[famartin]

It is bad the way they did that for sure. The first exit should be Amboy Ave/ NJ 35 North. I agree with Alps on that the U Turn Info should be on a ground mount separately.

The second exit should be NJ 35 South  and NJ 184 West with TO GSP N Bound as a control city.  The pull through should read NJ 440 South to GSP South and maybe Somerville or Morristown as a control city.

This is the worst signing I have ever seen.

I also loathe NJDOT reassigning the directions back in the late eighties from E-W to N-S as well. It worked better as an E-W Route signed. There was no confusion as far as I saw.

Yeah, that change was never great because you have a south to north and north to south direction change between 287 and 440. You can have a route change directions fine. I get that it was to stay contiguous with the New York and northern New Jersey segments, but that's still jarring.

NJDOT is generally loathe to sign any route with more than one direction. 36 and 7 are the only ones I can think of. They should've done that with 295, but alas...

[storm2k]

It is bad the way they did that for sure. The first exit should be Amboy Ave/ NJ 35 North. I agree with Alps on that the U Turn Info should be on a ground mount separately.

The second exit should be NJ 35 South  and NJ 184 West with TO GSP N Bound as a control city.  The pull through should read NJ 440 South to GSP South and maybe Somerville or Morristown as a control city.

This is the worst signing I have ever seen.

I also loathe NJDOT reassigning the directions back in the late eighties from E-W to N-S as well. It worked better as an E-W Route signed. There was no confusion as far as I saw.

Yeah, that change was never great because you have a south to north and north to south direction change between 287 and 440. You can have a route change directions fine. I get that it was to stay contiguous with the New York and northern New Jersey segments, but that's still jarring.

NJDOT is generally loathe to sign any route with more than one direction. 36 and 7 are the only ones I can think of. They should've done that with 295, but alas...

I'm fine with 295 continuing its direction that it's followed for the first 67 miles. It's better than the North to South/South to North transition that used to happen when it just became 95 after the Rt 1 exit.

[famartin]

It is bad the way they did that for sure. The first exit should be Amboy Ave/ NJ 35 North. I agree with Alps on that the U Turn Info should be on a ground mount separately.

The second exit should be NJ 35 South  and NJ 184 West with TO GSP N Bound as a control city.  The pull through should read NJ 440 South to GSP South and maybe Somerville or Morristown as a control city.

This is the worst signing I have ever seen.

I also loathe NJDOT reassigning the directions back in the late eighties from E-W to N-S as well. It worked better as an E-W Route signed. There was no confusion as far as I saw.

Yeah, that change was never great because you have a south to north and north to south direction change between 287 and 440. You can have a route change directions fine. I get that it was to stay contiguous with the New York and northern New Jersey segments, but that's still jarring.

NJDOT is generally loathe to sign any route with more than one direction. 36 and 7 are the only ones I can think of. They should've done that with 295, but alas...

I'm fine with 295 continuing its direction that it's followed for the first 67 miles. It's better than the North to South/South to North transition that used to happen when it just became 95 after the Rt 1 exit.

That's a NJ centric viewpoint. Its really what happens right after it leaves NJ that is a problem... signing a highway which is entirely north-south as east west, just to avoid the situation that existed before (which at least had the advantage of changing route numbers).

[jeffandnicole]

It is bad the way they did that for sure. The first exit should be Amboy Ave/ NJ 35 North. I agree with Alps on that the U Turn Info should be on a ground mount separately.

The second exit should be NJ 35 South  and NJ 184 West with TO GSP N Bound as a control city.  The pull through should read NJ 440 South to GSP South and maybe Somerville or Morristown as a control city.

This is the worst signing I have ever seen.

I also loathe NJDOT reassigning the directions back in the late eighties from E-W to N-S as well. It worked better as an E-W Route signed. There was no confusion as far as I saw.

Yeah, that change was never great because you have a south to north and north to south direction change between 287 and 440. You can have a route change directions fine. I get that it was to stay contiguous with the New York and northern New Jersey segments, but that's still jarring.

NJDOT is generally loathe to sign any route with more than one direction. 36 and 7 are the only ones I can think of. They should've done that with 295, but alas...

I'm fine with 295 continuing its direction that it's followed for the first 67 miles. It's better than the North to South/South to North transition that used to happen when it just became 95 after the Rt 1 exit.

That's a NJ centric viewpoint. Its really what happens right after it leaves NJ that is a problem... signing a highway which is entirely north-south as east west, just to avoid the situation that existed before (which at least had the advantage of changing route numbers).

There was really no one great option to resign 95. I still personally think it would been better just to do away with an x95 and giving it an x76, which would work as it connects to I-276... when PTC finally get around to completing the interchange that is.