New Jersey

[Flyer78]

That continued exit number has always bothered me, and the time to change it (easily) would have been when PA renumbered exits.

[PHLBOS]

That continued exit number has always bothered me, and the time to change it (easily) would have been when PA renumbered exits.

Prior to that point, the previous eastbound exit number was 48; a continuation of the sequential I-76 exits in PA.

Side bar: The exit tabs for that ramp have only been in existence since the mid-1990s.  It was unnumbered prior to that time.

[Zeffy]

In an effort to promote safer pedestrian measures, the Somerset County Dept. of Public Works are unveiling 12 new Driver Feedback Signs in Somerville, Raritan, and Bridgewater. The locations are as follows:

Somerville
- West High Street east bound and west bound, in the vicinity of Somerville Middle School
- North Davenport Street north bound and south bound, in the vicinity of Somerville High School

Raritan (Borough)
- Bell Avenue west bound, east of Southwick
- Sherman Avenue west bound, east of Southwick
- Anderson Street north bound, in the vicinity of St. Anne's School
- Woodmere Street north bound, north of Helene Place

Bridgewater
- Country Club Road north bound, between Gregory Avenue and Alletra Avenue (on hold — road construction)
- Milltown Road south bound, between Bujak Court and Shields Lane (to be installed with Country Club)
- Walters Brook Drive north bound, between Huntley Way and Langon Hollow Road
- Vanderveer Road west bound, between Bertran Drive and Colmart Way

There are already DFS signs placed on Grove Street in Somerville, although it doesn't really stop the speeders because AFAIK there are no cameras embedded in the signs. I would think a slightly larger police presence would curb the speeding in the residential zones. And FWIW, a DFS sign is basically a "YOUR SPEED" sign with an electronic speedometer below the text.

Full article is here, but the article basically restates what I said here.

[Roadrunner75]

I think the DFS signs do work to some extent, by really drawing your attention to your speed or just the fear that a patrol car is lurking nearby watching (more likely with the portable installations).  There are probably many people who think they have a speed camera on them as well, even if they should know better here in NJ.  I like that I get a free calibration check of my speedometer as well.

[roadman65]

Does anyone know the reason why in Monmouth County, NJ why the NJ 36 unofficial scenic drive from Highlands to Atlantic Highlands was realigned around the area of the Eastpointe tower? 

I heard rumors that the road running along the cliff in front of the condominium high rise was in danger of falling down below due to the added weight of the tall structure.  Along the same rumor, that eventually Eastpointe would have to be condemned as it was next to fall off the cliff.  This was back in 1985 and now its almost 30 years later and the building is still there and not vacated or removed, so that rumor then was obviously false, or is part of it true? I mean that high rise could have compromised the integrity of the cliff in front of it enough for the road to be in jeopardy, but not so that the building is in danger.

Anyway for those of you who know the area, just north of NJ 36 the road that is called Scenic Road takes a turn to the north after its intersection with NJ 36.  The road ahead becomes a dead end to the Eastpointe Tower.  Back in the 70's the dead end was Scenic Road ( Ocean Boulevard) that went around the condo and had a hairpin turn and then went between the building and the cliff and ended up in what is now the parking lot for the overlook of Sandy Hook Bay and NYC to then join its current alignment.    Google images from satellite show how the road once looped around the condo structure as you can clearly see the path once used by it clearly to this day. 

[SteveG1988]

Old news:

http://mtlaurelsun.com/2013/03/29/county-freeholders-approved-road-surfacing-program-plan/

Burlington County redoing 17 miles of road. They received money from the state highway transportation fund for the projects. Major construction is on CR541 between Mt Holly and I-295, which includes NJTP Exit 5.

[Roadrunner75]

Does anyone know the reason why in Monmouth County, NJ why the NJ 36 unofficial scenic drive from Highlands to Atlantic Highlands was realigned around the area of the Eastpointe tower? 

I miss the Hofbrauhaus right up the street past the overlook - at least for its parking lot for where you could get a really good view of the Raritan Bay and beyond.  Now there's some fancy new homes and no place to stop. 

[roadman65]

You mean the overlook is now gone too?

[Roadrunner75]

You mean the overlook is now gone too?

Here is the spot I was referring to, across from the old Hofbruahaus:
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.410923,-74.010848&spn=0.000016,0.010943&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=40.410922,-74.012882&panoid=RH_uzI5iDwl_lgWG6G9qUQ&cbp=12,25.68,,0,7.77
Mount Mitchill Overlook Park up the street is still there, but it seemed like every time I would be in the area it was already closed for the day.  The Hofbrauhaus spot was the overlook I used to stop at. 

[roadman65]

You know from what you tell me, this road is not much of a scenic road alternate anymore.  If you want to stop at Mount Mitchell you can exit NJ 36 at the Eastpointe intersection and quickly return to it.

Also, now you mention Mount Mitchell overlook, I seem to remember it now.  The sign at the overlook states that its the highest point directly on the Atlantic Ocean as the other Mount Mitchell in NC is the highest point east of the Mississippi River.  However, is not Mount Cadillac in Maine higher in elevation than this one spot in Monmouth County?  Also Mt. Cadillac is also very close to the Atlantic as well as technically being on an island off the Maine Coast in that you can not rule that one place out either.

[Pete from Boston]

You know from what you tell me, this road is not much of a scenic road alternate anymore.  If you want to stop at Mount Mitchell you can exit NJ 36 at the Eastpointe intersection and quickly return to it.

Also, now you mention Mount Mitchell overlook, I seem to remember it now.  The sign at the overlook states that its the highest point directly on the Atlantic Ocean as the other Mount Mitchell in NC is the highest point east of the Mississippi River.  However, is not Mount Cadillac in Maine higher in elevation than this one spot in Monmouth County?  Also Mt. Cadillac is also very close to the Atlantic as well as technically being on an island off the Maine Coast in that you can not rule that one place out either.

Sounds like the semantic difference is "overlook drops more or less straight down to the ocean" vs. "overlook slopes up (and thus back) from the ocean."  Local promoters can make anyplace sound superlative if they try.

[roadman65]

Just like Baseball.  They count achievements from every little thing a player does from most pitches, to most hits, and to most runs.  You can pitch a No Hitter and lose the game just by giving up walks or if a fellow fielders screws up and creates an error it does not count toward the pitcher giving up a hit.

I thought maybe that it is the fact that you can argue that Cadillac Mountain in Maine is not on the continent proper as it is on Mount Desert Island while Mount Mitchell, NJ is located on the US mainland.   Yet I heard another story that there is another mountain in Maine that you actually see the sun first in the whole US before any other place in all 50 which if that story is true, then there is another mountain that has to be taller somewhere else in that particular state as well.

Edit: I just researched the subject and fount that Mt. Katahdin, ME is the highest point in ME. I do not know if that was the place talked about as this conversation was long before the forum existed.  Living in Orlando I get to talk to tourists from all over, so I heard the scoop then.  If that was the place it could be far inland out of the immediate coastline, but higher enough over Mt. Cadillac that the sun shines there first still even though further west.

Edit:  I checked it out and actually the location of Mt. Katahdin, ME is north of Mt. Cadillac, ME as the ME coast runs SW to NE.  So that may be the truth to the story told to me by visitors of Maine to Orlando many years ago.  Mt. Katahdin is located in the Northern Maine Wilderness and is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. 

[signalman]

Just like Baseball.  They count achievements from every little thing a player does from most pitches, to most hits, and to most runs.  You can pitch a No Hitter and lose the game just by giving up walks or if a fellow fielders screws up and creates an error it does not count toward the pitcher giving up a hit.

I thought maybe that it is the fact that you can argue that Cadillac Mountain in Maine is not on the continent proper as it is on Mount Desert Island while Mount Mitchell, NJ is located on the US mainland.   Yet I heard another story that there is another mountain in Maine that you actually see the sun first in the whole US before any other place in all 50 which if that story is true, then there is another mountain that has to be taller somewhere else in that particular state as well.

Edit: I just researched the subject and fount that Mt. Katahdin, ME is the highest point in ME. I do not know if that was the place talked about as this conversation was long before the forum existed.  Living in Orlando I get to talk to tourists from all over, so I heard the scoop then.  If that was the place it could be far inland out of the immediate coastline, but higher enough over Mt. Cadillac that the sun shines there first still even though further west.

Edit:  I checked it out and actually the location of Mt. Katahdin, ME is north of Mt. Cadillac, ME as the ME coast runs SW to NE.  So that may be the truth to the story told to me by visitors of Maine to Orlando many years ago.  Mt. Katahdin is located in the Northern Maine Wilderness and is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. 

It is true that one can see the sunrise on the summit of Mt. Katahdin before anywhere else in the country.  Katahdin stands alone in the nortern Maine wilderness and on a clear day it can be seen from a few viewpoints off I-95 which is many miles away from the mountain.  I have plans to visit Baxter State Park (where Katahdin is located) and hopefully climb Katahdin one day.  Extreme cold and wind and generally horrible conditions can pop up at any time on its summit.  It's so tall it creates its own weather and the summit can get snow year round.  Nearly half the mountain is above tree line.

I am a hiker as well as a roadgeek.  I have logged many miles on the Appalachian Trail and have completed it in NJ, NY, CT, and almost all of PA.  I have intentions of completing the trail one day, one section at a time.  I don't have the time to invest thru hiking it in one season.  A trek from Georgia to Maine can take 4-6 months depending on the mileage one covers in a day.

[Zeffy]

So I was driving on US 1 North through Trenton today, and I noticed they must've done some sign work, because a lot of the signs with left exits now have a LEFT tab on the left corner of the sign. I couldn't grab pictures, so I made a few mockups:





Button copy retained because it was present on the originals. Also, why did they choose to sign New York here, when New Brunswick is the control city for US 1 North in this area on almost every other highway?

[_Simon]

Any idea what's going on at exit 9 of the turnpike on NJ-18?  It looks like they're about to kill the at grade intersection with Naricon Pl and force tower center traffic to u turn somewhere "1 1/2 miles ahead" (rest of sign was bagged)..

[Zeffy]

Any idea what's going on at exit 9 of the turnpike on NJ-18?  It looks like they're about to kill the at grade intersection with Naricon Pl and force tower center traffic to u turn somewhere "1 1/2 miles ahead" (rest of sign was bagged)..

I noticed this as well today, right after the exit for US 1 there's a bunch of signs that are covered on an overhead gantry. No idea what's going on either, but it looks like maybe a lane widening or something of that nature.

[Roadrunner75]

Any idea what's going on at exit 9 of the turnpike on NJ-18?  It looks like they're about to kill the at grade intersection with Naricon Pl and force tower center traffic to u turn somewhere "1 1/2 miles ahead" (rest of sign was bagged)..

I noticed this as well today, right after the exit for US 1 there's a bunch of signs that are covered on an overhead gantry. No idea what's going on either, but it looks like maybe a lane widening or something of that nature.

See these articles here:
http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2014/08/state_to_widen_rouytew_18_north_in_new_brunswick_and_replace_bridge_over_route_1.html
http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2014/08/construction_of_new_route_18_bridges_over_rt_1_begins_lane_closures_expected.html#incart_related_stories

[Zeffy]

See these articles here:
http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2014/08/state_to_widen_rouytew_18_north_in_new_brunswick_and_replace_bridge_over_route_1.html
http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2014/08/construction_of_new_route_18_bridges_over_rt_1_begins_lane_closures_expected.html#incart_related_stories

Must've missed those when I was browsing NJ.com around that time. (Although I tend to only look at Mercer and Somerset Counties) Thanks for the links!

[jeffandnicole]

So I was driving on US 1 North through Trenton today, and I noticed they must've done some sign work, because a lot of the signs with left exits now have a LEFT tab on the left corner of the sign. I couldn't grab pictures, so I made a few mockups:





Button copy retained because it was present on the originals. Also, why did they choose to sign New York here, when New Brunswick is the control city for US 1 North in this area on almost every other highway?

I'm pretty sure I posted a few photos of the actual signs on here several months ago, but hell if I know where I posted them. Maybe I just took the pics and never posted them.

[Zeffy]

I'm pretty sure I posted a few photos of the actual signs on here several months ago, but hell if I know where I posted them. Maybe I just took the pics and never posted them.

You could always post them again.    I don't recall seeing you posting pictures relating to this though, but then again I don't remember what I ate for dinner past a week though...

[jeffandnicole]

I'm pretty sure I posted a few photos of the actual signs on here several months ago, but hell if I know where I posted them. Maybe I just took the pics and never posted them.

You could always post them again.    I don't recall seeing you posting pictures relating to this though, but then again I don't remember what I ate for dinner past a week though...

I only remember what I ate for dinner last night because the leftovers are still in the fridge!!!

[NJRoadfan]

Any idea what's going on at exit 9 of the turnpike on NJ-18?  It looks like they're about to kill the at grade intersection with Naricon Pl and force tower center traffic to u turn somewhere "1 1/2 miles ahead" (rest of sign was bagged)..

http://www.state.nj.us/turnpike/documents/INT9-Public-Hearing.pdf

[roadman65]

I see NJ is finally improving the I-280 and NJ 21 substandard interchange after many years of heartache.
http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/works/rte280rte21interchange/pdf/projectplan.pdf
Now all movements will be made between the two routes which right now is missing three of the needed movements.  However the down side is the State Street ramp that currently exists is going to be removed so WB traffic to Broad Street will not be allowed unless I am misreading the plan.

Work is scheduled for next Summer to begin this massive overhaul.

[Alps]

I see NJ is finally improving the I-280 and NJ 21 substandard interchange after many years of heartache.
http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/works/rte280rte21interchange/pdf/projectplan.pdf
Now all movements will be made between the two routes which right now is missing three of the needed movements.  However the down side is the State Street ramp that currently exists is going to be removed so WB traffic to Broad Street will not be allowed unless I am misreading the plan.

Work is scheduled for next Summer to begin this massive overhaul.

WB traffic will not get to Broad St. It's a low-volume movement, and with improvements to Route 21 that have already happened, it's the corridor NJ and Newark would rather you use.
One change since the preliminary design - now it looks like EB exit 14 to MLK Ave. is also coming out. While that's great news for merging onto the freeway from Exit 13, the NJ 21 exit had better be able to handle that much more traffic than it does now. Given that traffic now backs up due to the light to the south on 21 during rush hour, it will still back up, and now there's no relief valve at MLK. That's going to push people back to Exit 13, since Exit 16 also overcrowds when 15 backs up. But now you won't be able to judge in advance, because you can't see 15 from 13, whereas you can see 15 from 14.
Got that? In short, eliminating that one exit makes the lives of queue-dodgers much harder.

[roadman65]

Why are you telling me any of this???  I am not complaining about the sacrificed ramp.  I just stated that its a downside to the whole thing for whomever uses that exit ramp.  We have had that same situation here in Orlando.  The EB I-4 Anderson Street exit was eliminated for a new ramp to South Street.  The Gore Street exit was eliminated permanently for no other exit and WB South Street was closed as well for whatever reason.

i am all for this project which is long overdue.  I posted it for some of those on here who might find it interesting in which I am sure many on here are finding it to be interesting.  You even said it yourself how substandard that interchange really is, so I imagine that you are relieved that NJDOT has finally gotten around to this project.