Jersey Jughandles

[Alps]

A big thoroughfare in East Brunswick, NJ has these (Exit 9 off NJ Turnpike), and that road moves a monstrous amount of traffic very effectively. If there were protected left turn arrows at the intersections, there would be constant gridlock.

NJ 18 does not do any of those things. It does come to a standstill during rush hour and weekends due to combinations of shore/recreational, commuting, shopping, Turnpike-New Brunswick, and local (conference center, etc.) traffic. Jughandles do improve the situation by removing a phase, but what you really need is a full freeway, along the lines of the proposed Driscoll Expwy. from years ago.

[jwolfer]

A big thoroughfare in East Brunswick, NJ has these (Exit 9 off NJ Turnpike), and that road moves a monstrous amount of traffic very effectively. If there were protected left turn arrows at the intersections, there would be constant gridlock.

There may not be a protected left turn phase but the cross street would need a longer green ( I would think)  phase so the time saved may be a wash.  Other heavily populated cities such as LA, Atlanta and Miami have large thoroughfares with left turns and the traffic is no worse than on Route 18

[Scott5114]

I thought it said "Jersey Juggalo" at first.

Maybe we need a thread about how fucking magnets work.

[NE2]

Water, fire, air and dirt
National parks, how do they work?
And I don't wanna talk to an engineer
Y'all NIMBYs lying, and keeping me from routing an Interstate through Yellowstone.

Oh well, it worked until the last line

[Scott5114]

[Ned Weasel]

A big thoroughfare in East Brunswick, NJ has these (Exit 9 off NJ Turnpike), and that road moves a monstrous amount of traffic very effectively. If there were protected left turn arrows at the intersections, there would be constant gridlock.

There may not be a protected left turn phase but the cross street would need a longer green ( I would think)  phase so the time saved may be a wash.  Other heavily populated cities such as LA, Atlanta and Miami have large thoroughfares with left turns and the traffic is no worse than on Route 18

I've been wondering about this for a long time, actually.  I assume that most states don't use jughandles simply because of the expense (cost of land+cost of pavement).  But if large thoroughfares with protected left turns (three or four signal phases per intersection) handle traffic just as efficiently as large thoroughfares with jughandles (two or three signal phases per intersection), all other things being roughly equal (traffic volume, number of through lanes, spacing of intersections), then how do they do it?  Is it a matter of the timing of the traffic signals?

Otherwise, I just assume that most states feel the benefit of fewer signal phases doesn't justify the cost of jughandles and that they rely more on freeways to handle high traffic volumes.  Also, New Jersey is different from many of other states in that it has a large network of high-capacity, non-freeway highways, some of which would technically be considered expressways, while many states have a more binary road system, mostly just consisting of freeways and conventional roads.  Of course, this is just what I assume from observation, and none of it is based on quantitative research.

[NE2]

Technically I don't think any would be expressways, since they have unrestricted driveway access. What's tightly controlled is access across the median.

[Ned Weasel]

A big thoroughfare in East Brunswick, NJ has these (Exit 9 off NJ Turnpike), and that road moves a monstrous amount of traffic very effectively. If there were protected left turn arrows at the intersections, there would be constant gridlock.

There may not be a protected left turn phase but the cross street would need a longer green ( I would think)  phase so the time saved may be a wash.  Other heavily populated cities such as LA, Atlanta and Miami have large thoroughfares with left turns and the traffic is no worse than on Route 18

I've been wondering about this for a long time, actually.  I assume that most states don't use jughandles simply because of the expense (cost of land+cost of pavement).  But if large thoroughfares with protected left turns (three or four signal phases per intersection) handle traffic just as efficiently as large thoroughfares with jughandles (two or three signal phases per intersection), all other things being roughly equal (traffic volume, number of through lanes, spacing of intersections), then how do they do it?  Is it a matter of the timing of the traffic signals?

Otherwise, I just assume that most states feel the benefit of fewer signal phases doesn't justify the cost of jughandles and that they rely more on freeways to handle high traffic volumes.  Also, New Jersey is different from many of other states in that it has a large network of high-capacity, non-freeway highways, some of which would technically be considered expressways, while many states have a more binary road system, mostly just consisting of freeways and conventional roads.  Of course, this is just what I assume from observation, and none of it is based on quantitative research.

Oh, another thing: jughandles don't work well for four-way intersections between equal roads.  You would either end up with jughandles leading to stop signs where left-turning traffic would have to wait a very long time, reverse jughandles with extremely long queues (from having to go though one traffic signal, a merge, and then another traffic signal), jughandles with traffic signals at the ends (which would certainly slow down traffic for the intersecting road), or the (in)famous cloverleaf intersection (basically a set of four reverse jughandles with outer ramps provided for right turns).  The type of highways in New Jersey that use jughandles often use grade-separated interchanges for intersections with equal highways.  In most states, where two equal, major arterial roads cross, there is simply an intersection with protected left turns for all four directions, and usually with double left turns.

[Ned Weasel]

Technically I don't think any would be expressways, since they have unrestricted driveway access. What's tightly controlled is access across the median.

Hmm.  I see what you mean, considering the close spacing of driveways on many of these highways.  At what point do driveways become too closely spaced for a road to be considered an expressway?  I can't seem to find a definition that quantifies this.

[NE2]

Each state seems to have its own definition - search for "partial control of access".

[agentsteel53]

I've always considered an "expressway" to be anything where the mainline doesn't have to stop.  No stop signs or turn signals.  Amount of on and off points to the side is irrelevant.

(California disagrees with me, naming plenty of arterials, with four traffic lights per mile, as "expressway".)

[deathtopumpkins]

California probably uses the same definition of "expressway" that I do - any road with no or minimal driveway access, but with signalized and unsignalized intersections.

[agentsteel53]

I know San Tomas Expwy in the bay area has plenty of driveway access, while Central Expwy does not.  Both are signalized quite heavily.

[Ned Weasel]

Each state seems to have its own definition - search for "partial control of access".

This page from NJDOT defines "partial control of access" and "expressway": http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/eng/documents/RDM/sec3.shtm#generalterms

An expressway, having "full or partial control of access," could allow "some private driveway connections" (terms quoted from website), although it doesn't say how many driveway connections are allowed per a unit of distance.  That doesn't seem to exclude a road that has grade-separated interchanges, at-grade intersections, and some driveways from the definition of "expressway."

The only quantitative, rigidly categorical definitions I've found involve "Access Levels," and they don't use the terms "freeway" and "expressway."

http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/business/accessmgt/NJHAMC/pdf/appendixA.pdf
http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/business/accessmgt/NJHAMC/pdf/appendixC.pdf

A freeway would be Access Level 1, an expressway would be at least Access Level 2, and a divided arterial road with driveways (regardless of whether it has grade separations), would be at least Access Level 3.

So, from what I can find, the definition of "expressway" isn't as exclusive as the definition of "freeway."  It seems possible that New Jersey only considers Access Level 2 roads to be expressways, but I haven't yet found the term "expressway" defined that way.

[roadfro]

The MUTCD definition of an expressway is "a divided highway with partial control of access"

As NE2 indicates, the definition of what makes an expressway often varies by state standards. Some allow driveway access onto expressways, others do not, others limit the number of driveways, etc...

[agentsteel53]

The MUTCD definition of an expressway is "a divided highway with partial control of access"

wait ... lots of roads have partial control of access.  I know one-lane dirt roads with a ditch to either side; that can't possibly be an expressway!

[NE2]

Partial control of access in a legal sense. On those dirt roads, an abutter can put in a driveway at any point.

[agentsteel53]

is there any classification for a road that has all kinds of abutments to the side, but does not have the through traffic stop ever?  

I would imagine that is what drivers really care about - they're not busy counting the number of driveways per mile; they care more about how often their progress is impeded.

example: a lot of US-395 north of CA-14.  there are a few traffic lights but most of the small towns, you can roll right through, and where you want to get on or off is your own business.  I know there's stretches about 60-70 miles long without any stops for through traffic.

[NE2]

That's probably a certain level of access management in some states.

[agentsteel53]

That's probably a certain level of access management in some states.

I don't think CA calls it anything, but it seems pretty obvious that it is a standard they are striving for.  CA will build long lengths of rural expressway specifically without traffic lights, while other states (AZ comes to mind) will not hesitate to put some in.  AZ-87 actually is a very nice expressway for most of its length, once it leaves Payson, but there is a set of lights out in the dead middle of nowhere still about 10-15 miles away from metro Phoenix that are true example of the "surprise! traffic light!" scenario that I can't believe isn't a cause of more accidents.

In CA, the only traffic lights I can think of offhand on a four-lane road with 65mph speed limit is some in the Marysville area on CA-99.  

See also: US-101, for long stretches of road without traffic lights, but the occasional at-grade crossing.  There used to be some until the early 2000s on 101 between LA and SF, but Caltrans actively worked to eliminate them.  it is now around mile 430 that you encounter the first traffic light on 101, and if Caltrans had its way it would be maybe mile 660 in Willits or so.

[roadfro]

The MUTCD definition of an expressway is "a divided highway with partial control of access"

wait ... lots of roads have partial control of access.  I know one-lane dirt roads with a ditch to either side; that can't possibly be an expressway!

A one-lane dirt road wouldn't be a divided highway, therefore, it's not an expressway... 

is there any classification for a road that has all kinds of abutments to the side, but does not have the through traffic stop ever? 

I would imagine that is what drivers really care about - they're not busy counting the number of driveways per mile; they care more about how often their progress is impeded.

Depends on what you refer to as "abutments". If there are abutting properties with no driveway access thereto, it could possibly be described as an expressway or freeway...

I don't think the typical traffic engineering definition of "expressway" really takes into account the traffic control along the facility and how often it is stopped through signals or other means. Certainly, the traveling public's definition of "expressway" often does consider these factors...

[NE2]

A one-lane dirt road wouldn't be a divided highway

Unless it's one-way...

[architect77]

Each state seems to have its own definition - search for "partial control of access".

California probably uses the same definition of "expressway" that I do - any road with no or minimal driveway access, but with signalized and unsignalized intersections.

Isn't it true that a small section of I-40 in Western NC has driveways with mailboxes coming up to it?

[architect77]

A big thoroughfare in East Brunswick, NJ has these (Exit 9 off NJ Turnpike), and that road moves a monstrous amount of traffic very effectively. If there were protected left turn arrows at the intersections, there would be constant gridlock.

NJ 18 does not do any of those things. It does come to a standstill during rush hour and weekends due to combinations of shore/recreational, commuting, shopping, Turnpike-New Brunswick, and local (conference center, etc.) traffic. Jughandles do improve the situation by removing a phase, but what you really need is a full freeway, along the lines of the proposed Driscoll Expwy. from years ago.

There's no doubt that NJ 18 is old and antiquated and far over-capacity. I doubt planners ever thought there would be huge big-box shopping centers lining both sides of the road one after another.
All I meant was that for such a tight and heavily-traveled corridor, the jughandles helped move a lot of thru-traffic.

[mightyace]

Isn't it true that a small section of I-40 in Western NC has driveways with mailboxes coming up to it?

I know from going there in 2009, that there are roads along the westernmost few miles of I-40 in the Smokies.  I think they are mainly forest roads.  I don't recall seeing any mailboxes, but I've only gone that way once.