Not that this applies here, but the continued use of Metuchen on Exit 10 of the Turnpike drives me up a wall. Morristown has been the first control city on 287 northbound since the mid 90s. if you want something closer, then Somerville, which probably should be a control city on both 287 and 22. Even if you wanted to use a local destination, Edison seems more important, and that's relegated to secondary signage. Sometimes obstinence just keeps things in place way longer than it should be.
I always figured (without any data to support this) that most traffic entering I-287 at Exit 10 is bound for Metuchen. It does have a dedicated lane that exits to NJ 27.
Speaking of Somerville, I find it odd that I-80 signs Somerville at US 206 South when I-287 is a faster route there.
Completely coincidental. Metuchen as a control city is solely due to 287 only being built that far when Exit 10 was built. As for Somerville on 80, it passes thru Morristown first, so that makes more sense.
It could be the same logic applied to the Exit 16W signage on the Western Spur. All ramps to NJ 3 west elsewhere say Clifton, but the NJ Turnpike likes to use Rutherford for NJ 3 W Bound at 16W.
NJTA likes to use more local places for its signs, like the Garden State Parkway only using Woodbridge. It should really use Paterson or even Albany, NY as it is a bypass connector from I-95 to the NYS Thruway. However, Exit 11 is the result of consolidating old Exit 10 and Exit 11 so that is why that is. Before I-287, Exit 10 was a direct ramp to the Garden State Parkway (partial access as it was NB only) and Exit 11 was further north connecting directly to US 9 where the maintenance yard is now.
Though it does have merit, but I-287 north of US 1 was built first. In fact Metuchen is still used on some US 22 E Bound signs in Bridgewater and at one time a mileage sign in Bernards Township had Metuchen on it as well stating it was 20 miles south of Mount Airy Road. So before Piscataway became Office Park Central, Metuchen was the biggest community in that region as Piscataway was all farms up until the late 1970's.