US 1 (West Windsor/Princeton)

[YankeesFan]

hey guys.

i'm curious if anyone knows how the "elimination" of the jug handles has been going so far with respect to the flow of traffic. better? worse? the only thing i see is residents are mad about people doing u-turns in their neighborhoods.

[NE2]

I didn't know they were doing this and thought you were referring to replacing them with interchanges.

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/08/new_traffic_pattern_on_route_1.html

[jeffandnicole]

They talked about doing it last year, but people complained that it was too close to the beginning of school.  Then they talked about doing it one other time, and people complained again.  So they held off for a while, and then decided to test it this year...right around the time school started!

I drove it one time just to check it out.  Flowed well, although it was mid-day and not rush hour. 

One of the temporary reconfigured intersections also has one of those rare "No Straight Movement" signs...the only one I've ever seen in NJ.

[YankeesFan]

i live close to this, but i work nights so i don't see the normal rush hour traffic.

[KEVIN_224]

I was in this stretch on September 9th, heading back from a baseball game in Trenton. We ended up having dinner at a Ruby Tuesday's along US Route 1 Southbound, close to the Mercer County line. I remember fighting to find a nearby U-turn to get to it.

[jeffandnicole]

I was in this stretch on September 9th, heading back from a baseball game in Trenton. We ended up having dinner at a Ruby Tuesday's along US Route 1 Southbound, close to the Mercer County line. I remember fighting to find a nearby U-turn to get to it.

You mean the very well marked "U-TURN"/"TO US1 SOUTH" interchange just a quarter mile past the Ruby Tuesday?  In this image http://goo.gl/maps/Fk6xz you can see the restaurant, and looking down the road you can see (albeit barely) the u-turn sign already in sight.

[KEVIN_224]

Ha ha! You got me! Anyways, tell that to the friend who was driving and doesn't know every inch of US Route 1 in NJ!

[Alps]

I was in this stretch on September 9th, heading back from a baseball game in Trenton. We ended up having dinner at a Ruby Tuesday's along US Route 1 Southbound, close to the Mercer County line. I remember fighting to find a nearby U-turn to get to it.

You mean the very well marked "U-TURN"/"TO US1 SOUTH" interchange just a quarter mile past the Ruby Tuesday?  In this image http://goo.gl/maps/Fk6xz you can see the restaurant, and looking down the road you can see (albeit barely) the u-turn sign already in sight.

People not familiar with NJ driving don't know whether the U-turn will be a left, a jughandle before the intersection, after the intersection, or an exit ramp.

[jeffandnicole]

I was in this stretch on September 9th, heading back from a baseball game in Trenton. We ended up having dinner at a Ruby Tuesday's along US Route 1 Southbound, close to the Mercer County line. I remember fighting to find a nearby U-turn to get to it.

You mean the very well marked "U-TURN"/"TO US1 SOUTH" interchange just a quarter mile past the Ruby Tuesday?  In this image http://goo.gl/maps/Fk6xz you can see the restaurant, and looking down the road you can see (albeit barely) the u-turn sign already in sight.

People not familiar with NJ driving don't know whether the U-turn will be a left, a jughandle before the intersection, after the intersection, or an exit ramp.

In general, very true. 

However, in this case, the person stated they were looking for a U-turn area.  Here's the actual view of the sign, less than a 1/4 mile from that restaurant.  We're not talking about a small sign planted off the right shoulder... http://goo.gl/maps/RNmmu

Note also...for the preceding 5 miles, there's a jersey barrier, interchanges, or traffic lights where u & left turns are prohibited.  If I was on a road like that, I would assume the likelyhood of the next u-turn would be on the right also.  Yes, that's not always the case, and to me NJ doesn't seem to really care about the issue.  But on this particular road, again - I mention the jersey barrier.  Even at night, one can see that there's no room for a left turn lane coming up ahead.

[roadman65]

When are they going to make an interchange at Washington Road and eliminate the Fisher Place traffic signal?  They have had this proposed for years and so far it seems like no action.  Alexander Road has been interchanged, old CR 522 (Ridge Road) and Scudders Mill Road also have been redesigned from at grade intersections as well and these have far less traffic counts then Washington Road.

[Alps]

When are they going to make an interchange at Washington Road and eliminate the Fisher Place traffic signal?  They have had this proposed for years and so far it seems like no action.  Alexander Road has been interchanged, old CR 522 (Ridge Road) and Scudders Mill Road also have been redesigned from at grade intersections as well and these have far less traffic counts then Washington Road.

The Penns Neck bypass proposal died - I imagine due to lack of NJDOT funding. They're experimenting with turn restrictions in that area right now, but short answer, don't expect anything of an interchange.

[NJRoadfan]

The Penns Neck bypass proposal died - I imagine due to lack of NJDOT funding. They're experimenting with turn restrictions in that area right now, but short answer, don't expect anything of an interchange.

Shame because they went through the trouble of doing a full EIS for the project.

http://www.policy.rutgers.edu/vtc/pennsneckareaeis/index.html

[roadman65]

NJ has no money and it never did over the years I lived there that is why it took forever to widen that small stretch of NJ 31 in Hunterdon County or even the short segment of US 206 near Somerville.  Also the many bridges that need replacing are on a long list today like the NJ 72 causeway that is in emiment danger as it needs to be replaced two years ago. 

[YankeesFan]

they cancelled it...wonder what is next...

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/10/route_1_jughandle_project_in_w.html

[roadman65]

they cancelled it...wonder what is next...

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/10/route_1_jughandle_project_in_w.html

Good article.  I am glad they came to their senses.

[Alps]

they cancelled it...wonder what is next...

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/10/route_1_jughandle_project_in_w.html

Good article.  I am glad they came to their senses.

Indeed. Bad VMS, too. The space between "No" and "Uturn" is too small, and the "@" symbol should never be used. "At CR571" would be fine.

[Interstatefan78]

If the experiments on US-1's jug handles from West Windsor to Plainsboro are successful then NJDOT are able to to close US-22 Jug handles from Bridgewater up to Scotch Plains, but the results would be repeated since drivers will use driveways on homes close to us-22.

[jeffandnicole]

If the experiments on US-1's jug handles from West Windsor to Plainsboro are successful then NJDOT are able to to close US-22 Jug handles from Bridgewater up to Scotch Plains, but the results would be repeated since drivers will use driveways on homes close to us-22.

Um...you didn't read the attached news articles, did you?  The trial was not successful.

[Alps]

If the experiments on US-1's jug handles from West Windsor to Plainsboro are successful then NJDOT are able to to close US-22 Jug handles from Bridgewater up to Scotch Plains, but the results would be repeated since drivers will use driveways on homes close to us-22.

Um...you didn't read the attached news articles, did you?  The trial was not successful.

I think he meant to say "were successful" and "would be able". Some people can't verb.