The Route 130/49 Corridor Study June 2005
Transcription
The Route 130/49 Corridor Study June 2005
TMS Pe n n s G r ove, Pe n n s v i l l e a n d C a r n ey s Po i n t , N ew J e r s ey TR AN RTAT I O N P L AN SJTPO S PO NI NG TION IZA AN G ANGLIN LOPEZ RINEHART R O JACKSON G L AT T IN G KERCHER June 2005 The Route 130/49 Corridor Study JE RS EY SOUTH The Route 130/49 Corridor Study Table of Contents Executive Summary I. Project Coordination 1 II. Introduction 2 III. Land Use and Urban Design Context 4 IV. Socio-Economic Context Statistical Overview Environmental Justice 11 V. Public Involvement 14 VI. Roadway Characteristics Functional Classifications Traffic Volumes Levels of Service Travel Survey Management Systems Crash Clusters NJDOT Desirable Typical Section Recreational / Tourist Signing 17 VII. Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodation and Safety 35 VIII. Transit Service 40 IX. Project Purpose and Need 43 X. Proposed Improvements and Alternatives Sidewalk Improvements Transit Improvements Intersection Operational Improvements Regional Improvements Smart Growth Initiatives Other Initiatives 44 XI. Implementation Plan 83 Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 i List of Figures Figure 1: Project Location Figure 2: Study Area Corridor Figure 3: Zoning Figure 4: Redevelopment Areas Figure 5: Functional Classifications Figure 6: Penns Grove and Carneys Point Crash Rates Figure 7: Pennsville Crash Rates Figure 8: Congestion Management System Figure 9: Pavement Management System Figure 10: Sidewalk Inventory, Penns Grove and Carneys Point Figure 11: Sidewalk Inventory, Pennsville Figure 12: Transit Routes Figure 13: Sidewalk Program, Penns Grove and Carneys Point Figure 14: Sidewalk Program, Pennsville Figure 15: Route 49/Main Street Roundabout Concept, Pennsville Figure 16: Route 49/South Road Restriping Figure 17: Route 49/Lippincott Modified Diamond Interchange Figure 18: Route 130 and 140/Plant Road Restriping Figure 19 Route 140 and I-295 Figure 20: Hollywood Avenue Concept 1 Figure 21: Hollywood Avenue Concept 2 Figure 22: Striping Plan, Georgetown Road Figure 23: Maple Avenue Roundabout Concept Figure 24: Route 130 Candidate Typical Section Figure 25: East Main Street/130 Restriping Figure 26: Triangle Area Circulation Plan Figure 27: Main Street Plan, Penns Grove Figure 28: Main Street Plan, Cross Section, Figure 29: Main Street Plan, Potential Off-Street Parking Locations Figure 30: Main Street Plan, Commercial Areas Figure 31: Street Network, Penns Grove Figure 32: Candidate Future Parking Structured Locations, Penns Grove Figure 33: Pennsville Town Center, Street Plan Figure 34: Route 130, Typical Section, Carneys Point Figure 35: Route 130, Candidate Typical Section, Carneys Point Figure 36: Circulation Plan, Part 1 North, Pennsville Figure 37: Circulation Plan, Part 2 South, Pennsville 2 3 5 8 18 25 26 28 29 37 38 42 45 46 50 52 54 56 57 59 60 62 64 65 66 69 71 72 72 73 74 74 76 77 77 79 80 List of Tables Table 1: Table 2: Table 3: Table 4: Table 5: Table 6: Table 7: Table 8: Table 9: 11 11 12 13 17 19 19 19 20 Comparative Populations, 2000 Income and Poverty Distribution, 2000 Language Distribution Age Distribution Manual Turning Movement Counts Peak Hour Intersection Volume Average Daily Traffic (ADT) Volumes, August 2004 Average Daily Traffic (ADT) Volumes, April and October 2004 Historical Average Daily Traffic (ADT) Volumes Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 ii Table 10: Table 11: Table 12: Table 13: Table 14: Table 15: Table 16: Table 17: Table 18: Table 19: Table 20: Table 21: Table 22: Table 23: Table 26: Signalized Intersection LOS Criteria Peak Hour Levels of Service License Plate Survey, spring 2004 License Plate Survey, summer 2004 License Plate Survey Comparison Average State-wide Crash Rates, 2000-2002 Pavement Quality, 2003 Crash Clusters on NJDOT System, 2001-2003 State Highway Desirable Typical Section by Route & Milepost Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents, 2000-2002 Ridership Summary for Routes 423 and 468, 1997-2004 Phase I Sidewalk Improvements Phase II Sidewalk Improvements LOS Comparison of Proposed Improvements: Route 130, Route 140 and Plant Road LOS Comparison of Improvement Options: Route 130 and Hollywood Avenue LOS Comparison of Proposed Improvements: Route 130 and Route 48/Main Street Implementation Plan Appendices Appendix A: Appendix B: Appendix C: Appendix D: Appendix E: Chronology of Public Meetings Stakeholder List Project Surveys Public Meetings Project GIS Data Table 24: Table 25: Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 21 21 22 23 24 24 27 32 33 39 41 47 47 55 61 67 84 iii Executive Summary Located in western Salem County, New Jersey, the Route 130/49 Corridor study area is approximately thirteen miles in length, and encompasses three municipalities – Carneys Point, Penns Grove and Pennsville. The study area begins on Route 130 in Carneys Point and terminates at the Salem River. As one travels the study area corridor, its character changes. Route 130 begins in Carneys Point Township just north of County Route 607, and serves as the “Main Street” leading into Penns Grove Borough. Route 130 terminates at Route 49 at the interchange of Route 40 and I-295 in Pennsville Township, just east of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, where the context is considerably more rural and development is freeway-oriented. Route 49 continues as the main roadway through Pennsville Township. The Land Use and Urban Design Context of the study area are provided in Chapter III. Stimulating and directing growth is a major issue in the region. Carneys Point, Penns Grove and Pennsville are included in the “western economic growth and development corridor” targeted by Salem County’s Delaware River and I-295/NJ Turnpike Planned Growth Corridor Study, which seeks to guide further growth where infrastructure and major roadways already exist. The public outreach process for the project (Chapter V) revealed that the three communities have mutual needs and issues. Common themes were identified throughout the process: Economic development will be enhanced by an improved transportation network. I-295 creates a barrier between the communities impeding a “natural” flow of commerce and traffic. A proposed project, The Riverwalk, is unanimously viewed as the anchor for an economic revival to the Penns Grove area. A “ Main Street” redevelopment to complement the Riverwalk project will greatly enhance revitalization of Penns Grove and the surrounding area. Pedestrian accommodation and safety and improved traffic circulation is required along several areas within the corridor. The abundant natural and historic features in the area make the region a potential destination for eco-tourism. Transportation, land use, urban design context and economic development are all interwoven in the study area’s problems and the solutions. This study was undertaken to address five objectives: Regional Congestion and Delay Safety Mobility Deficiency Smart Growth/Regional Growth and Future Capacity Economic Development Goals A detailed technical analysis was conducted with available accident, management system data, supplemented field counts, and field views to gain an understanding of roadway characteristics (Chapter VI). Six primary needs were identified for the Route 130/49 corridor: Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 iv ▪ Economic Development — The three municipalities within the corridor have experienced little or no economic growth over the last decade, and when combined, have actually lost population since 1990. Improvements or alternatives arising from this study support economic growth in the desired Redevelopment Areas for consistency with the desires expressed in the redevelopment plans for Carneys Point and Penns Grove. ▪ Promote Alternative Modes of Transportation — Missing or deficient stretches of sidewalk throughout the corridor results in an incomplete sidewalk network, and discourages nonauto trip-making. This is especially significant in the more urban areas of the corridor, such as Route 130 through Penns Grove and Deepwater or Route 49 through Pennsville. Sidewalk improvements are proposed to help encourage non-auto trips and improve mobility for those who choose to walk or use a bicycle. In certain locations, dedicated bike lanes are an appropriate investment to encourage bicycle use. ▪ Roadway and Pedestrian Safety — Analysis of crash rate data, pedestrian accidents, and accident clusters show that there are many locations throughout the corridor with unsafe conditions, especially at signalized intersections. These locations are proposed for improvement, whether through intersection improvements, sidewalk improvements, better signage, or other means. ▪ Congestion Relief — Although automobile congestion is not a serious problem in this corridor, there are specific locations where traffic conditions can cause delays. These locations include intersections along Route 130 through Penns Grove and Carneys Point and intersections along Route 49 through Pennsville. Access to Route 49 from intersecting side streets is a reoccurring problem. Proposed improvements are designed to address these issues. ▪ Re-configure the “Triangle Area” — The confluence of I-295, the New Jersey Turnpike, Route 130, Route 49 and Hook Road is the most important intersection in the corridor and handles the greatest volume of traffic. This intersection also acts as the entrance into the communities of Pennsville and Deepwater. In the long term, this intersection is proposed to be reconfigured to serve multiple purposes, including efficient flow of traffic, promoting redevelopment along the major roadways, and serving as a gateway into the adjacent communities. ▪ Smart Growth Objectives — As all of Penns Grove and parts of Pennsville and Carneys Point are recognized as regional Smart Growth Centers, an objective of this study was to focus new growth and encourage redevelopment within the urban portions of these municipalities. An Implementation Plan for the project was developed, identifying sidewalk, intersection operational improvements, regional improvements, Smart Growth and other initiatives for the study area. Chapter XI contains a matrix of proposed projects and alternatives for each of these categories, with lead and support roles identified and estimated costs. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 v I. Project Coordination Project Advisors The Route 130/49 Corridor Study was guided by the following team: Michael Reeves, Project Manager, SJTPO John Petersack, NJDOT Ron Rukenstein, PP, AICP/Sandi Stark, Salem County Planning Board Project Team The Project Team consisted of: Dave Cox, PE, Urban Engineers Erika Rush, AICP, Urban Engineers John Federico, PE, Urban Engineers Joe Pavlik, PE, Urban Engineers Jay Etzel, PE, Urban Engineers Jennifer Caveng, EIT, Urban Engineers Linda McDonald, Transportation Marketing Strategies Ian Lockwood, PE, Glattting, Jackson Raj Mohabeer, ASLA, Glatting, Jackson A chronology of project meetings is provided in Appendix A. Acknowledgments The Project Team received support and input from the Salem County Steering Committee; the mayors of Penns Grove, Pennsville and Carneys Point; the Pennsville Economic Development Commission; Penns Grove Redevelopment Authority, the Salem County Chamber of Commerce; Legends Properties and the Fenwick Commons LLC throughout the study. Their contributions to the study and its recommendations were invaluable. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 1 II. Introduction Located in western Salem County, the Route 130/49 Corridor study area is approximately thirteen miles in length, and encompasses three municipalities – Carneys Point, Penns Grove and Pennsville. The study area begins on Route 130 in Carneys Point and terminates at the Salem River. (Figure 1) Route 130 constitutes approximately five miles of the corridor, while Route 49 constitutes approximately eight miles. The five-mile section of Route 130 begins in Carneys Point Township just north of County Route 607 (Broad Street), which is the “Main Street” leading into Penns Grove Borough. Route 130 terminates at Route 49 at the interchange of Route 40 and I-295 in Pennsville Township, just east of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Route 49 continues as the main roadway through Pennsville Township. (Figure 2) The study area’s three municipalities ─ Carneys Point, Penns Grove and Pennsville - are home to approximately 25,000 persons (as of the 2000 Census). This reflects a loss of about 1,700 persons (6 percent) total in these municipalities since 1990. Figure 1: Project Location Growth is a major issue in the region. Carneys Point, Penns Grove and Pennsville are included in the “western economic growth and development corridor” targeted by Salem County’s Delaware River and I-295/NJ Turnpike Planned Growth Corridor Study, which seeks to guide further growth where infrastructure and major roadways already exist. The objectives of this study are to address: Regional Congestion and Delay — areas of current traffic congestion and delay and cause for poor system performance. Safety — areas where pedestrian and driver safety are of concern. Mobility Deficiency — access to jobs, services and economic centers and the effectiveness of the existing and proposed transportation system to meet the multi-modal mobility needs of the local and regional travel market. Smart Growth/Regional Growth and Future Capacity — growth is clearly desired in this portion of the county. The ability of a range of proposed actions to satisfy future travel needs, support planned growth and improve the area’s quality of life will be explored. Economic Development Goals — This study will examine to what degree economic development is a component of Purpose and Need, and identify those transportation projects that can contribute to redevelopment and smart growth objectives. Interviews with the Project Team, Focus Groups and Working Group membership provided input for this objective. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 2 P NS AT IO N PL A O RT NN SJTPO TION SOUT H IN G ZA NI GA R SE Y RA JE R T O The Route 130/49 Corridor Study area is within the Penns Grove, Pennsville and Carneys Point communities. The project area's northern limit is Route 130 just north of CR 607. Route 130 terminates at Route 40 at the interchange of Route 40 and Interstate 295 in Pennsville. Pe n n s G r ove Pe n n s v i l l e C a r n ey s Po i n t The Route 130/49 Corridor Study Introduction Fig. 2: Study Area Corridor III. Land Use and Urban Design Context The Growth Management Element of the Salem County Comprehensive Plan outlined a series of goals and objectives related to its growth management plan, including preservation of open space, promotion of economic development and growth in appropriate areas, and protection of the County’s rural character. These goals and objectives reflect a growing consensus in the County that growth should be directed to specific areas and strategies should be developed to protect and promote natural resources. The Delaware River and I-295/NJ Turnpike Planned Growth Corridor Study reinforced these goals and objectives. This report clearly indicates that the “western economic growth and development corridor” consists of several roadways, including Routes 130 and 49 in Carneys Point, Penns Grove, and Pennsville. (Figure 3) The Growth Corridor Study report concludes with identification of ten strengths and weaknesses of this growth corridor. One of the strengths identified was that the growth corridor had a “favorable regional location and transportation corridor”, including its proximity to the New Jersey Turnpike, I-295, I-95, the NYC-Washington Corridor, and Conrail rail service. Population growth within the Salem County has centered most recently and significantly in those municipalities adjacent to Cumberland and Gloucester Counties. Pittsgrove, Upper Pittsgrove, Pilesgrove, Oldman’s and Quinton Township were the only municipalities to show population growth between 1990 and 2000. Growth and development is desired by Carneys Point, Penns Grove and Pennsville and is reflected in local plans and policies. Each of the three municipalities in the study area is discussed in more detail below. Penns Grove Borough Approximately one square mile in size, Penns Grove Borough is bordered by the Delaware River and Carneys Point Township and home to nearly 5,000 people. SJTPO’s Regional Transportation Plan projects a marginal decrease in population in 2025. The Borough is urban in character, with over 98% of its land developed. Approximately 70% of the land use is residential, with a variety of housing types. The Borough’s housing stock is historic in nature and is an asset to the town’s small town character. Most homes are on very small lots and are built close to the street. About half of the dwelling units are rental. Approximately 10% of the land uses are commercial, primarily small businesses. The Borough’s downtown business district is clustered along the two main traffic arteries within the borough: Main Street from Virginia Avenue to State Street, and Broad Street from Beach Avenue to Harmony Street. According to the latest Census statistics, just over 20% of Penns Grove’s residents live below the poverty level. The 2003 State Department of Labor Statistics indicate that Penns Grove had an unemployment rate of nearly 15%. Between 1999 and 2003 unemployment rose over 4%. Job creation and economic development are major priorities in Penns Grove. SJTPO anticipates an increase of only 45 jobs between 2000 and 2025. Strengthening the economy is thus a major objective of the Borough. The Riverwalk at Penns Grove, a riverfront entertainment center of nearly 200,000 square feet, has been proposed by Fenwick Commons, LLC. This development presents an enormous opportunity for the Borough. With more than $20 million in public and private funding commitments, The Riverwalk is expected to become a Delaware River Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 4 AN SP AT I O N P L A O RT NN SJTPO IN G TION IZA AN G SOUTH JE RS EY TR R O The Route 130/49 Corridor Study area is primarily zoned commercial or industrial. Growth and development is desired by the municipalities, as reflected in the Growth Management Element of the Draft Salem County Comprehensive Plan and The Draft Delaware River and I-295/NJ Turnpike Planned Growth Corridor Study. The "western economic growth and development corridor" in the Plan comprises several roadways, including Routes 130 and 49 in Carneys Point, Penns Grove, and Pennsville. # Fig. 3: Zoning The Route 130/49 Corridor Study Land Use and Urban Design Context Source : This map was prepared by Ron Rukenstein & Associates and George White destination, attracting tourism and strengthening the Borough’s economy. The Borough has worked closely with the Riverwalk developer, rezoning the waterfront into two marina districts and securing $1,000,000 in New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acre funding for a Riverwalk park to serve as a public amenity in concert with the development. The Borough is fully served by public sewer and water, but upgrades to the municipal sewer plant are necessary to support the development’s needs. The Borough’s 1990 Master Plan recognized the Borough’s declining property values, eroding tax base and tax burden shift to homeowners. To address these problems, the Plan identified three major goals: Near-term: Develop methods and strategies to encourage and facilitate commercial investment and economic revitalization in Penns Grove. Short-term: Improve the material appearance of commercial establishments, storefronts and homes along targeted sections of the two main commercial arteries. Long-term: Enhanced revitalization of the Borough through high quality private investment, controlled commercial growth, high standard land use controls, and housing opportunities. An important component to Penns Grove revitalization is its Redevelopment Plan. The purpose of the Plan is to provide direction for redevelopment so that the residential community remains and employment growth for its residents is achieved. The Penns Grove Redevelopment Area nearly encompasses the Borough of Penns Grove. Of particular importance to the Route 130/40 Corridor Study is the inclusion of Penns Grove’s main commercial corridors – Main Street, Broad Street, and Route 130 – within an approved Redevelopment Area. These corridors were the primary determinant for the Redevelopment Plan area boundaries, as much of the Borough’s redevelopment efforts hinge upon effective, comprehensive transportation improvements which support local economic development. The Plan noted that: A design for streetscape improvements for the Central Business District (Main and Broad Streets) is needed to act as a uniform entry to the waterfront development. As redevelopment occurs along the waterfront and the downtown business district, additional parking areas — particularly in proximity to the Riverwalk development project — will be necessary for economic development efforts to succeed. Aesthetic and operational improvements to ingress and egress routes will be needed as development is realized. Pedestrian circulation needs must be addressed for the range of land uses that exist along the commercial corridors. Traffic calming measures are needed to improve pedestrian and automobile safety. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 6 Carneys Point Township Located between Pennsville and Oldmans Township, Carneys Point surrounds the Borough of Penns Grove. The Township contains a significant amount of open space, natural environmental features and recreation opportunities. Approximately 18 square miles in size, Carneys Point is home to 7,684 people according to the 2000 Census. The Township developed primarily as a DuPont company town. Over the years, global competition led to relocation of many of DuPont’s business lines, greatly affecting Carneys Point’s economy. SJTPO projects a population decrease of 292 people between 2005 and 2025, and an increase of almost 600 jobs between 2000 and 2025. I-295 and the New Jersey Turnpike run through the center of Carneys Point. The town’s urban area is located primarily along Route 130. Transportation plays a significant role in Carneys Point’s planning efforts. The township’s major focus has been to attract industrial development along its major highway corridors. To that end, a Redevelopment Area of 2,500 acres has been designated to direct more intensive development, bounded by Shell Road/Route 130 on the south, and Route 40 and North Game Creek Road to the east. (Figure 4) The Redevelopment Area contains three contiguous sub-areas: Sub-Area 1 — 1,150 acres consisting of the DuPont Plan One site Sub-Area 2 — Approximately 300 acres in the Township’s hospitality area, where the Holiday Inn Express and the Flying J Truck Plaza are located. Sub-Area 3 — Between 1,200 and 1,300 acres accessible to the NJ Turnpike and I-295 Interchanges. This land is primarily vacant with some contamination issues, and has proximity to water, sewer and fiber optic infrastructure. The Master Plan for Carneys Point established the following goals: Create a strong and viable town center, while preserving the character and special sense of place of the township’s historic areas. Provide a safe and convenient transportation system, including improved circulation along existing roadways such as Route 49/Broadway. Develop mechanisms to allow clustered, planned developments to maximize wise use of land and existing utility infrastructure, and preservation of natural resources. Provide amenities in and to serve the Township, including bike and pedestrian paths to link centers and provide travel alternatives. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 7 Penns Grove Redevelopment Area Sub-Area 1 Sub-Area 2 Sub-Area 3 Figure 4: Redevelopment sources: Penns Grove Redevelopment Area: “Penns Grove Borough Redevelopment Plan”, approved by the Penns Grove Redevelopment Authority, August 1, 2001 Sub-Areas 1, 2 and 3: the Mayor’s Citizens Advisory Redevelopment Committee Report prepared for Carneys Point Township, May 2002 Note: The Penns Grove Redevelopment Zone shown on this map is a generalized representation of the original redevelopment zone, which was based on parcel boundaries. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 8 Pennsville Township Pennsville Township is bordered by Carneys Point to the north, Salem City and Elsinboro to the south, and Mannington to the east. According to the 2000 Census, Pennsville boasts the largest population in Salem County (13,194), and also has the distinction of being one of the most geographically diverse municipalities in the state. About one third of Salem County’s shoreline is in Pennsville, and the township is home to a full range of passive recreational opportunities, including national wildlife refuges, state parks and historic sites. Location is one of Pennsville’s greatest assets, with strategic accessibility to the major roadways, the Delaware River, and metropolitan markets. The Delaware Memorial Bridge is located its northern end, linking Pennsville to Interstate 95; Wilmington, Delaware, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Route 49 connects local traffic to the Delaware Memorial Bridge to the west, and to New Jersey and the Delaware shore to the east. Atlantic City and the Garden State Parkway are accessible via Route 40, with Interchange 1 providing access to north and south destinations along the NJ Turnpike, Interstate 295 and Route 130. Rail and water access are additional strengths. Pennsville contains three active rail lines, providing freight service to Woodsbury, Salem City and the Port of Salem. The Port is designated as a Foreign Trade Zone, offering increased potential economic benefit for the area. Pennsville’s advantageous location has translated into successful highway-oriented commercial development. To capitalize on this success, the Township has recently initiated a redevelopment planning process for the surrounding area. Pennsville is one of the few municipalities in Salem County that is considered “development ready”, meaning that water and sewer infrastructure is both available and capable of meeting increased demand. Fiber optic can be accessed along the NJ Turnpike/I-295 corridor. However, development is constrained in Pennsville in that 57 percent of its land area is undevelopable wetlands. As a result, Pennsville has concentrated its master plan activities on providing controlled development of a compact nature, consistent with County and State plans. The following specific Master Plan recommendations are of importance to this study: Creation of a Central Business District. Improved circulation along existing roadways such as Route 49/Broadway. Redevelopment of existing industrial areas. Rehabilitation and in-fill housing in established neighborhoods. Commercial, office, and mixed use development in the Township’s limited developable vacant land. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 9 Waterfront Development The Delaware River is a significant resource for the study area communities. The Riverwalk Project in Penns Grove and the Riverview Beach Park and Main Street area of Pennsville are important resources for redevelopment focused on this asset. The Riverwalk project and Riverview area include recreational, retail and entertainment activities that are potential tourist-based destinations. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 10 IV. Socio-Economic Context Table 1 contains demographic data for race and ethnicity within the study area by municipality. Pennsville has a predominately White population, with minorities representing just over 3% of the total population. In contrast, both Penns Grove and Carneys Point have significantly higher minority populations, with Penns Grove’s minority population exceeding 50%. Hispanic and Black ethnicities comprise the bulk of the minority population in each of the study area municipalities. Table 1: Comparative Populations, 2000 Municipality Total White Black Penns Grove 4886 2387 1942 Hispanic % or Minority Latino 120 845 51.1% American Pacific Other Two or Asian Indian Islander race more 18 14 8 397 Carneys Point 7684 6034 1250 21 70 3 161 145 306 21.5% Pennsville 13194 12756 127 21 127 2 51 110 211 3.3% Study Area 25764 21177 3319 60 211 13 609 375 1362 17.8% Source: US Census Bureau, Census 2000 Income and Poverty Distribution The presence of low-income, below poverty persons within this study area is very evident. Overall, 2,481 individuals (nearly 10% of the study area) were identified as being below the poverty level. In particular, Penns Grove has a disproportionately high poverty population (21%), while Pennsville falls below the study area average (5%). Penns Grove has the lowest median household and per capita income of the three municipalities, while Pennsville has the highest. In general, low-income populations have lower rates of car ownership and thus are more dependent on alternate modes of transportation. Table 2: Income and Poverty Distribution, 2000 Penns Grove Median Household Income $26,227 Carneys Point Pennsville Census Tract / Block Group $13,330 Total Considered Population 4880 $41,007 $19,978 7684 808 10.5% $47,250 $22,717 13245 653 4.9% 25809 2481 9.6% Study Area Per Capita Income Total below Poverty Level Percent below Poverty Level 1020 20.9% Source: US Census Bureau, Census 2000 Language Distribution Numerous languages are spoken throughout the study area, including Spanish, Indo-European languages, Asian and Pacific Islander languages. There are just under 500 individuals that do not speak English “well” or “at all,” which represents approximately 2% of the total study area population that is over the age of five. Approximately 73% of these individuals are Spanish-speaking. A breakdown of the language distribution in each municipality is shown in Table 3. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 11 Table 3: Language Distribution Carneys Point Penns Grove Pennsville Study Area Persons 5 years and older 7237 4494 12556 24287 Speak English only 6645 3720 11830 22195 Speak Spanish: 292 650 260 1202 Speak English very well Speak English well Speak English not well Speak English not at all Speak other Indo-European languages: Speak English very well Speak English well Speak English not well Speak English not at all Speak Asian and Pacific Island languages: Speak English very well Speak English well Speak English not well Speak English not at all 127 49 45 71 234 175 33 26 0 40 23 5 7 5 336 136 114 64 112 79 22 11 0 6 6 0 0 0 159 39 62 0 350 203 99 48 0 107 18 56 33 0 622 224 221 135 696 457 154 85 0 153 47 61 40 5 Speak other languages: 26 6 9 41 Speak English very well Speak English well Speak English not well Speak English not at all Speak non-English languages (TOTALS): Speak English very well Speak English well Speak English not well Speak English not at all 5 21 0 0 592 330 108 78 76 6 0 0 0 774 427 158 125 64 9 0 0 0 726 389 194 143 0 20 21 0 0 2092 1146 460 346 140 Category Source: US Census Bureau, Census 2000 Age Distribution Table 4 shows the age demographics for each municipality within the study area. The study area contains a significant population over the age of 65 (15%) and under 17 (25%). These groups may have special transportation and other social needs that are not characteristic of the rest of the population, including an inability to drive and thus a dependence on alternate modes of transportation. Approximately 40% of the total study area population falls into this category. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 12 Table 4: Age Distribution By year Municipality Total 5& under 5-17 18-21 22-29 30-39 40-49 50-64 Penns Grove 4886 412 1199 279 483 690 650 597 576 33.4 Carneys Point 7684 467 1290 405 753 1056 1205 1265 1243 39.2 Pennsville 13194 758 2302 597 1166 1917 2008 2399 2047 39.3 Study Area 25764 1637 4791 1281 2402 3663 3863 4261 3866 37.3 65 Average & over Age Source: US Census Bureau, Census 2000 Environmental Justice Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, was issued in 1994 to ensure that the US DOT addresses as appropriate the disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects that transportation projects will have on minority populations and low-income populations. These effects include social and economic effects. The term ‘Environmental Justice’ implies the full and fair participation by all potentially affected communities in the transportation decision-making process, and aims to prevent the denial of, reduction in, or significant delay in the receipt of benefits by minority and low-income populations. Environmental Justice provides the community — including minority and low-income populations — with more access to information and opportunities for public participation in matters that may impact human health and the environment. At the beginning of the planning process it is important to determine if and where Environmental Justice issues may exist, and continually work to include special populations through the project’s development. Within the terms of Environmental Justice, a “Minority” includes all race and ethnicity classes except for “White non-Hispanics.” Similarly, “Low-Income” for the purposes of Environmental Justice is defined as “any persons whose household income is at or below the Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines.” Environmental Justice Assessment The study area includes concentrated populations of minority and low-income individuals in both Penns Grove and Carneys Point. Poverty and minority populations are also represented in Pennsville in a much less level. Penns Grove was identified as a “Community of Concern” in the SJTPO –Environmental Justice Evaluation and Strategy Report as it exceeds both minority and poverty thresholds. A “Community of Concern” also indicates transit dependency and characteristics of a distressed community. The Census identified over 500 individuals with little or no proficiency in English. Effective communication with these individuals may require the use of an interpreter and the preparation of study materials in an alternative, non-English format. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 13 V. Public Involvement Public outreach and community involvement is an important and integral component of any transportation project. The Route 130/49 corridor study is no exception. The project team developed a comprehensive approach that endeavored to: Inform the public about the corridor study’s purpose and intent Solicit input from the public about transportation needs and solutions Inform and explain the study results Gauge public support Build consensus for future corridor projects and implementation activities Process Participants An outreach program is a process as well as a communication initiative structured to reach and include as many stakeholders and special interest groups as possible within the study area. The team developed a comprehensive structure and process by which this broad spectrum of participants would collectively offer a perspective of the critical issues involving the corridor study area. The Project Team first developed a representative group of stakeholders encompassing public agencies/authorities, county and local government/services, business associations, churches, educational institutions, churches, community and neighborhood associations and Environmental Justice advocacy represented by the Salem County Social Services and Office on Aging. The detailed listing is provided in Appendix B. The Project Team received support and input from the mayors of Penns Grove, Pennsville and Carneys Point; the Pennsville Economic Development Commission; Carneys Point Economic Development Commission; the Salem County Chamber of Commerce; Legends Properties, and the Fenwick Commons LLC. Their contributions to this study were invaluable. Process Elements In order for the outreach program to be effective and open to all possible interested parties, the Project Team established consistent methods of communicating with the public through the following: Working Group – The purpose of the working group was to provide feedback and guidance during the project, help define the purpose and need and help shape the study. The Project Team mailed a survey to the business community and other special interest groups/individuals to gather initial feedback and identify key issues through the vetting process. (Appendix C) Survey distribution included members of the Salem County Chamber of Commerce and the Salem County Board of Realtors. Two Public Working Group sessions were programmed. One was held at the beginning of the study and one at the conclusion to present the study’s findings and recommendations. Focus Groups — Invited participants from the above noted groups provided their input through a “visioning” process about the corridors needs and possible solutions. The team’s one-on-one dialogue with the participants proved invaluable, greatly assisting the Team in refining the specific corridor needs and developing recommendations. These sessions were held over a two day period. Invited participants included: Salem County Historic Society; Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 14 Salem County Planning Board; Carneys Point Economic Development Commission; Carneys Point Planning Board; Penns Grove Historic Society; Penns Grove Planning Board; Riverwalk Development; the Mayors of Carneys Point, Pennsville and Penns Grove; the Puerto Rico Action Committee (PRAC); Pennsville Economic Development Commission; local business interests and the Salem County Chamber of Commerce. Media — Several media venues were used to provide project information and involve the public. Press releases announcing Public Meetings were issued, local press was contacted and attended Working Group meetings and the SJTPO website was utilized. The primary newspaper source utilized was Today’s Sunbeam, a local newspaper with wide distribution. Web site — SJTPO’s (www.sjtpo.org) and Salem County’s (www.salemco.org) web sites were used to post project information, including a press release for the project, information about the first public meeting, and the questionnaire that was distributed at the first public meeting. The websites were updated periodically to provide as much timely information as possible. Public Access Television — The three municipalities have individual public access television channels provided by the cable system provider that they use to post information concerning local public affairs. Meeting announcement information and materials were provided to these local channels. Public Meetings — The first public working group meeting was held on May 17, 2004 to introduce the project team, describe the project development process and schedule, and provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions. Prior to the meeting, a mailing list was constructed of stakeholders that included officials from the involved municipalities, Environmental Justice advocacy groups, local chambers of commerce, police and fire departments. Additional notices about the meeting were posted at public buildings, on the SJTPO web site, and in Today’s Sunbeam. The second Public Information Center was held on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 to provide an opportunity for study area stakeholders to view the conclusions and recommendations outlined in the Draft Plan. The public’s comments were gathered for consideration in the Final Report. The study findings received unanimous and enthusiastic support from the Mayors and respective economic development commissions. Seven individuals attended, representing citizens as well as business, local government and the New Jersey Office of Smart Growth regional representative, James Ruggieri. All were highly complimentary and supportive of the comprehensive approach and practical recommendations outline in the Action Plan. More detailed information is provided in Appendix D: Public Meetings. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 15 Outreach Conclusions The inclusive and comprehensive nature of the project’s outreach program revealed that the three communities along the study corridor have mutual needs and issues. Common themes were identified throughout the process: Economic development will be enhanced by an improved transportation network. I-295 creates a barrier between the communities impeding a “natural” flow of commerce and traffic. The Riverwalk project is unanimously viewed as the anchor for an economic revival to the area. A “ Main Street” redevelopment to complement the Riverwalk project will greatly enhance revitalization of Penns Grove and the surrounding area. Pedestrian accommodation and safety and improved traffic circulation is required along several areas within the corridor. The abundant natural and historic features in the area make the region a potential destination for eco-tourism. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 16 VI. Roadway Characteristics The project area’s functional classification system shown in Figure 5 was developed in cooperation with Salem County and SJTPO, and adopted in 2004. Categories of public roads based on the service they are intended to provide. Smaller, less traveled roadways provide motorists with a high degree of access. Larger roadways provide motorists with a high degree of mobility. Route 130 is a two-lane, land service roadway classified as an Urban Minor Arterial that passes through areas of rural, suburban and urban village land uses. Because it parallels both Interstate 295 and the New Jersey Turnpike, Route 130 predominantly serves local traffic and sometimes functions as a diversion route when emergency conditions are experienced on those routes. Route 49 has a north-south orientation between I-295 and Main Street in Pennsville before turning eastward toward Salem City. Route 49 is a two-lane roadway that is classified as an Urban Principal Arterial. The Route 49 portion of the corridor has eight traffic signals along its eight-mile segment, and has wide shoulders for most of its length except at some of the signal locations where turning lanes utilize the shoulder space. Route 49 serves the commercial center of Pennsville and travels between Salem, Cumberland and Cape May Counties. In the summertime, this route is used by a significant number of travelers destined for the New Jersey Shore communities. Figure 5 illustrates the functional classifications within the study area. Other important routes are Route 48, 140, Hook Road (CR551), Pennsville-Auburn Road (CR551) and CR540. All are two lane roadways functionally classified as Urban Minor Arterials. Traffic Volumes A baseline manual turning movement count was conducted on Saturday, August 7, 2004 at the intersection of Route 49, Lippincott Avenue, and Hook Road (CR551) from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Manual turning movement counts were also conducted on typical weekdays (Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday) during October 2004 at several locations within the project area, from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM and from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Table 5 lists the locations where turning movement counts were conducted: Table 5: Manual Turning Movement Counts Location Date US 130 and Slapes Corner Road (US 140) US 130 and East Main Street (NJ 48) NJ 49, Lippincott Avenue, and Hook Road (CR551) NJ 49, Lippincott Avenue, and Hook Road (CR551) Wednesday, October 6, 2004 Thursday, October 7, 2004 Wednesday, October 13, 2004 Saturday, August 7, 2004 Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 17 TR AN SP AT I O N P L A O RT NN IN G R O SJTPO TION IZA AN G SOUTH JE RS EY Route 130 is classified as an Urban Minor Arterial and and Route 49 is classified as an Urban Principal Arterial under NJDOT's Functional Classification System. This system was developed in cooperation with Salem County and SJTPO, and adopted in 2004. source: NJDOT & The Route 130/49 Corridor Study Roadway Characteristics Fig. 5: Functional Classification System Table 6 summarizes the total intersection volumes at each location during the morning and evening peak hours, with the actual peak hour listed after the volume: Table 6: Peak Hour Intersection Volume Location Season US 130 and Slapes Corner Road US 130 and East Main Street NJ 49, Lippincott, & Hook Road NJ 49, Lippincott, & Hook Road Fall Fall Fall Summer Morning Peak Volume Hour 1072 (8:00-9:00) 1035 (7:15-8:15) 1507 (7:15-8:15) 2012 (10:45-11:45) Evening Peak Volume Hour 1451 (4:00-5:00) 1487 (4:45-5:45) 2188 (4:45-5:45) 1991 (1:00-2:00) The Project Team collected Automatic Traffic Recorder (ATR) data for a typical weekday in both the summer season (August) and the off-season (April and October) of 2004. Summer season counts are summarized in Table 7, and off-season counts are summarized in Table 8. Table 7: Average Daily Traffic (ADT) Volumes, August 2004 Average Daily Traffic 3,803 5,331 5,275 7,159 6,444 5,371 5,946 3,235 3,127 Location Ramp I-295 NB to NJ 49 EB US 130 SB just north of I-295 US 130 NB just north of I-295 NJ 49 EB just south of I-295 NJ 49 WB just south of I-295 Hook Road (CR 551) SB at Lee Avenue Hook Road (CR 551) NB at Lee Avenue CR 540 EB at MP 4.8 CR 540 WB at MP 4.8 Percent Trucks 2.9 2.4 2.8 2.3 2.4 3.8 3.0 3.6 3.1 Table 8: Average Daily Traffic (ADT) Volumes, April and October 2004 Location Month Ramp I-295 NB to NJ 49 EB US 130 SB just north of US 140 US 130 NB just north of US 140 US 130 SB just north of US 140 US 130 NB just north of US 140 US 130 SB just north of Hollywood Ave. (CR 618) US 130 NB just north of Hollywood Ave. (CR 618) NJ 49 EB at William Penn Drive NJ 49 WB at William Penn Drive Hook Road (CR 551) SB at Lee Avenue Hook Road (CR 551) NB at Lee Avenue US 140 EB just east of US 130 NJ 48 WB just east of US 130 NJ 48 EB just east of US 130 October April April October October October October April April April April October October October Average Daily Traffic 3,463 5,868 5,511 6,403 6,281 8,593 7,717 6,987 7,539 5,615 5,728 2,834 3,095 3,192 Percent Trucks 3.3 2.0 2.8 3.2 4.1 15.2 4.1 1.8 3.1 3.8 3.6 8.8 2.4 7.7 The highest traffic volumes within the Route 130/49 corridor occur along Route 49 just south of I-295 and along Route 130 just north of Hollywood Avenue (CR 618). A comparison between the summer Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 19 counts and fall counts at the I-295 off-ramp to eastbound Route 49 shows a 10% increase in traffic during summer months. Hook Road (CR 551) has similar season and off-season traffic volumes. The high truck percentage on southbound US 130 just north of Hollywood Avenue (15.2%) may be attributed to trucks who avoid the weigh station on I-295 by diverting to US 130. Historical ATR data from was obtained from both NJDOT and SJTPO and is shown in Table 9. A comparison between the historical data and the recent ATR data collected for this study shows that traffic volumes have remained fairly constant along Hook Road (CR 551). Along Route 49, the summer 2002 traffic volumes just north of East Pittsfield Street were significantly higher than the summer 2004 volumes just south of I-295 and the off-season volumes near William Penn Drive. Table 9: Historical Average Daily Traffic (ADT) Volumes Location Source Date US 130 SB just north of I-295 US 130 NB just north of I-295 US 130 SB just north of Hollywood Ave. (CR 618) US 130 NB just north of Hollywood Ave. (CR 618) NJDOT NJDOT SJTPO SJTPO March, 1999 March, 1999 August, 2002 August, 2002 Average Daily Traffic 6,060 5,336 7,831 8,070 NJ 49 EB at William Penn Drive NJ 49 WB at William Penn Drive NJ 49 EB just north of East Pittsfield Street NJ 49 WB just north of East Pittsfield Street NJDOT NJDOT SJTPO SJTPO May, 2001 May, 2001 August, 2002 August, 2002 5,860 6,286 10,506 10,353 Hook Road (CR 551) SB at Lee Avenue Hook Road (CR 551) NB at Lee Avenue Hook Road (CR 551) SB at Lee Avenue Hook Road (CR 551) NB at Lee Avenue NJDOT NJDOT SJTPO SJTPO April, 2000 April, 2000 August, 2002 August, 2002 5,756 6,056 5,312 5,869 Source: NJDOT & SJTPO A comparison between the historical ADT volumes and the ATR counts performed for this study indicated (numbers represent total in both directions): At Route 130 just north of I-295, the August, 2004 volume (10,606) was 6.9% less than the March, 1999 volume (11,396). At Route 130 just north of Hollywood Avenue, the October, 2004 volume (16,310) was 2.6% greater than the August, 2002 volume (15,901). At Route 49 at William Penn Drive, the April, 2004 volume (14,526) was 19.6% greater than the May, 2001 volume (12,146). At Hook Road and Lee Avenue, the volume remained fairly constant between April, 2000 and 2004 (11,812 vs. 11,343) and August, 2002 and 2004 (11,181 vs. 11,317). Levels of Service As summarized in the Highway Capacity Manual 2000 (HCM2000), “level of service” (LOS) is a quality measure describing operational conditions within a traffic stream, generally using service measures such as speed and travel time, freedom to maneuver, traffic interruptions, and comfort and convenience. Six levels of service are defined and identified with a letter designation that corresponds to the operating condition. Levels of Service range from “A”, which is the best operating condition, to “F”, which is the worst. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 20 At signalized intersections, factors that affect the approach capacities include: traffic volume, traffic movements, traffic composition, geometric characteristics, arrival patterns, traffic signal timing, and human factors. A descriptive mechanism has been developed which indicates, on the basis of control delay per vehicle, the relative smoothness of intersection operation (described as “level of service”). The various levels of service and delays are summarized in Table 10. Delays cannot be related to capacity in a simple one-to-one fashion. It is possible to have delays in the LOS “F” range without exceeding roadway capacity. High delays can exist without exceeding capacity if one or more of the following conditions exist: long signal lengths; the particular traffic movement experiences a long red time; or, the progressive movement for a particular lane group is poor. Table 10: Signalized Intersection LOS Criteria Level of Service A B C D E F Expected Delay Very low delay, good signal progression; most vehicles do not stop at intersection. Good signal progression; more vehicles stop at intersection than Level of Service A. Fair progression; significant numbers of vehicles stop at intersection. Unfavorable progression; congestion and cycle failures become noticeable; longer delays; high v/c ratios; most vehicles stop at intersection. Considered the limit of acceptable delay; poor progression; high v/c ratio; frequent cycle failures. Unacceptable delay; poor progression; oversaturation; many cycle failures; v/c ratios > 1 Average Control Delay per Vehicle (sec) < 10 >10 and < 20 >20 and < 35 >35 and < 55 >55 and < 80 > 80 Source: HCM2000 Table 11 summarizes the data for project area intersections where traffic counts were conducted. Table 11: Peak Hour Levels of Service Location Season US 130 and Slapes Corner Road (US 140) US 130 and East Main Street (NJ 48) US 130 and Hollywood Avenue (CR 618) NJ 49, Lippincott Ave., and Hook Road (CR 551) NJ 49, Lippincott Ave., and Hook Road (CR 551) Fall Fall Fall Fall Summer Morning Peak Evening Peak Hour Hour B (14.8) C (21.8) B (14.8) C (34.6) B (10.5) B (11.8) B (16.6) C (20.1) C (24.9) Overall, the intersections within the study area all perform at desirable levels of service (LOS C or better) for both the morning and evening peak hours. The Route 130 and Route 48 intersection is the only intersection that has poor levels of service on individual approaches. During the PM peak hour, the intersection operates at an overall LOS C, but the northbound Route 130 approach operates at LOS E with 73.7 seconds of delay. A heavy flow of vehicles turning left in the combined thru/left lane is the cause of Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 21 this poor level of service. The LOS for the northbound is overstated because the analysis assumes that through-vehicles will always be delayed by a vehicle in front staged to make a left. In reality, throughvehicles bypass stopped vehicles by entering the right turn lane and passing the stopped vehicles on the right. The Route 49 intersection with Lippincott Avenue and Hook Road performs at an acceptable B to C range in both the summer and fall time periods. Travel Survey A license plate survey was designed and conducted to determine spring and summer recreational travel patterns by out-of-state vehicles in the Route 49 and Hook Road (CR 551) corridor. The survey was performed at two locations, one on Route 49 and one on Hook Road, where the origin state of vehicle license plates was tabulated for the eastbound direction. The survey was performed for a four hour time period between 9:30 AM and 1:30 PM on a Saturday. Table 12: License Plate Survey, spring 20041 Station – Route 49 Time 9:30-10:00 AM 10:00-11:00 AM 11:00-12:00 PM 12:00-1:00 PM 1:00-1:30 PM Total Percentage 1 NJ 262 411 481 477 230 1861 81.2% DE 18 33 37 28 11 127 5.5% MD 7 11 10 18 4 50 2.2% PA 30 26 34 29 7 126 5.5% DC 1 1 1 1 0 4 0.2% Other 12 16 16 21 10 75 3.3% Truck 12 13 11 10 2 48 2.1% Total 342 511 590 584 264 2291 100% Station – Hook Road (CR 551) Time NJ DE 9:30 -10:00 AM 106 19 10:00 -11:00 AM 202 29 11:00 -12:00 PM 280 29 12:00 - 1:00 PM 313 29 1:00 - 1:30 PM 146 22 Total 1047 128 Percentage 79.3% 9.7% MD 2 3 2 3 6 16 1.2% PA 12 18 14 26 9 79 6.0% DC 0 1 1 1 1 4 0.3% Other 4 8 9 5 3 29 2.2% Truck 3 2 9 3 1 18 1.4% Total 146 263 344 380 188 1321 100% conducted April 24, 2004 The predominant license plate state of origin utilizing either Hook Road or Route 49 (with approximately 80 percent of the vehicles) is New Jersey. Delaware and Pennsylvania show the next highest concentration of vehicles, each carrying about six percent of the vehicles overall. However, Delaware vehicles tend to use Hook Road and Route 49 equally, indicating familiarity with the local roadway system. Trucks and buses made up a small percentage of the overall traffic stream, generally about two percent or less. Sixty percent (60%) of the total 638 out-of-state vehicles were observed using Route 49. The second license plate survey was conducted on a summer Saturday to gauge the effects of the summer peak travel season. The survey was conducted at the same two locations over the same four hour time period as the spring survey. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 22 Table 13: License Plate Survey, summer 2004 Station – Route 49 Time 9:30 - 10:00 AM 10:00 -11:00 AM 11:00 -12:00 PM 12:00 - 1:00 PM 1:00 - 1:30 PM Total Percentage NJ 175 241 382 404 255 1457 73.9% DE 19 25 31 40 25 140 7.1% MD 10 14 19 23 10 76 3.9% PA 20 19 32 41 22 134 6.8% DC 1 1 1 3 2 8 0.4% Other 16 16 36 34 36 138 7.0% Truck 2 5 2 8 2 19 1.0% Total 243 321 503 553 352 1972 100% Station – Hook Road (CR 551) Time NJ DE 9:30 - 10:00 AM 91 20 10:00 -11:00 AM 215 41 11:00 -12:00 PM 232 42 12:00 - 1:00 PM 255 43 1:00 - 1:30 PM 119 12 Total 912 158 Percentage 74.8% 13.0% MD 6 11 8 9 4 38 3.1% PA 12 21 14 13 9 69 5.7% DC 0 1 0 0 1 2 0.2% Other 5 6 6 4 6 27 2.2% Truck 2 3 4 4 1 14 1.1% Total 136 298 306 328 152 1220 100% 1 conducted August 7, 2004 The predominant origin of license plates utilizing either Hook Road or Route 49 (with approximately 75 percent of the vehicles) is New Jersey. Delaware and Pennsylvania show the next highest concentration of vehicles, in general carrying higher percentages than during the spring season. Sixty percent (63%) of the total 790 out-of-state vehicles were observed using Route 49. License Plate Survey Comparison The overall recreational/out-of-state component of the travel population grows from about 20% in the spring to about 25% in the summer months. There is little difference in route choice between the two seasons. The percentage changes in comparative categories vary insignificantly. Out-of-state vehicles use Route 49 during both the spring and summer season at a rate of approximately 6 in 10. The total summer period traffic volume across both routes decreased by 382 vehicles (11%) over the spring period. The total out-of-state portion of the summer traffic rose by 152 vehicles (24%) over the spring survey period. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 23 Table 14: License Plate Survey Comparison Route 49 Route/Month Breakdown Total In-State Vehicles Total Out-of-State Vehicles Total Vehicles Percentage In-State Vehicles Percentage Out-of-State Vehicles April 1861 382 2243 83% August 1457 496 1953 75% 17% 25% Vehicle Split Percentage of Total Vehicles using Route 49 Percentage of Total Vehicles using Hook Road (CR 551) Percentage of Out-of-State Vehicles using Route 49 Percentage of Out-of-State Vehicles using Hook Road (CR 551) Hook Road (CR 551) April August 1047 912 256 294 1303 1206 80% 76% 20% 24% April 63% 37% 60% 40% August 62% 38% 63% 37% Management Systems Management System data was obtained from both NJDOT and SJTPO for the available years between 2000 and 2003. This data was analyzed for the major roadways within the Route 130/49 corridor, including Routes 130, 48, 49,140 and 40. GIS-based maps were developed for each Management System, as summarized below. Safety Management System Crash rate data was obtained from the NJDOT crash records database for years 2000 through 2002 and is shown graphically in Figures 6 and 7. The New Jersey state-wide average crash rates (accidents per million vehicle miles traveled) vary by year and by cross-section geometry as shown in Table 15. Table 15: Average State-wide Crash Rates, 2000-2002 Cross-Section Geometry 2 lanes with shoulders 2 lanes, no shoulders 4 or more lanes, grass median, shoulders Applicable Routes US130, NJ49, NJ48, NJ140 (majority) US130, NJ49, NJ48, NJ140 (minimal) US40 Crash Rates per Million VMT 2000 2001 2002 2.68 2.71 2.82 4.62 4.08 4.72 1.73 1.77 1.95 Source: NJDOT Crash Rate Database Route 130 — The crash rates along Route 130 either equaled or exceeded the state-wide average through the entire borough of Penns Grove and along a 2,500-foot stretch in Pennsville. The intersection of Route 130 and East Maple Avenue at the southern Penns Grove boundary had significantly higher than average crash rates, while the signalized intersections at Georgetown Road (CR 629) and Route 140 had moderately higher than average crash rates. Route 48 — Portions of Route 48 exceeded the state-wide average, including short segments near Dupont Street, Golfwood Road (CR 601), Stumpy Road, and at the intersection with Route Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 24 (accidents/million vehicle miles) 0.0 – 1.1 1.2 – 2.7 2.8 – 4.9 5.0 – 11.3 11.4 – 43.2 Signalized Intersection (date update) Pedestrian Accidents (2000-02) Figure 6: Crash Rates, Penns Grove and Carneys Point Data source: NJDOT Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 25 Penns Grove Redevelopment Area Sub-Area 1 Sub-Area 2 Sub-Area 3 Data source: NJDOT Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 Figure 7: Crash Rates, Pennsville 26 140. Both the clover-leaf interchange at I-295 and the signalized intersection at Hook Road (CR 551) experienced significantly higher-than-average crash rates. Route 49 — For the most part, the urbanized area of Pennsville between Churchtown Road and Fort Mott Road (CR 630) experienced above-average crash rates. While every signalized intersection along Route 49 within the corridor exceeded the state-wide average, the signalized intersections at Lippincott Avenue, South Road (entrance to the Pennsville Shopping Center) and Main Street experienced significantly higher than average crash rates. Route 140 — The highest crash rates within the corridor are concentrated along Route 140. Crash rates exceeded the state-wide average along the entire stretch Route 140, but were especially high at the signalized intersections with Route 130, Hook Road (CR 551), and Route 40. Route 40 — The crash rates along Route 40 exceeded the state-wide average at the signalized intersection with CR 540, the merge with Route 48, and a short segment near Sportsman Road. Congestion Management System Figure 8 shows the projected increase in average daily traffic (ADT) from 2001-2010. Route 48 between I-295 and Route 40 is projected to have nearly a 10% increase in ADT. This is the largest percentage increase within the corridor. The remainder of Route 48 and the entire length of Route 130 show a projected increase of almost 8%, while the entire lengths of both Route 49 and Route 40 show a projected increase of only 3.5%. The New Jersey Turnpike and I-295 traffic is expected to grow at the highest rate – 11.2% for the Turnpike, and 14.6% for the Interstate over the 2001 to 2010 period. Pavement Management System The NJDOT 2003 Pavement Quality data incorporates the Aran Ride Quality Index (RQI) and the Surface Distress Index (SDI) to develop a four-tiered ranking system, ranging from “good” to “very poor.” Table 16 provides a summary of pavement quality on the major roads. Most of the major roadway pavement within the Route 130/49 corridor is in “good” condition. (Figure 9) The most significant exception is along both directions of Route 48 just east of Penns Grove, where there are 7,392 feet of “poor” and 5,808 feet of “fair” quality pavement. Additionally, there are 13,728 feet of “fair” pavement along Route 130 and 4,752 feet of “poor” pavement along Route 49 through Pennsville. There are no instances of “very poor” pavement within the corridor. Table 16: Pavement Quality, 2003 Condition Length of Pavement (feet / percentage) US 130 NJ 49 NJ 48 NJ 140 US 40 Very Poor 0 0 0 0 0 Poor 0 4,752 (5.6) 7,392 (16.3) 0 0 Fair 13,728 (23.6) 2,640 (3.1) 5,808 (12.8) 528 (5) 1,584 (3.3) Good 44,352 (76.4) 78,144 (91.4) 32,208 (70.9) 10,032 (95) 45,936 (96.7) Source: SJTPO Pavement Management Systems, 2003 Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 27 source: NJDOT Percent Growth in Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) P NS RA AT IO N PL A O RT NN SJTPO IN G TION SOUT H JE R T ZA NI GA R 3.5% 7.8% 9.8% 11.2% 14.6% O SE Y 2001-2010 The Route 130/49 Corridor Study Roadway Characteristics Fig. 8: Congestion Management System Most of the pavement in the study area is considered good, although portions of Route 130 through Penns Grove and Pennsville have a fair rating. P NS RA AT IO N PL A O RT NN SOUT H SJTPO G TION 1 2 3 4 IN ZA NI GA R JE R T O SE Y source: NJDOT PMS Data Ver y Poor Poor Fair Good The Route 130/49 Corridor Study Roadway Characteristics Fig. 9: Pavement Management System Drainage Management While NJDOT system data did not report drainage problems within the study area, potential drainage problems were identified in stakeholder interviews and investigation of crash data: Route 130 and Maple Avenue, Penns Grove, M.P. 3.20 Route 130 in the vicinity of Route 48, Penns Grove, M.P. 3.66 Route 130 in the vicinity of CR 641, Pittman Landing Road, M.P. 4.09 Route 48 north of Route 130 in the vicinity of Gillison Avenue, Penns Grove, M.P. 0.10 Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 30 Crash Clusters Crash cluster analysis is useful to identify areas where operational and geometric characteristics of the roadway contribute to crash occurrences. NJDOT crash data for the period 2001 through 2003 was reviewed for areas where crash events exceeded ten in number, and were concentrated within geometrically similar and short segments of the roadway. Ten events were considered a representative threshold to trigger closer investigation. The crash cluster analysis results for the State system are shown in Table 17. The highest concentration of crash events (96) occurred on Route 49 in the Pennsville commercial district between North Road and the Township building. The other highest two areas are on Route 40 and Route 140. The general area surrounding the interchanges areas for I-295 and the NJ Turnpike had 34 and 31 events respectively, for a total of 65 events. The highest crash occurrence on Route 130 was in the vicinity of Hollywood and Bianca Road, with 27 reported events. A total of 27 events occurred in the vicinity of the I-295 ramps and Lippincott Avenue on Route 49. The section of Route 49 in Pennsville where concentrated crashes occurred is a two lane roadway with intermittent on-street parking. Intersecting side streets generally do not make cross street connections. Driveways are prevalent. Approximately 65% of crashes are same direction rear end or side swipe. These crash types are typically due to driver inattention or improper passing. The second highest location, the Route 140 and Hook Road intersection including the interchange areas with I-295 and NJT is under study by NJDOT. Proposed improvements in this area will address safety. Carneys Point police reported a total of 27 crashes were reported during the three year period ending December 31, 2004 at the Hollywood and Bianca Road intersection with Route 130. Thirteen crashes occurred in 2004. NJDOT statistics report two crashes involving pedestrians during the same period. The existing geometry contributes to head-on type crashes, and approximately 40% of the events are head-on type crashes. NDOT comparative statistics for total crashes at unsignalized intersections on the state system for 2002 shows an average rate of less than 2%. Injury crashes were approximately 20% higher at this location than the state average for intersections. Posted speed transitions from 50 mph to 35 mph. In 2000 the Route 49 and Lippincott Road intersection indicated 80 crash events. A recent redesign by NJDOT eliminated left turns into Lippincott Avenue, which has resulted in a significant reduction of crashes. The year after the intersection was improved the annual crash occurrence dropped to 9 in 2002. As currently configured, left turns can only be made onto Hook Road. Route 49 in the vicinity of Main Street had 14 crash events with six involving single vehicles leaving the roadway. Main Street intersects Route 49 on a curve, with a posted speed of 35 m.p.h. Chervon signs and flashing yellow caution signals advise motorists of the curve in the roadway. Comparative statistics for this type of crash averages approximately 10% of the total. The ramp system connecting I-295 to Route 140 had 10 crashes involving access to and from the Interstate. Access to southbound I-295 from eastbound Route 140 is provided by a left turn connection to a loop ramp serving westbound Route 140 access. A separate left turn lane is not provided, so left turns occur from the active through lane. Because of this configuration, eastbound vehicles will pass the left turning vehicle using the shoulder area. High heavy truck volumes are present due to direct access to the Interstate system and truck service depots. Increased occurrence of rear-end and side-swipe accidents has occurred in the on-ramp area. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 31 The southern portion of Hook Road (CR551) had a total of 21 crashes between Mahoney Road and Stone Barn Road. Nine were due to poor or slippery road conditions brought on by rain, show or icing, and five events involved deer. Along the length of Hook Road from Stone Barn Road to the Pennsville border deer were involved in 11 crashes. The segment of Broad Street (CR607) in Penns Grove had 16 crashes between East Line Street (CR641) and Griffith Avenue. Nine of the 16 events were angle collision types involving vehicles entering or leaving the side streets. Thirteen crashes occurred at the intersection of Broad Street (CR607) and Main Street (CR675). Table 17: Crash Clusters on NJDOT System, 2001-2003 Route Location # of Crashes 130 In the vicinity of Plant Street (Route 140) In the vicinity of Hollywood Ave. (CR 618)1 In the vicinity of Georgetown Road (CR 629) In the vicinity of Main Street (Route 48) In the vicinity of CR 641 14 27 19 13 13 48 In the vicinity of I-295 ramps In the vicinity of Pennsville-Auburn Road (CR 551) 12 12 49 Between NJ Turnpike & Lippincott Ave. Between North Road & Lakeview Ave In the vicinity of Main Street In the vicinity of William Penn Dr. & River View Dr. In the vicinity of Hook Road (CR 551) In the vicinity of Lighthouse Road (CR 632) & Supawna Road 27 96 14 15 21 13 140 In the vicinity of the west-side I-295 ramps Between the east-side I-295 ramps and the NJ Turnpike interchange 10 45 40 In the vicinity of the CR 540 & NJ Turnpike interchange 47 Source: Carneys Point Police Department Crash Report Summary, 2002-2004 Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 32 NJDOT Desirable Typical Section The NJDOT State Highway Access Management Code, Administrative Code Title 16, Chapter 47, establishes by code a “Desirable Typical Section” (DTS) for every segment of the State highway system, and can be changed by Departmental action. The DTS is the Department’s long range plan for highway configuration and is used to determine level of service thresholds for access applications. Within the study area, a DTS has been established for Route 40, 48, 49, 130 and 140. Table 18 shows the number of through lanes included in the Access Code. The number of through lanes assigned to Route 40 and 140 are consistent with the present configuration. Route 48’s DTS changes from two to four lanes at CR 551. Route 49’s DTS increases from two to four lanes at the urbanized boundary. Route 130’s DTS is established at four lanes for its entire length throughout Carneys Point and Penn Grove. Table 18: State Highway Desirable Typical Section by Route & Milepost Route Milepost Begin End Limits Quillytown Road (CR 540) Quillytown Road Carneys Pt. Boundary 1.85 5.47 5.47 6.30 0.00 0.66 0.66 2.10 2.10 4.26 0.00 6.29 6.29 8.30 130 0.00 5.28 Pennsville - Carneys Point 140 0.00 0.48 Route 130 - I295 0.48 0.95 I-295 - Route 40 40 48 49 Route 130 - east of Dupont Road East of Dupont Road – CR 551 CR 551 - Route 40 I-295 - east of Supawana Road East of Supawana Road - Pennsville Boundary Desirable Typical Section (DTS) Functional Classification (FC) 4 lane divided w/ shoulders Rural Minor Arterial 4 lanes undivided w/ shoulders Rural Minor Arterial 4 lanes undivided w/ shoulders 4 lanes undivided w/ shoulders 2 lanes undivided w/ shoulders Rural Minor Arterial 2 lanes undivided existing condition Urban Principal Arterial 4 lanes undivided w/ shoulders Rural Minor Arterial 4 lanes undivided w/o shoulders Urban Minor Arterial 2 lanes undivided w/ shoulders 2 lanes undivided w/ shoulders Urban Minor Arterial Rural Major Collector Urban Collector Urban Minor Arterial Source: Appendix B, State Highway Access Management Code Recreational / Tourist Signing The Delsea Region of the Coastal Heritage Trail system includes Salem, Cumberland and Cape May Counties. The trail links Coastal Habitat, Maritime History and Wildlife Migration theme destinations through distinct roadside signing. Signing begins at the I-295 to Route 49 southbound ramp and follows Route 49 through Pennsville. The trail sites and destinations in Salem County are the Alloway Creek Watershed Wetlands Restoration Site and Stow Creek Viewing Area for coastal habitat theme areas and Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 33 the Alloway Creek Watershed Wetlands Restoration Site for wildlife migration. Theme area and maritime history theme destinations are Fort Mott State Park, Finn’s Point National Cemetery, Finns Point Rear Range Light, and the Hancock House State Historic Site. The Delsea Region Welcome Center is located at Fort Mott State Park. The Salem County area has other resources and destinations that could be eligible for the trail system. Within the study area the Pennsville Township Historical Society is located in the Church Landing House and Museum, 86 Church Landing Road, Pennsville. The farm house was built in the 1860’s and is a significant local historic resource. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 34 VII. Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodation and Safety Existing Sidewalk Network The existing sidewalk network along Routes 130, 49, and 48 within the limits of the study area was inventoried in April of 2004. The presence of sidewalks on both sides of the streets was recorded; however, quality factors (such as condition), and design characteristics (such as width or blockages) were not evaluated at that time. The existing sidewalk network along these major roads is illustrated in Figures 10 and 11, and described in more detail below. Route 130 — The sidewalk network along Route 130 is either non-existent or discontinuous between the north boundary of the study area (in Carneys Point Township) and the intersection with Main Street (Route 48). This approximate 8,000-foot segment of roadway becomes fairly urbanized south of the intersection with Broad Street (CR 607). With the exception of several notable gaps, sidewalks are in place for about 1,000 feet both north and south of the Main Street intersection. South of the intersection, a 2,700-foot segment between Willis Street and Cypress Street does not have sidewalks. The Penns Grove Middle School and several businesses are located along this portion of Route 130. Sidewalks resume in both directions just south of the intersection with Maple Street, and continue down to the intersection with CR 618. The sidewalk ends on southbound Route 130 at Cleveland Street and does not extend past the nearby NJ Transit bus shelter. On northbound Route 130, the sidewalk extends past the intersection to the end of the Merion Gardens Assisted Living apartment complex at Merion Avenue. Route 48 — Heading west from the I-295 interchange, Route 48 is fairly undeveloped until the intersection with Dupont Road. Sidewalks exist along eastbound Route 48 from East End Street in Carneys Point, past Carneys Point High School, and through Penns Grove all the way west to its terminus at the Delaware River. Sidewalks exist along westbound Route 48 from Miller Street at the Penns Grove boundary all the way west to the Delaware River. There is a 3,500-foot sidewalk gap between Miller Street and East End Street on westbound Route 48. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 35 Route 49 — There are no sidewalks along Route 49 from the intersection with I-295 south to Churchtown Road. This stretch is largely undeveloped and rural but does contain an NJ Transit bus shelter and several businesses. Sidewalks are present in both directions through Pennsville from Churchtown Road to Fort Mott Road (CR 630) with the exception of several notable locations: Southbound Route 49 from Churchtown Road to Benson Avenue (1,600 feet) Southbound Route 49 between W. Pittsfield Street and Ferry Street (400 feet) Both directions at the intersection with Fort Mott Road (800 feet) Approximately 10,000 feet of Route 49 between Fort Mott Road and the Pennsville municipal boundary does not have a consistent sidewalk network. The only areas of sidewalk include an 800-foot segment on southbound Route 49 across from Mahoney Road and a 1,000-foot segment on northbound Route 49 in front of the Laura’s Glen apartments. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 36 Bus Shelter Sub-Area 1 Sub-Area 2 Sub-Area 3 Data source: Urban Engineers Urban Engineers, Inc. Figure 10: Sidewalk Inventory, Penns Grove and Carneys Point Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 37 Bus Shelter Sub-Area 1 Sub-Area 2 Sub-Area 3 Data source: Urban Engineers Urban Engineers, Inc. Figure 11: Sidewalk Inventory, Pennsville Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 38 Bicycle Accommodation The Route 49 Bicycle and Pedestrian Compatibility Analysis Study (NJDOT, January 1999) found that “the route cross section is highly compatible with bicycle use.” Individual constraints were found in the Main Street area of Pennsville where narrow shoulders are present and the absence of shoulders on the bridge over the Salem River. The bridge replacement project at the Salem River will eliminate the constraint by adding 8 foot shoulders to both sides of the span. Access to Fort Mort State Park from Route 49 was also addressed. Recommendations included the installation of Share the Road signs and installing bicycle safe grates. Bicycle compatibility was not addressed in the I-295, Lippincott Avenue and Hook Road area. Route 130 and the other State Routes also have not received detailed study. The Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan – Phase 2, NJDOT, June 2004 identified Route 40 and 49 as part of the statewide system of Programmed Bicycle Facilities. Route 48, Route 130, CR540, Hook Road (CR551) and CR630 are identified as part of the statewide system of proposed or planned facilities in the same document. Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Information on pedestrian injuries and fatalities within the Route 130/49 corridor study area were obtained from NJDOT for years 20002002. The locations of these accidents are also shown on Figures 6 and 7. A summary of pedestrian accidents is shown in Table 19. Table 19: Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents, 2000-2002 Year Carneys Point Penns Grove Pennsville 2000 3 3 4 2001 3 3 0 2002 5 2 1 Total 11 8 5 Source: NJDOT Crash Records Database The majority of pedestrian accidents in both Carneys Point and Penns Grove occurred along Route 130 and roads directly adjacent to Route 130. In particular, there were three pedestrian accidents at the intersection of Route 130 and Main Street/ Route 48 and two accidents at the intersection of Route 130 and Willis Road. There were three accidents at the intersection of Broad Street (CR 607) and Main Street (Route 48) in downtown Penns Grove. In the three year period from 2000 to 2002, the only pedestrian fatality occurred on I-295 in Carneys Point. In Pennsville, the majority of pedestrian accidents occurred along Route 49. Accident locations included the Pennsville Shopping Center, the intersection of Route 49 and Union Street, and the Pennsville High School parking lot. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 39 VIII. Transit Service Existing Transit Network NJ Transit bus routes represent the primary form of public transportation in Salem County. Figure 12 shows the bus routes that traverse the study corridor and the location of shelters. Route 402 is operated directly by NJ Transit, while Route 423 and Route 468 are contracted out to the Salem County Community Bus Service (SCOT). Following is a description of each alignment, including the specific route through the study area corridor: NJ Transit Route 402 is primarily a regional bus route running from Center City, Philadelphia south through Camden to Pennsville. Within the study corridor, Route 402 enters Carneys Point on Route 130 and then runs south along Broad Street (CR 607) through Penns Grove. The bus makes a left onto Maple Street and then continues south through Carneys Point along Route 130. After passing the I-295 interchange, the bus runs south along NJ 49 through Pennsville to its terminus at the Ames Shopping Center. Route 402 has 60-minute headways on weekdays and operates 4 buses per day on both Saturday and Sunday. SCOT Route 423 is primarily a commuter route between the Route 130/49 Corridor and the City of Wilmington. This route begins at the intersection of Route 130 and Main Street (CR 48) in Penns Grove and circles through the borough using Sailor Street, Broad Street, and Maple Avenue. Similar to Route 402, this bus continues south along Route 130/49 until it reaches the Pennsville Shopping Center. Upon leaving the shopping center, the bus heads north on Route 49 and then merges onto I-295 and crosses the Delaware Memorial Bridge into the City of Wilmington. On its loop through the downtown, Route 423 stops at both the Wilmington Rail Station and Bus Terminal before crossing back into the study corridor and returning north to its origin in Penns Grove. Route 423 operates four buses per day during weekdays which includes two for the morning commute and two for the afternoon commute. Due to its primary role as a commuter route, there is no weekend service. SCOT Route 468 provides the greatest accessibility and highest level of service through the 130/49 corridor. This route originates in Woodstown, Salem County, and ends in Penns Grove. Specifically within the study corridor, Route 468 enters Pennsville on Route 49 and continues north to Carneys Point. Along the way, this bus circles through the parking lots of the three major shopping centers in Pennsville (Pennsville Market, Ames Shopping Center, and Pennsville Shopping Center). After passing through Deepwater on Route 130 north, the route diverts to Route 140 east, CR 551 north, and CR 618 north before returning to Route 130 north. The bus then circles through Penns Grove using Main Street and Broad Street before ending at the Sandy Ridge Apartments off of Route 130. Ridership Summary SCOT provided monthly ridership totals and information for 1997-2004, along with average weekday and Saturday totals. The ridership data is a combination of Routes 423 and 468; however, it was estimated that Route 468 comprises 80-85% of the ridership. Ridership has been fairly steady at 170,000 yearly riders over the last seven years, with the exception of a large increase in 2001. (Table 20) This increase Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 40 may have been due to a new connection with Route 402 or the unseasonably warm winter that occurred that year. It was also estimated that weekday averages range from 600-750 passengers, while Saturday averages range from 200-350 passengers. Although very few grade or high school students use these bus routes to get to school, there are a significant number of college students using Route 468 for passage to Salem Community College in Carneys Point and the Salem County Vo-Tech on Route 45. Table 20: Ridership Summary for Routes 423 and 468, 1997-2004 Year Total Ridership Monthly Average 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 168,568 168,448 173,443 170,785 191,337 172,361 175,851 14,047 14,047 14,454 14,232 15,945 14,363 14,654 Source: Salem County Community Bus Service SCOT route fares are compatible with NJ Transit tickets/passes; however, SCOT only offers a three-zone interstate for Route 423 and a three-zone intrastate for Route 468. Neither option would get a rider to Philadelphia. Included in these numbers are approximately 5,000 tickets per month that Welfare Services buys and distributes free to those in need. Operations The SCOT buses (Routes 423 and 468) re-fuel at the Salem County depot in Pilesgrove. Since this depot is located along Route 468, it is convenient and thus does not present a cost or operational difficulty. Traffic congestion within the study area also has an impact on bus operations. Route 468 regularly encounters heavy traffic on Route 49 through Pennsville, especially between 2:00 and 5:00 PM. This congestion can add roughly 15-20 minutes of delay to the schedule. Bus Shelters There are nine bus shelters in the study area. Currently, there are no sidewalks in front of the bus shelter on southbound Route 130 just north of the intersection with Hollywood Avenue in Carneys Point. Similarly, the shelter just south of Route 140 in the Deepwater section of Pennsville does not have sidewalk access. Along Route 49 in Pennsville between Lippincott Avenue and Churchtown Road, there are bus shelters in each direction without sidewalk access. Main Street at Broad Street, Penns Grove is a high demand bus stop location for the 402, 423 and 468 that does not have a bus shelter. The Ames Shopping Center in Pennsville is at the junction of the 401 and 468 Route services, and is also without a shelter. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 41 Bus Shelter Route 402 Route 423 Route 468 Figure 12: Transit Routes Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 42 IX. Project Purpose and Need Six primary needs were identified for the Route 130/49 corridor. Most of these needs are inter-related or even complementary. Coordination of the proposed recommendations will be necessary to create a linkage between transportation, safety, and economic development improvements: ▪ Economic Development — The three municipalities within the corridor have experienced little or no economic growth over the last decade, and when combined, have actually lost population since 1990. Any improvements or alternatives arising from this study should support economic growth in the desired Redevelopment Areas for consistency with the desires expressed in the redevelopment plans for Carneys Point and Penns Grove. ▪ Promote Alternative Modes of Transportation — Missing or deficient stretches of sidewalk throughout the corridor results in an incomplete sidewalk network, and discourages nonauto trip-making. This is especially significant in the more urban areas of the corridor, such as Route 130 through Penns Grove and Deepwater or Route 49 through Pennsville. Sidewalk improvements will help encourage non-auto trips and improve mobility for those who choose to walk or use a bicycle. In certain locations, dedicated bike lanes are an appropriate investment to encourage bicycle use. ▪ Roadway and Pedestrian Safety — Analysis of crash rate data, pedestrian accidents, and accident clusters show that there are many locations throughout the corridor with unsafe conditions, especially at signalized intersections. Safety in these locations should be addressed and improved, whether through intersection improvements, sidewalk improvements, better signage, or other means. ▪ Congestion Relief — Although automobile congestion is not a serious problem in this corridor, there are specific locations where traffic conditions can cause delays. These locations include intersections along Route 130 through Penns Grove and Carneys Point and intersections along Route 49 through Pennsville. Access to Route 49 from intersecting side streets is a reoccurring problem. ▪ Re-configure the “Triangle Area” — The confluence of I-295, the New Jersey Turnpike, Route 130, Route 49 and Hook Road is the most important intersection in the corridor and handles the greatest volume of traffic. This intersection also acts as the entrance into the communities of Pennsville and Deepwater. In the long term, this intersection should be reconfigured to serve multiple purposes, including efficient flow of traffic, promoting redevelopment along the major roadways, and serving as a gateway into the adjacent communities. ▪ Smart Growth Objectives — “Smart Growth” is the term used to describe well-planned, wellmanaged growth that adds new homes and creates new jobs, while preserving open space, farmland, and environmental resources. Smart Growth principles include mixed-use development, walkable town centers and neighborhoods, mass transit accessibility, sustainable economic and social development and preserved green space. In New Jersey, Smart Growth supports compact development and redevelopment in recognized Centers, with existing infrastructure that serves the economy, the community and the environment as outlined in the State Development and Redevelopment Plan. All of Penns Grove and parts of Pennsville and Carneys Point are recognized as regional Smart Growth Centers. Therefore, an objective of this study is to focus new growth and encourage redevelopment within the urban portions of these municipalities. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 43 X. Proposed Improvements and Alternatives The proposed improvements are summarized into six separate categories: Sidewalk System Improvements, Transit Improvements, Intersection Operational Improvements, Regional Improvements, Smart Growth Initiatives, and Other Initiatives. Sidewalk Improvements Land service roadways should have some type of walking facility out of the travelway. A separate walkway is often preferable, but a roadway shoulder will also provide a safer pedestrian accommodation than walking on the roadway. Sidewalks are considered warranted whenever the roadside and land development conditions are such that pedestrians regularly move or will move along the highway. The Route 130 corridor is generally deficient in pedestrian accommodation. A linear system of sidewalks is not present in Penns Grove, the southern portion of Carneys Point and in Pennsville. Pedestrian accommodation linking Route 130 and Route 49 in the area of I-295 is deficient. Adjacent land uses consist of medium density residential, commercial and highway service, and schools. The suburban corridor is economically stable and commercially vital. Pedestrians were observed traveling throughout the developed portions of the corridor on routine field visits. Footpaths are present along the highway border area indicating routine travel on grass or dirt. These conditions warrant improved pedestrian accommodation. There are numerous areas along Route 130, 49, and 48 where sidewalk should be added to complete the pedestrian network. Along some segments, only a short length of proposed sidewalk would be needed to “fill in the gaps.” These improvements generally fall into the “Phase I” designation, which implies a more immediate need and greater user benefits. Phase II improvements generally provide either new sidewalk at the fringe of the network, or connect relatively isolated sections of the network. The proposed sidewalk program is shown in Figures 13 and 14. The roadway right-of-ways vary by route and section. The presence of residential or commercial activities, utilities, or other constraints will influence the potential NJDOT Pipeline assignment. The presence of wetlands is also a potential concern along the corridor. Following is a description of where sidewalk is needed along each of the major roads: Route 130 — The addition of 2,800 feet of sidewalk on both sides of Route 130 between Willis Road and Cypress Street would create a pedestrian connection between the dense residential neighborhoods in Carneys Point and Penns Grove’s business district. Also, a short stretch of sidewalk (200 feet) just south of the intersection with Main Street (Route 48) should be added in both directions to complete the network around this intersection. North of Main Street, sidewalks should be added on both sides of Route 130 up until the intersection with CR 607. Finally, sidewalks should be extended on CR 618 south to the intersection with CR 629. Route 48 — The addition of 3,800 feet of sidewalk along Route 48 eastbound between Torton Street and East End Avenue would result in a continuous sidewalk network along Route 48 from the Delaware River on the east side to East End Street on the west side (approximately 1.75 miles). Route 49 — Currently, there is no pedestrian connection between the Deepwater section in north Pennsville and the rest of Pennsville south of I-295. The addition of 4,100 feet of sidewalk along Route 130 (starting at Route 140) and another 10,300 feet on Route 49 (ending at Benson Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 44 Bus Route Municipal Boundary Existing Phase I Phase II Figure 13: Sidewalk Program, Penns Grove and Carneys Point Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 45 Bus Route Municipal Boundary Existing Phase I Phase II Figure 14: Sidewalk Program, Pennsville Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 46 Road) would complete this connection. Through Pennsville, only 400 feet at the Main Street bend would be needed to complete the network south to Fort Mott Road (CR 630). South of CR 630, the land uses become primarily rural. Hollywood Ave (CR618) — Approximately 6,500 feet of sidewalk on both sides of Hollywood Avenue is proposed to connect the Salem County Community College campus with the Route 130 system. The total length of additional sidewalk needed is approximately 62,500 feet (12 miles), at an estimated cost of $1,220,000. Because the total need for sidewalk improvements in the corridor is large, the additional sidewalk is presented in two phases. A breakdown for each phase by roadway is shown in Tables 21 and 22. Table 21: Phase I Sidewalk Improvements Route Route 130 Route 49 Route 48 Total Length (feet) 14,900 17,700 300 32,900 Length (miles) 2.8 3.4 0.1 6.3 $290,000 $345,000 $5,000 $640,000 Length (feet) Length (miles) Cost 8,000 11,600 3,500 6,500 29,600 1.5 2.2 0.7 1.2 5.6 $156,000 $226,000 $69,000 $127,000 $578,000 Cost Table 22: Phase II Sidewalk Improvements Route Route 130 Route 49 Route 48 Hollywood Ave. (CR 618) Total Transit Improvements Discussions between SJTPO and the Salem County Planning Board identified the Pureland Industrial Complex and the eastern half of Salem County as areas in need of additional transit service. However, it should be noted that a past route between Woodstown and Elmer was discontinued because it only recovered 2% of its operating costs from fares. With respect to potential service or operational improvements to the existing SCOT routes, it was indicated that both routes are already stretched thin and have relatively few riders; thus, additional service would be difficult to justify or implement. Improvements should be made to increase accessibility and safety at bus shelters throughout the Route 130/49 corridor. These improvements fall into two categories: ensuring adequate sidewalk access to existing shelters, and adding new shelters in strategic locations. Safety and convenience is compromised for transit users who are forced to walk in the street or along the grass to reach bus shelters. Likewise, long distances between shelters can be a hardship in bad weather for those dependent on transit. Currently, there are no sidewalks in front of the bus shelter on southbound Route 130 just north of the intersection with Hollywood Avenue in Carneys Point. Similarly, the shelter just south of Route 140 in Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 47 the Deepwater section of Pennsville does not have sidewalk access. Along Route 49 in Pennsville between Lippincott Avenue and Churchtown Road, there are bus shelters in each direction without sidewalk access. Sidewalk installation at these locations should be an immediate priority among the Phase 1 sidewalk improvements program. In Penns Grove, new bus shelters should be considered at Main Street and Broad Street. The location is high demand stop for Routes 402, 423, or 468. A permanent shelter or multi-use patron service area designed into a building should be a consideration in the development of the Main Street Plan. In Pennsville, new bus shelters should be placed in the Pennsville and Ames Shopping Centers. A shelter in the vicinity of Hollywood Avenue to serve the Salem Community College is a candidate site. Route modifications and new bus shelters should be considered to serve job access needs at the proposed Riverwalk development at the Delaware River. Intersection Operational Improvements The following operational improvements are proposed to address geometric, safety and operational needs in the study area. The concepts are consistent with growth expectations and designed to meet future performance standards: Route 49 and Hook Road (C551), Pennsville — This intersection is the convergence of two primary through travel routes. Hook Road is an important alternative route through the study area. Signage directs northbound traffic destined for the Delaware Memorial Bridge and the New Jersey Turnpike onto Hook Road. The right turn lane from Route 49 to northbound Hook Road operates on the same phase as Route 49. Right turn on red is permitted. Commercial and residential land uses are clustered at the intersection. A regional shopping center (Pennsville Market Place) housing Walmart and Super Fresh occupies the southwest edge of Route 49. A gasoline service station sits in the acute angle corner and residential units occupy the obtuse corner along the northeast edge of Route 49. Driveways serving the service station and residential units occur on Hook Road within the intersection. Conflicts with queued southbound vehicles occur as vehicles enter the service station via left turns from the active single lane on northbound Hook Road. Vehicle attempting left turns from the service station onto northbound Hook Road cross the queued southbound lanes. Signing should be installed to prohibit left turns into the station and onto Hook Road from the station. If signage is not effective, application of a positive median treatment could be considered. Route 49 and Main Street, Pennsville — This intersection is the historic downtown in Pennsville. Pennsville’s previous City Hall building is located on Route 49 north of Main Street. Main Street provides access to the Delaware River, Pennsville Park and commercial areas along the river. The Delaware River waterfront is a potential site for expanded commercial and recreational activity due to its historic use as a ferry depot and the existence of riparian lands. The Main Street intersection is unsignalized and intersects Route 49 on a curve. Overhead flashing yellow warning signals and chevron signage are in position caution vehicles and manage speeds on the approach to the curve. Pittsfield Road intersects Route 49 north of Main and is one of the few connecting routes to Hook Road. Pennsville recently completed a project to reconstruct Main Street west of Route 49 and converted the roadway to one-way westbound away from Route 49. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 48 A total of 14 crash events with six involving single vehicles leaving the roadway occurred in the Main Street over the three period, 2001-2003. Managing speed, preventing crashes and improving access to and from Route 49 are design objectives for this location. Figure 15, next page, employs a roundabout concept as a potential alternative treatment to reduce vehicle speeds and improve side street circulation. A roundabout is an unsignalized intersection improvement that operates with yield on entry to vehicles in the roundabout. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 49 Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 50 Figure 15: Route 49/Main Street Roundabout Concept, Pennsville Route 49 Route 49 and South Road, Pennsville — The South Road intersection is signalized and is the primary egress/access to the Acme Shopping Center / Pennsville Plaza. Route 49 north of the intersection is approximately 32 feet wide for a short segment. The additional width is used for a southbound right turn only lane into the shopping center. The center lane in both directions accommodates offset left turning movements. The northbound approach is has two lanes, one left and a shared through and right. The accident pattern for the area around this intersection and Route 49 to the south is for a high incidence of rear end and same direction side swipe, typical for segments with high left turn occurrence and passing left turning vehicle on the right. Re-striping the Route 49 approaches of the intersection to present a head-to-head left turn lane is recommended as conceptually shown in Figure 16, next page, to reduce conflicts and delay. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 51 Route 49 South Avenue Figure 16: Route 49/South Road Restriping Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 52 Route 49, Hook Road (CR551) and Lippincott Avenue, Pennsville — This intersection is the first signal on Route 49, and is immediately south of I-295, the New Jersey Turnpike and the connecting roadway system with the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The intersection is 1,000 feet from the freeway and involves the ramps off the Interstate. It has had a history of safety, access, geometric and operational issues. The intersection was redesigned by NJDOT in 2001 which resulted in a 90% reduction of crashes. Left turns into Lippincott Avenue were eliminated in the redesign in favor of isolating left turns only into Hook Road. Commercial land uses are clustered around the intersection. The west side of Route 49 has a variety of uses (Hampton Inn, Cracker Barrel, McDonalds) targeted to serve the Interstate travel market. The traffic signal facilitates access/egress to this side of Route 49. The absence of a left turn opportunity from southbound Route 49 into Lippincott Avenue has been reported to affect access and development of parcels in that quadrant of the intersection. Much of the surrounding land remains underutilized. The existing problems at this location are not easily remedied. Any improvements to the intersection would need to consider land use policy, Interstate access, potential reconfiguration of major systems, and integration of local street networks. There are significant wetland resources in the immediate area that factor into development of conceptual improvements. This project would advance at NJDOT as a Pipeline 2 assignment and study a variety of potential concepts. A modified diamond interchange concept was developed for this study and is shown in Figure 17, next page. Features of this plan are: Elimination of the ramp system serving the on and off movements on the south side of the interchange to create separation from the interchange area and Lippincott Road signal. Replacing the two ramps serving eastbound off and on for I-295 with a single diamond type ramp to eliminate the current problematic merge and weave conditions and create a improved connection and access to Hook Road. Realigning Hook Road to converge at a new intersection with the realigning the on-ramp to eastbound I-295 and off-ramp extension to Hook Road to disburse traffic and create improved frontage and access opportunities for parcels in the southeast area. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 53 AN SP AT I O N P L A O RT NN SJTPO IN G TION ZA NI GA SOUTH JE RS EY TR R O Existing Traffic Signal Intersection Improvement Existing Roadways Proposed Concept Roadways and Network Linkages Proposed Access Improvements Ro ut e 49 Ro ut e1 30 Ho ok Ro ad I-29 5 55 1 #" Fig. 17: Route 49/Lippincott/Hook Road The Route 130/49 Corridor Study Proposed Improvements and Alternatives CR Route 130, Route 140 and Plant Road, Carneys Point — This intersection serves as the principal truck access to the Dupont Deepwater facility and a primary connection to I-295, truck service areas and the New Jersey Turnpike. Trucks are 9% of the total AM peak traffic volume and 47% of the PM peak period volume. It has single lane approaches on all four legs. Although LOS is acceptable under its current configuration, conflict and congestion occur from shared through and left operations from a single lane. The presence of a high percentage of heavy duty trucks increases the conflicts within the intersection. Same direction-rear end and side-swipe crash types dominate and are indicative of single lane configurations. The proposed short term improvement is to modify the existing lane striping to create a separate leftturn lane and a shared through-right on each approach. The area to the north of Route 140 and on both sides of Route 130 is targeted for redevelopment by Carneys Point Township. This area is a candidate for a mix of light industrial and commercial growth. Increased heavy truck and site traffic is anticipated from development. The curb radii on the southeast and northeast corners do not permit heavy truck turning without encroaching on the opposing side street lanes. The curb radii should be increased in advance of the proposed development. Improvements shown in Figure 18 will result in the LOS gain shown in the following table. Table 23: LOS Comparison of Proposed Improvements: Route 130, Route 140 and Plant Road Route 130 and Route 140/ Plant Road AM LOS Existing Conditions Proposed Geometry B A PM Delay (sec) 14.8 9.0 LOS Delay (sec) C B 21.8 13.6 Route 140 and Interstate 295 Ramps, Carneys Point — Access to southbound I-295 from eastbound Route 140 is provided by a left turn connection to a loop ramp serving westbound Route 140 access. A separate left turn lane is not provided, so left turns occur from the active through lane. Because of this, eastbound vehicles will pass the left turning vehicle using the shoulder area. High heavy truck volumes are present due to the desire to access the Interstate system and service facilities, such as truck service depots. Increased occurrence of rear-end and side-swipe accidents have occurred in the area of the on-ramp. A separate left turn lane along eastbound Route 140 is recommended, as shown in Figure 19. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 55 Plant Road Route 130 Route 140 Figure 18: Route 130 and 140/Plant Road Re-striping Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 56 Route 140 I-295 Figure 19: Route 140 and I-295 Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 57 Route 130, Hollywood Avenue (CR618) and Bianca Road, Carneys Point — Route 130 and Hollywood Avenue form a three-legged intersection. Hollywood Avenue northbound projects tangent to the northern leg of Route 130. Route 130 is an obtuse angle through the intersection, bending to the west on the southern leg. The speed limit posting transitions from 50 mph to 35 mph south to north as vehicles leave a rural environment and enter an urban setting. The intersection is unsignalized. Due to the geometry, left turns from northbound Hollywood Avenue onto southbound Route 130 are not permitted. Bianca Road intersects Route 130 at a stop controlled T-intersection approximately 250 feet north of Hollywood Avenue. Hollywood Avenue is an important component in the local roadway system. It is one of the four east – west roadways traversing I-295. It connects with CR 551 and CR601 to form a supplementary and supporting regional network to Routes 130, 48 and 140. Land uses along Hollywood Avenue include Salem Community College, a golf course and residential neighborhoods. Hollywood Avenue serves as a primary access opportunity for residential and commercial uses between Route 130 and CR601, and the area continues to grow. Salem Community College is located on Hollywood Avenue between Route 130 and CR 551. Currently, the College enrolls approximately 1,200 students each semester. In recent years, the College has adopted new vision and mission statements, resulting in a comprehensive strategic plan. The plan has guided the establishment of new degree and certificate programs, including glass art, computer graphic art and process technology; the expansion of over $1 million in instructional technology; and the completion of over $6 million in facility renovations and new construction. The result of these efforts has been continued enrollment growth. New residential developments have also been planned and approved with access to Bianca Road and Hollywood Avenue. Hollywood Avenue is immediately north of the boundary for Carneys Point Redevelopment Zone #2 and links Redevelopment Zones #1 and #3. The existing geometry contributes to head-on type crashes. Approximately 40% of the events are head-on type crashes. NDOT comparative statistics for total crashes at unsignalized intersections on the state system for 2002 shows an average rate less than 2%. Injury crashes were approximately 20% higher at this location than the state average for intersections. Two typical concepts were developed and are shown in Figures 20 and 21. Figure 20 would remove the southbound Route 130 movement onto Hollywood Avenue and realign and connect the roadway at a tangent section of Route 130 south of its current location. The first concept would be current or future signalization with proposed separation to allow for adequate sight distance considerations on approach to the signal. Pedestrian accommodation in the area of Bianca Road is a factor. The second concept, Figure 21 is a roundabout replacing the current three-legged intersection. This concept would accommodate pedestrians where crossings occur, and also serve to calm traffic as vehicles enter the developed portions of Carneys Point. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 58 Bianca Hollywood Ave./CR 618 Route 130 Figure 20: Hollywood Avenue, Concept 1 Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 59 Bianca Route 130 Hollywood Ave./CR 618 Figure 21: Hollywood Avenue Roundabout, Concept 2 Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 60 A traffic signal warrant was performed and the intersection satisfies warrants 1, 2, and 3. HCS analysis was performed on the proposed realigned signalized condition and SIDRA was used to analyze the roundabout. Table 24: LOS Comparison of Improvement Options: Route 130 and Hollywood Avenue Route 130 & Hollywood Avenue AM Existing1 Signalized – Figure 20 Roundabout – Figure 21 PM LOS Delay (sec) LOS Delay (sec) B C A 10.5 28.4 3.1 B C A 11.8 24.8 3.4 1 Existing values are for Hollywood Avenue Approach Route 130 and Georgetown Road (CR629), Carneys Point — Georgetown Road is an important east-west regional roadway that links CR551, CR601 and Route 130. The intersection with Route 130 is in an urban environment surrounded by schools, churches, commercial uses, and residential uses. Traffic control officers are present to assist school children crossings. The Route 130 approaches operate as a single lane, while the Georgetown Road approaches are striped for separate through-right and left turn lanes. Re-striping both Route 130 approaches to create opposing left turn and through-right lanes is recommended to reduce conflict and delay. The revised striping plan is shown in Figure 22. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 61 Georgetown Road/ CR 629 Route 130 Figure 22: Georgetown Road Re-striping Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 62 Route 130 and Maple Avenue (CR615), Penns Grove — Maple Avenue intersects Route 130 under stop and yield control on a curve. Painted and raised islands separate Maple Avenue side street lane movements. The intersection performs adequately to terms of vehicle safety and processing. Islands and lane separation encourage high speed merge conditions. The posted speed on Route 130 in this area is 35 and 40 mph. However, Route 130 with a crosssection at this location of approximately 76 to 82 feet wide encourages higher vehicle operating speeds. The open nature of the roadway section does not relate to the existing urban environment. Pedestrian activity is heavy. The Penns Grove Middle School occupies the northwest corner and a YMCA is in the southwest corner. The sidewalk system is incomplete and permanent traffic protected crossings are not provided. A crossing guard is stationed near Iona Avenue to assist student crossings of Route 130. The intersection is a candidate for a roundabout treatment as shown in Figure 23 to address pedestrian needs, reduce excessive vehicle speed through traffic calming and improve the urban environment. The concept would fully accommodate pedestrians, with pedestrian crossing markings and island refuge areas both in the roundabout and in elements of the roadway cross-section. The segments of Route 130 and Maple Avenue extending from the roundabout would have typical sections as shown in concept in Figure 24. The objective of the proposed improvement is to accommodate school pedestrian activity and to promote traffic calming and slower traffic speeds. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 63 Route 130 Maple Ave./ CR 615 Route 130 Figure 23: Route 130/Maple Avenue Roundabout Concept Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 64 Figure 24: Route 130 Typical Section Route 130 and Route 48 / Main Street (CR675), Penns Grove — The intersection is the highway commercial center of Penns Grove. Main Street is the principal access to the downtown area of Penns Grove and the planned mixed-use commercial Riverwalk project. Route 48 provides for regional east-west access by linking Route 40 with Route 130, regional access through Interchange 4 of I-295 and local service to the regional high school and Carneys Point Township Building. Under current relatively light traffic volumes, the intersection operates at a satisfactory LOS. The geometric configuration is outdated. The three approaches for Main Street and Route 130 operate as a single lane through and left with a separate right lane. Re-striping to create opposing left turn and through-right lanes is recommended to reduce conflict and delay. The revised striping plan is shown in Figure 25. Widening of the eastern Route 48 approach is necessary to accommodate the additional westbound lane. Re-striping of Route 130 and Main Street (CR675) can precede any widening. Three bike/pedestrian crashes have occurred at this intersection in the three period 2001-2003. The cluster of crashes should be investigated. The proposed lane modification would improve LOS over existing conditions. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 65 Main Street/ CR 675 Route 48 Route 130 Figure 25: East Main Street Re-striping Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 66 Table 25: LOS Comparison of Proposed Improvements: Route 130 and Route 48/Main Street Existing Conditions Proposed Geometry Route 130 & Route 48 / East Main Street AM Delay LOS (sec) B 14.8 B 11.4 PM LOS C B Delay (sec) 34.6 11.1 Route 48 and CR551, Carneys Point — This unsignalized intersection is in a rural portion of the study area east of I-295, and adjacent to the Conectiv Industrial Park. The two roadways cross at an acute angle. The southwest and northeast corners form the most severe approach angles. In consideration of future development and the desire for heavy duty truck access to the site from the Interstate, the southwest corner radii should be enlarged to improve truck right turn maneuvering. Regional Improvements Triangle Area The “Triangle Area” is generally known as the area surrounding the convergence of the New Jersey Turnpike and I-295 as it approaches the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The area includes Routes 40, 49, 140, 130, CR540 and Hook Road (CR551) and the ramp system serving as access and egress to the freeway system. The incremental building of the freeway system, beginning with New Jersey Turnpike and later I-295, has had the effect of altering the connectivity and fabric of the local roadway network. In some cases – CR551 and Route 40 are examples — elements of the local roadway system have been absorbed into the freeway network. To complicate matters, the many ramp connections present a confusing set of options for local and regional travelers attempting to interchange with the freeway elements of the network. From a community perspective, the “Triangle Area” as it performs today has created a phenomenon of isolation, disconnectedness, and unserviced areas. The economic development normally stimulated by Interstate access and its location as a portal to the State has not been realized. The present road system has been, in reality, a detriment to potential economic development. The development of improvement concepts had three primary objectives: Reconnect the system of roadways supporting local circulation — The basis of this objective is to reconnect a local network surrounding the interchange so that it operates independently from the freeway system. Shadows of the pre-Interstate configuration are visible and provide a partial template for a potential new framework. Concepts were identified which in essence build a local roadway grid around the Interstates by extending the present day grid. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 67 The concept illustrated in Figure 26 has three primary features: An extension of Route 40 from CR540 to Hook Road and CR551. Uplands appear to be present within the possible alignment. CR551 on separate alignment from the Interstate ramp system. It aligns CR540 with the northern leg of CR551 and re-aligns and extends Route 140 parallel to the NJTP. A Route 40 extension is the preferred first phase in either scheme as it solves a problematic regional network condition. Route 140 is the only east-west roadway opportunity between Route 48 in the north and Salem City in the south. All traffic becomes focused into the CR551 and Route 140 interchange area. It would provide relief to the congested Route 140, I-295 and CR551 area and improve regional east west access circulation. Simplify and reduce the footprint of the ramps system — The clover leaf layout of the existing interchanges consumes a tremendous amount of land, and affects economic development by presenting challenges to create access to land parcels in and around the interchange area. A signalized diamond design is proposed at Route 140 and I-295, CR540 and the New Jersey Turnpike and I-295 and Routes 49/130. Provide for access to potential local redevelopment areas by extending roadways —An extension to CR551 between Route 130 and I-295 would open access to Carneys Point and targeted Redevelopment Zone 2, provide network linkage through the parcel to intersect with Route 130 and tie into the potential Deepwater site (Redevelopment Zone 1). An additional concept roadway intersecting with CR551 and Route 140 would serve as access to Redevelopment Zone 3. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 68 TR AN SP AT I O N P L A O RT NN IN G R O SJTPO TION ZA NI GA SOUTH JE RS EY Intersection Improvement Existing Roadway Proposed Concept Roadways and Network Linkages R ou te 49 Ro ut e1 30 H oo kR o ad CR 551 R ou te 14 0 CR 54 95 0 New $' Fig. 26: Triangle Area Circulation Plan The Route 130/49 Corridor Study pike urn ey T 40 Jers Route Proposed Improvements and Alternatives I-2 Smart Growth Initiatives This group of projects addresses the mobility and safety needs while supporting the redevelopment and smart growth objectives established for the corridor. Main Street (CR675), Penns Grove — The Riverwalk project and Main Street are important assets in the redevelopment of Penns Grove. Stakeholder interviews universally identified the Riverwalk project to be the most significant economic stimulus to energize the redevelopment of Penns Grove and Main Street. The Riverwalk project is located on the Delaware River and is expected to include a hotel, restaurants, and 30 to 40 shops clustered on 14 acres along the southern edge of Main Street and north of Railroad Avenue. Redevelopment of the historic pier would add an additional 12 acres with the potential for a State of Delawarebased casino operation or possible tall ships attraction. Penns Grove Borough is supporting the Riverwalk project with grant monies to build the boardwalk component of the project along the river’s edge. Penns Grove’s objectives for Main Street are to retain and build upon its historic context and re-create a vibrant downtown, with a mix of commercial, civic and residential activities. Main Street retains many of the historic residential, civic and commercial buildings of its past. The 100% historic corner was the intersection of Broad Street and Main Street. Today, buildings with historic character occupy three of the corners. Penns Grove’s 100% corner at the intersection of Broad and Main Streets Main Street is approximately 2,700 feet in length from Route 130/Virginia Avenue to the Delaware River, with two travel lanes and parking lanes along its length. The Route 130 and Main Street intersection is the 100% highway commercial center of Penns Grove today. A retail food shopping center, pharmacy, gasoline service center and restaurant occupy the four corners. Between Virginia Avenue and Broad Street is a mix of uses ranging from storefront churches to used car sales and service. The area is interspersed with vacant parcels and underutilized commercial space. The Broad Street intersection is the historic center of town and commercial activity and is the eastern boundary of the potential historic district extending to the Delaware River. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 70 A schematic plan for Main Street, Penns Grove was created to address in concept the transportation needs and economic development and redevelopment objectives of the community. (Figure 27) Streetscape improvements, pedestrian accommodation, on – street and off – street parking, in-fill land uses, building design standards and orientation, and traffic circulation were design elements incorporated in the creation of a “Main Street” environment. Figure 27: Main Street Plan Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 71 Phase I Recommended Activities 1. Devise and implement a Main Street Plan The Main Street plan should include a pedestrian and parking component. Pedestrian elements — continuous and functional sidewalks and protected pedestrian crossings — should be provided and sufficient on and off street parking located and sized for demand should be planned. A typical roadway model cross section is shown in Figure 28. A candidate off street parking plan is shown in Figure 29. Figure 28: Main Street, Cross Section Figure 29: Candidate Off-Street Parking Locations Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 72 2. Main Street should be the focus of civic activity that could include parades and the venue for other special community events. An organization should be established to manage and sponsor the regular creation and scheduling of community events entertained on Main Street. “Main Street” designation by the NJ Department of Community Affairs should be a goal of the organization. The Penns Grove Redevelopment Authority could be the sponsor of the “Main Street” organization. Adopt market-savvy zoning Current zoning allows for commercial use for the entire length of Main Street. The mass of commercial zoned land exceeds the expected need for commercial service industry for the area. The distributed pattern of commercial zoning sustains marginal uses, leads to the sporadic development of isolated parcels and hampers the conversion of vacant parcels into productive use. The commercial areas should be focused into three primary areas – Riverwalk, Broad and Main Streets and the Virginia Avenue intersection (Figure 30). The areas between commercial nodes could be targeted for development of housing, social/community and recreational uses. A comprehensive land use plan should be developed for the corridor. 3. Figure 30: Penns Grove Commercial Areas Develop the street network The Penns Grove street network evolved from its earliest times to serve the mobility needs of the community. The railroad has in some areas bisected the network. Reconnecting roadway segments or establishing new linkage should be investigated to serve current circulation needs. The Riverwalk project offers a unique opportunity to establish an urban network were it previously did not exist and form the road fabric of a downtown area. Figure 31 shows a modification to the existing Riverwalk plan and a potential connected street system integrating the project into the Downtown by providing connections between Main Street and Railroad Avenue. The project should take full advantage of the adjacent road system (Railroad Avenue) for access and egress in order to spread Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 73 and diffuse traffic. The areas to the north of Main Street are primarily residential and should not be included in the principal circulation requirements necessary to serve Riverwalk. Main Street Railroad Avenue Figure 31: Street Network Figure 32, below, advances the project plan to include two future parking structures and a development patterns oriented to the street. Main Street Parking Structure Parking Structure Railroad Avenue Figure 32: Candidate Future Structured Parking Locations Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 74 4. Adopt context-sensitive codes Codes should be adopted to protect and sustain the traditional context of the downtown and Main Street environment. Infill conducive to the historic character should be established through design standards. Suburban site plans disrupt the urban building line, introducing excessive driveways and conflicts with pedestrians. A zoning code specific to the Main Street corridor should be developed with attention to: historic preservation scale and massing building placement architecture Phase I Recommended Activities Phase II recommended activity is advancing design and construction of the streetscape, pedestrian and parking project for the length of Main Street. The design effort should follow and adopt the Main Street design and functional elements established in the Phase I activities. Pennsville Town Center Street Plan, Route 49 A conceptual Town Center Plan for the area around the Pennsville Shopping Center is shown in Figure 33. Additional roadways are added parallel to Route 49 to create a denser north-south linear grid pattern. East-west side streets (e.g. North, South, Heron) are extended to intersect with the new north-south roadways. The grid system creates developable blocks. The orientation of infill development is toward the street edge. Existing buildings in some cases could be modified to adapt to the block front and dense system of roads. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 75 Figure 33: PennsvilleTown Center Street Plan Route 49 Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 76 Route 130 Street Plan, Penns Grove and Carneys Point Route 130 from Hollywood Road to just south of Maple Avenue is generally considered Carneys Point’s “Main Street” or downtown area. Figure 34 shows a potential typical cross section including parking, pedestrian and landscape elements for the segment of Route 130 from the vicinity of Hollywood Avenue to Maple Avenue. Figure 34: Proposed Typical Section, Carneys Point Main Street Figure 35 shows a potential wider typical cross section for Route 130 in Penns Grove and the balance of the route within the northern portion of Carneys Point. In addition to the physical design elements of the “Street Plan”, a corridor land use plan should be developed as a companion to this project that address land use, zoning, site zoning and parking regulations, pedestrian and bicycle circulation and accommodation, driveway management and access control and serve as a mechanism to prioritize and phase the programming. Figure 35: Proposed Typical Section for Route 130, Penns Grove and Carneys Point Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 77 Pennsville Circulation Plan Route 49 and Hook Road are the primary north-south roadways serving Pennsville. Route 49 corridor is in the residential and commercial core area of Pennsville. Intersecting side streets and driveways are frequent along most of the northern segment. Side street delay is prevalent where the typical main line two-way traffic is sufficiently dense enough to inhibit left turns entering the traffic stream on a routine basis. Summer season traffic to the shore areas increase side street access difficultly and delay. Hook Road is in a primarily rural setting and is an efficient northsouth route. Approximately 37% of the seasonal traffic uses Hook Road as an alternate to Route 49. Shore Point destinations signing should advise the use of Hook Road at the foot of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Congestion relief, accessibility, safety and capacity increases are important objectives supporting economic growth in Pennsville. Strategies that provide major increases in capacity to Route 49, would require additional right of way, have significant impacts to existing land uses, and have unwanted affects on the character of the area. Therefore, major increases in capacity for Route 49 are not appropriate solutions. Enhancing the network through the addition of new supplemental links to provide alternative route choices and opportunities will spread and diffuse traffic, is more compatible with local context, and supports local goals. The following strategies are recommended to improve traffic circulation: Signing — Approximately 37% of the seasonal traffic uses Hook Road as an alternate to Route 49. Shore Point destinations signing should prominently advise the use of Hook Road at the foot of the Delaware Memorial Bridge to maximize the peak period through traffic diversion to Hook Road. Intelligent traffic signing (ITS) systems including Variable Message Signing (VMS) could dynamically advise travelers of congested periods and events and present messages advising Hook Road as the preferred route opportunity. The system could be fully mechanized. Monitoring traffic volumes on Route 49 or the ramp from I-295 to Route 49 could initiate alternative signing. This type of signing strategy has the advantage of not establishing a permanent signing regime that may be objectionable to the business community of Pennsville. Local Network — Enhance the local road network to create alternative connecting routes off of Route 49. In many areas of Pennsville a dense grid pattern network is in place that provides route choices parallel to Route 49 and offers different locations to enter and cross the highway. In other areas connecting systems offer little choice but to use Route 49 for all travel. A system of collector roadways that support north-south travel and focus traffic to candidate signal locations should be created. Particular attention should be directed to areas of potential future development in the northern and southern portions of Pennsville. Signalization — Increase the traffic signal density on Route 49. Additional signals at approved locations would increase side street access and circulation and improve pedestrian crossing opportunities. NJDOT standards regulate the warrant and spacing of traffic signals on Route 49. Access Management — Link driveway and parking areas to permit movement between businesses via cross connecting or lateral driveways or municipal streets. Figures 36 and 37 show conceptual plans of connecting streets and intersecting roadways. As wetlands and other constraints are significant concerns in the area, studies to identify environmental resources, alternative alignments and project feasibility are necessary to establish specific alignments. The concept plan is intended to show where opportunities might be advanced. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 78 AN SP AT I O N P L A O RT NN SJTPO IN G TION ZA NI GA SOUTH JE RS EY TR R O Existing Traffic Signal Candidate Signal Location Route 49 Existing Roadways Proposed Concept Roadways and Network Linkages & $ ' % $ " # ' ! " + ! * ( )" ' ! " Fig. 36: Pennsville Area Plan Par t 1 Nor th The Route 130/49 Corridor Study Proposed Improvements and Alternatives AN SP AT I O N P L A O RT NN SJTPO IN G TION ZA NI GA SOUTH JE RS EY TR R O Existing Traffic Signal Candidate Signal Location Route 49 Existing Roadways Proposed Concept Roadways and Network Linkages Mahoney Corson slow Win Laura Glen ute Ro Sinn 49 icks on Hook os e Road & Fig. 37: Pennsville Area Plan Par t 2 South The Route 130/49 Corridor Study Proposed Improvements and Alternatives Go Key features of the plan are: Create a roadway network that supports and serves access to Route 49 — Creating a parallel roadway connection on the western edge of Route 49 from the intersection of Lippincott Avenue to Brandrift Avenue. Portion of the roadway would occur as streets and in other areas cross easements through parking areas would provide connectivity. A parallel roadway on the eastern edge of Route 49 connecting Union Avenue to Oliver Avenue should be considered which would provide access to the signal at Oliver and Jenkins Avenues. Union Avenue at the southern end of both eastern and western access road treatments would be a candidate for future signalization to serve the concentrated demand for access to Route 49. Create a grid network of roadway in the Churchtown Road, Hook Road, I-295 and Route 49 quadrant that can support future development — A system of local connector roads should be developed which links Churchtown Road with Hook Road in the north-south direction and possible extension of Orchard Road in an east-west direction potentially connecting Hook Road and Route 49 at a candidate signal location that includes Church Landing Road. Other segments of the network — Kent Road, Lippincott Road, King and Leap Avenues — would supplement and infill the system. Extend Wingate Road across East Pittsfield Road to connect with Route 49 — Wingate is a north-south roadway between Route 49 and Hook Road and the extension would create needed additional capacity. Union and Glenwood Avenues should connect to the Wingate Avenue extension. South of East Pittsfield Road Wingate could connect to William Penn Road at another potential candidate signal location on Route 49. A signal at this location also provides improved access to the underutilized Caldor Shopping Center and may improve the redevelopment potential of the site. Create a grid network of roadway in the Mahoney Road, Hook Road, Fort Mott (CR630), Goose Road and Route 49 southern quadrant that can support future development — The objective similar to the other areas is to provide network that reduces the dependence on Route 49 alone for inter-municipal travel. Figure 37 shows a sample roadway grid that provides two parallel north-south alternative roadways to Route 49 and creates two additional east–west connections between Route 49 and Hook Road. The scheme also reconnects the Laura’s Glen neighborhood to the adjoining network and obviates its total dependence on Route 49. Other Initiatives ITS/VMS Travel Advisory Travel advisory signing should prominently advise the use of Hook Road at the foot of the Delaware Memorial Bridge to maximize the peak period through traffic diversion to Hook Road. Intelligent traffic signing (ITS) systems including Variable Message Signing (VMS) could dynamically advise travelers of congested periods and events and present messages advising Hook Road as the preferred route opportunity. The system could be fully mechanized. Monitoring traffic volumes on Route 49 or the ramp from I-295 to Route 49 could initiate alternative advisory signing. Regional Ferry System Planning The Riverwalk Project in Penns Grove and the Riverview Park and Main Street area of Pennsville are important resources for redevelopment focused on the Delaware River. The Riverwalk project and Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 81 Riverview Park include recreational, retail and entertainment activities and are potential tourist-based destinations. Access to these destinations via expanded ferry service connections to the DRBA operated system or a service oriented to the development along the Gloucester County Delaware River shore, Camden waterfront and Penns Landing in Philadelphia could have the potential to be an economic benefit. At the appropriate time Salem County and the SJTPO with participation by DRBA, should initiate study of the potential for expanded ferry service. Regional Bike / Pedestrian Circulation Plan and Suitability Maps Salem County should prepare develop a Bicycle Plan to include State Routes 40, 48, 49 and 130 and CRs 540, 551 and 630 to provide a system of regional bicycle routes. Local systems should also be developed the provide access to important local commercial, historic, natural and recreational uses. Routes should include ferries routes as points of departure and legs of the route. Various themes could be developed to attract eco-tourism market. Stakeholders would like to see bicycle system planning take advantage of the Delaware River as a potential parallel travel corridor. The townships should develop programs to require sidewalks on all but the Interstate systems as appropriate to facilitate walking. Recreational / Tourist Signage Update A comprehensive signage program should be developed that captures the important Salem County area natural and historic resources and destinations. Redevelopment at historic ferry depot could be eligible for the Coastal Heritage Trail system. Desirable Typical Section Update The NJDOT State Highway Access Management Code, Administrative Code Title 16, Chapter 47, establishes by code a “Desirable Typical Section” (DTS) for every segment of the State highway system. The DTS is the Department’s long range plan for highway configuration and is used to determine level of service thresholds for access applications. Route 130’s DTS is established at four lanes for its entire length throughout Carneys Point and Penn Grove. A four lane Route 130 highway is inconsistent with the traffic demand expectations and incompatible with local context and traffic management objectives. Drainage Management System Update Potential drainage problems were identified through stakeholder interviews and investigation of crash data. Through this process, four potential adverse drainage conditions were identified: Route 130 and Maple Avenue, Penns Grove, M.P. 3.20 Route 130 in the vicinity of Route 48, Penns Grove, M.P. 3.66 Route 130 in the vicinity of CR 641, Pittman Landing Road, M.P. 4.09 Route 48 north of Route 130 in the vicinity of Gillison Avenue, Penns Grove, M.P. 0.10 Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 82 XI. Implementation Plan The matrix on the next page, Table 26, summarizes the recommendations of this study. Each recommendation is assigned to a lead agency that would be responsible for advancing the project. Cooperating groups or funding agencies are identified as having a supporting role. Preliminary Pipeline assignments have been made for all NJDOT lead projects. Each project has been assigned one of three categories of timeframe assignment: I – Immediate, M – Mid -term or L – Long term. Order of magnitude cost estimates are based on concept level project scoping and do not include Right of Way or complex utility work. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 83 Table 26: Improvements Action Plan -- See Selected Graphics (11 x 17) Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 84 Appendix A: Chronology of Project Meetings The following meetings were held during the course of the study: Date: March 16, 2004 May 17, 2004 June 23, 2004 September 15, 2004 September 22, 2004 November 10 and 11, 2004 November 15, 2004 December 14 and 15, 2004 December 16, 2004 February 1 and 2, 2005 February 2, 2005 February 14, 2005 February 16, 2005 March 4, 2005 April 26, 2005 May 17, 2005 May 24, 2005 May 31, 2005 Urban Engineers, Inc. With: Working Group Kick-off Public Meeting #1 Mayors’ Meeting (Pennsville, Penns Grove, Carneys Point) Working Group Meeting #2 Pennsville Economic Development Commission Field View/Working Group Meeting #3 Working Group Meeting #4 Focus Group Meetings Salem County Engineer Penns Grove Main Street Plan Development Charrette/Focus Group Presentation to Penns Grove Council Working Group Meeting #5 Presentation to Penns Grove Planning Board Coordination Meeting with NJ Department of Community Affairs, Office of Smart Growth and Penns Grove Working Group #6 Presentation to Carneys Point Mayor Mack Lake Presentation to Pennsville Mayor Rick Barnhardt and Deputy Mayor Bernie Sennstrom Public Meeting #2 Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 85 Chafin Barnhart Sennstrom, II Dalessio Gant Rodriquez Kearns Don Rick Bernard Cynthia Edward David George Jennifer Jim James Carl Joe David Sherri Ron James Mike Rebecca B. Sgt. Honorable Mr. Ms. Mr. Mr. Ms. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Ms. Mr. Mr. Mr. Ms. Reeves Purchase Jones Scull Waddington Wentzell Federici Young Hinchman Rukenstein Waddington Gonnella-Rosata Scarpa Petersack Maiman Buente Washington Williams Garriety Vanderslice Anna Marie Joe Mr. John Mr. Allan Mr. Stephen Honorable John Ms. Sharon Mr. Bruce Mr. Robert Last Name Ms. First Name Heinbaugh Franceschini Patrus Lake, III Hamm Mr. Carneys Point Fire Dept. & Rescue Squad Carneys Point Planning Board Carneys Point Township Government Carneys Point Township Government (Mack) Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (NJT) Deepwater Fire Department, Station 7 Delaware River & Bay Bridge Authority (DRBA) Legends Properties New Jersey DOT New Jersey Transit - Bus Service Planning New Jersey Turnpike Authority Penns Grove Borough Government Penns Grove Borough Government Penns Grove Borough Redevelopment Commission Pennsville Economic Development Commission Pennsville Fire and Rescue Co. 1 Pennsville Police Department Pennsville Township Government Pennsville Township Government Pennsville Township Government Pennsville Township Historical Society Puetro Rican Action Committee (PRAC) River Walk Salem County Board of Social Services Salem County Chamber of Commerce Salem County Community Bus Service (SCOT) Salem County Department of Economic Development Salem County Department of Emergency Services Salem County Engineers Office Salem County Historical Society Salem County Office on Aging Salem County Planning Board Salem County Special Committee on Economic Development South Jersey Port Corporation South Jersey Transp. Planning Organization (SJTPO) United Way of Salem County Thomas Nick Ms. Janine Honorable John M. Mr. Larry Title Organization Port of Salem Planning Director County Engineer Executive Director Executive Director Supervisor Director Mayor of Pennsville Deputy Mayor Clerk President Executive Director Chairman Mayor of Penns Grove Clerk Service Planning Chief Chairman Clerk Mayor of Carneys Point Position 2nd & Beckett Streets 1173 E. Landis Avenue P.O. Box 127 Camden Vineland Salem Salem Salem Titusville Penns Grove Carneys Point Pennsville Salem Woodstown 147 S. Virginia Avenue 91 S Virginia Ave 350 East Pittsfield Street 98 Market Street 135 Cemetery Road Federici &Akins 79-83 Market Street 98 Market Street 407 Pennington-Titusville Road, P.O. Box 1 Trenton Camden New Brunswick Penns Grove Penns Grove Penns Grove 1035 Parkway Avenue 350 Newton Ave P.O. Box 1121 West Main & State Streets, P.O. Box 527 West Main & State Streets, P.O. Box 527 249 South Broad St Pennsville Pennsville Pennsville Pennsville Pennsville Pennsville Penns Grove Carneys Point Carneys Point Newark Deepwater New Castle 303 Harding Highway 303 Harding Highway 1 Penn Plaza East, 2nd Floor 545 North Broadway P.O.Box 71 91 First Street 90 N. Broadway Lenape Dr. 9 Parkwood Road 90 North Broadway 86 Church Landing Road 114 E. Main Streeet, P O Box 444 Carneys Point City 258 D Street Street Address NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ DE NJ State 08103 08360 08079 08079 08079 08560 08069 08069-1765 08070 08079 08098-9455 08070 08070 08070 08070 08070 08070 08069 08625 08103 08903 08069 08069 08069 08069 08069 07105 08023 19720 08069 Zip 856-678-3089 x535 856-935-6258 856-678-4863 856-678-3089 x124 856-678-4453 856-299-5800 610-960-5511 © 856-299-7200 856-299-6699 856-678-8777 (856) 339-8615 856-769-3500 856-589-1400 856-935-5004 856-935-7510 609-730-8138 856-935-7510, 8532 856-757-4969 856-794-1941 856-935-2358 856-299-0070, x-147 856-299-4509 973-491-8068 (856) 299-6077 302-571-6408 856-231-1010 x108 609-530-2858 856-968-3826 732-247-0900 856-299-9390 856-299-0098 856-299-3966 856-678-6006 856-299-2276 Phone Number 856-339-9546 609-730-8139 356-935-8596 856-757-4903 856-794-2549 856-678-7160 (856) 935-8596 856-299-3276 856-678-9428 856-968-3907 732-247-4420 856-299-3411 856-299-3411 302-571-6391 856-299-1983 856-299-1983 Fax Number [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Email Appendix B -- See Selected Graphics (11 x 17) Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 87 Appendix C: Project Surveys Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 88 Appendix C -- See Selected Graphics (11 x 17) Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 89 Appendix D: Public Meetings Summary of Public Information Centers May 17, 2004 The first public working group meeting was held on May 17, 2004 at Penns Grove Borough Hall to introduce the project team, describe the project development process and schedule, and provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions. Prior to the meeting, a mailing list was constructed of stakeholders that included officials from the involved municipalities, Environmental Justice advocacy groups, local chambers of commerce, police and fire departments. Everyone on this mailing list received an invitation to the meeting. Additional notices about the meeting were posted at public buildings, on the SJTPO web site, and in Today’s Sunbeam. A table was set up in the back of the meeting room to distribute questionnaires, agendas, and record signins. Displays in the back of the room showed various corridor characteristics superimposed on aerials of the study area. An informal approach was taken for the meeting, with members of the project team seated around a table, and public attendees seated directly in front of the table. Questions and comments were received throughout the presentation. After the presentation concluded, the project team was available to discuss the project and answer additional questions until approximately 8:30 p.m. The questionnaire was designed to gather general quality-of-life information from the attendees, as well as transportation problems and trends within the corridor. A total of one questionnaire was returned during the meeting. May 31, 2005 The second Public Information Center was held on Tuesday, May 31, 2005, 5 pm-8 pm, at the Pennsville Hampton Inn to provide an opportunity for the interested citizens of Carney’s Point, Pennsville and Penns Grove to view the conclusions and recommendations outlined in the Draft Plan. The public’s comments were gathered for consideration in the Final Report. Project team participants at the Information Center were Mike Reeves, Project Manager, SJTPO, Erika Rush, V.P. Planning, David Cox, Project Manager, and John Federico of Urban Engineers; and Linda McDonald, Transportation Marketing Strategies, LLC. Community participation, ideas and suggestions proved invaluable in developing the Draft Plan which potentially can improve and benefit the quality of life for the residents. The study findings received unanimous and enthusiastic support from the Mayors and respective economic development commissions. Public notice of the PIC was handled in the following manner: • A press release was issued by SJTPO • A notice was placed in the local Sunbeam Newspaper, • A notice was placed on the SJTPO website. • A notice was placed on the Salem County website, • Individual notices were sent via email or fax to the Mayors, Puerto Rican Action Committee, Penns Grove Redevelopment Commission, Pennsville Economic Development Commission, Salem County Department of Economic Development, Carneys Point Planning Board, Salem Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 91 • County Historical Society and Salem County Chamber of Commerce, Legend Properties and Riverwalk Development. Notices were provided to the Mayors of Carneys Point and Pennsville The meeting format was an informal setting, providing attendees the ability to view the graphic and text displays illustrating the various recommendations and corresponding summary action plan. Team members offered answers or clarification to the attendees as they studied the display. Also, included was a graphic illustration of the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s capital project budget, development, and planning and implementation process. Attendees were asked to sign in and offer written comments on forms provided. Seven individuals attended, representing citizens as well as business, local government and the New Jersey Office of Smart Growth regional representative, James Ruggieri. All were highly complimentary and supportive of the comprehensive approach and practical recommendations outline in the Action Plan. The meeting concluded at 8 p.m. Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 92 Appendix E: Project GIS Data The following information was created during the course of the study and provided on CD to SJTPO: GIS Map Files Phase I: EJ–Age.mxd EJ–Minority.mxd EJ–Poverty.mxd Questionnaire.mxd Phase II: Penns Grove Crash Rates.mxd Pennsville Crash Rates.mxd Penns Grove Sidewalks.mxd Pennsville Sidewalks.mxd Redevelopment Areas.mxd Study Area Basemap.mxd Study Area Bus Routes.mxd Study Area CMS-VMT.mxd Study Area PMS.mxd Study Area Road Geometry.mxd GIS Shapefiles/Layers The following GIS layers were created specifically for this project and are utilized in the abovementioned map files: Crash_Rates.shp Pedestrian_Accidents.shp Road_Geometry.shp Signalized_Intersections.shp Existing_Sidewalks.shp Priority1_Sidewalks.shp Street_Names.shp Redevelopment.shp Pavement_03.shp VMT.shp Urban Engineers, Inc. Route 130 /49 Corridor Study June, 2005 93