For years, residents have raised concerns about the speed of traffic in the stretch of Route 27 from North 8th Ave to the Edison border. To address these concerns, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), at the urging of the Mayor and Borough Council, has proposed a “road diet” for the stretch of road, which would reduce the number of travel lanes, and reallocate space for dedicated bike lanes.
In Fall of 2023, the NJDOT presented an design alternative that provided for one 12-foot wide car lane in each direction, one 6-foot wide buffered bike lane in each direction, from No. 8th Avenue to the Edison border. In addition to the reconfiguration of the roadway, the sidewalks and driveways will be brought into compliance with NJDOT and ADA standards, making the corridor safer for pedestrians and promoting walkability.
The NJDOT’s most recent proposal for the road diet starts at No. 6th Avenue and reduces the number of traffic lanes to three, one travel lane for each direction and a left turn lane in the middle, with 5-foot bike lanes in each direction. The NJDOT has represented that the new configuration would alleviate congestion that may be caused by left turns, as well as prevent cars from utilizing the bike lanes in order to pass someone waiting to make a left turn. For this reason, the NJDOT is recommending this approach over the alternative presented last year.
Before implementing the road diet, the NJDOT has requested that the Borough Council pass a resolution of support for the project. They have also indicated that if approved, the department could implement the road diet next year. The remaining improvements to the sidewalk and driveway areas will follow, after all the detailed survey work, engineering and right-of-entry agreements are in place.
For more information, the following items are available for review online:
Council Work Session recording from 12/3/24
Slide deck from 12/3/24 Council Work Session
NJDOT Construction Plan for Current Alternative
