NJTPA and Middlesex County Study Identifies More Than 60 Recommendations to Reduce Truck Traffic in Southern Middlesex County
Monroe Mayor Stephen Dalina Continues to Lead Effort to Alleviate Truck Traffic in Residential Areas
MONROE TOWNSHIP – October 24, 2023 – The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) and Middlesex County have made more than 60 separate recommendations to manage regional truck traffic through the Southern Middlesex County Freight Movement Study.
The study makes suggestions designed to keep trucks out of residential neighborhoods in Monroe Township and surrounding communities and provide the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) with the data and analysis it needs to implement these recommendations.
“The State and County have heard our ongoing cries for help related to heavy trucks diverting through sections of our Township and have issued this important report for public review and discussion,” Mayor Stephen Dalina said. “This is a key milestone in our ongoing fight to alleviate truck traffic on our local roads. This study is providing the necessary direction for State and County leaders to devise the right solution for the roadways they operate and maintain in Monroe Township and Southern Middlesex County.”
A sample of recommendations in the report:
· The Study calls for the immediate implementation of a weight restriction on Cranbury Station Road between Hightstown‐Cranbury Road and Applegarth Road. Accordingly, the Township of Monroe will be submitting a request for this restriction in partnership with Middlesex County to NJDOT, who is the ultimate decision-making authority on weight restrictions in New Jersey. Weight restrictions on other east-west connector roads in Monroe are also recommended but will take longer to implement. Such restrictions effectively limit trucks from residentials areas where they should not travel.
· Upgrade truck-related signage, such as directing trucks traveling between Interchange 8A of the New Jersey Turnpike and Route 33 to use Route 130, rather than Applegarth Road and other local roads in Monroe.
· State and County officials should work with companies that produce and update wayfinding software via GPS. This will help ensure truckers remain on designated truck routes, rather than winding through residential neighborhoods.
· Construct turning lanes and adjust signal timing to make it easier for trucks to access commercial roadways, as well as upgrade intersections to better accommodate truck traffic on desired routes.
· Reduce the speed limit on Forsgate Drive from 45 mph to 40 mph to enhance safety, with speed limit signs installed east of Forsgate Country Club. Moreover, short segments of the corridor have three lanes in either direction. These segments should be narrowed to two lanes, to maintain consistency, discourage speeding and reduce the frequency of last‐second unsafe merges. Also, along the corridor, the widths of individual lanes may need to be reduced, and/or other measures undertaken, such as increasing the shoulder width to reduce speeding.
According to the study, some recommendations can be implemented in the next year, while others must be evaluated and prioritized, with necessary funding.
Mayor Dalina took over the fight to address local truck traffic issues from the late former mayor, Gerald W. Tamburro, who pushed for the New Jersey Department of Transportation and Middlesex County to ban heavy tractor trailers from local roads, as many of the large warehouses in Cranbury rely on access via Monroe roadways.
“We have been collaborating with our partners at all levels of government for some time now and this report is a significant milestone toward progress,” Mayor Dalina said. “The NJTPA and County are fully invested in advancing solutions to make our roads safe for our residents. We will continue to fight until these trucks are off our residential streets.”
At Monroe’s urging, the study took a regional approach, analyzing traffic effects in Cranbury, South Brunswick, and Jamesburg.
“As I’ve said previously, we are not interested in just passing this nuisance traffic onto a neighboring town,” Mayor Dalina said. “We need a regional solution, in which all of our neighboring municipalities are working collaboratively to remove these trucks from our residential neighborhoods.”
Mayor Dalina expressed his appreciation to Monroe residents who participated in the public engagement phase, such as serving on a Technical Advisory Committee that helped provide direction to researchers. Hundreds of township residents attended community workshops and stakeholder meetings, participated in a survey, and provided nearly 1,000 comments and over 350 specific recommendations for projects or actions.
“Monroe has served as an influential voice as decisions were made in every facet of this study, reviewing preliminary data at each step and ensuring the results address the ongoing concerns of this community,” Mayor Dalina said. “I look forward to the next step: implementing workable solutions that benefit our residents and ensuring pedestrian and vehicular safety in our community.”
The Southern Middlesex County Freight Movement Study is now available for public review at njtpa.org/MiddlesexFreightStudy. For more information about the freight movement study, please visit middlesexcountynj.gov/freightstudy
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All media inquiries may be directed to Monroe Township Public Information Officer Stacey Kennedy at 732-521-4400 or