Mass transit has yet to be considered in county Route 520 plans
(Open letter to the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Free-holders)

The Monmouth County League of Women Voters is concerned about the changes proposed for Route 520. The Orth-Rogers study done for the county department of engineering addresses short-term traffic flow problems and engineering solutions using data from accidents and several peak hour backups. As a major east-west corridor in our county, Route 520 needs to be evaluated for current traffic usage and for long-term impacts from future development and road improvements.

We believe the county planning board should be asked to review the way in which this study fits with the formally adopted Monmouth County Growth Management Guide. As the county department with expertise in land use and development, it is important the planning board be involved in overall considerations of the future integrity of this corridor.

This is primarily a residential corridor and more than traffic flow is involved. Environmental and quality of life issues must also be addressed. The Orth-Rogers study, which focused on better traffic flow, does not seem to meet the new policy at NJDOT that calls for context sensitive "community-oriented" design. Does the real solution consist just in moving the traffic faster, or is it to have a well managed, multifunctional corridor? This could include traffic calming, an attractive landscaped environment, safer (slower) speeds in the vicinity of schools and recreation areas, and more pedestrian and bicycle pathways.

Experience has shown that widening roads is a stopgap measure, not a solution. Improvements encourage more people to use a road. Increasing the flow/speed of traffic may be an engineering solution, but may also increase the severity of accidents. This current study only looks at traffic issues until 2010. This is crisis management, not real planning.

Anticipated growth of Brookdale Community College, land-use changes and development farther west along the corridor, impacts to the Swimming River Reservoir, and congestion in the Route 35 area to the east all need to be considered, as do more flexible mass transit options. Mass transit was not even considered in this report.

The League asks that [the board of freeholders] ensure interdepartmental cooperation for a broad-based evaluation of the needs and future of this corridor.

Esther Greenberg

president

Louise Usechak

director of natural resources

Monmouth County League

of Women Voters