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Both
Monmouth County and the Highway Authority have determined
that Interchanges 109 and 105 of the Garden State Parkway
are overcapacity. Commuter traffic accessing the
GSP and student traffic to Brookdale Community College have
adversely affected traffic conditions in Lincroft Village
and the surrounding roadways and townships. Swimming River
Road and CR 520 traffic has a history of backing up for miles
while Brookdale is in session. Northbound Garden State Parkway
vehicles, exiting at Interchange 109, have backed up onto
the Parkway, blocking the right lane and creating serious
safety issues. Traffic backups are common on Hope Road, Hance
Avenue, and Routes 35 & 36 as commuters make their way
to Exits 105 & 109. To help alleviate these conditions,
the Lincroft Village Green Association has made a series of
proposals.
Our first set of proposals included the
study and building of both a new GSP Interchange 107 in Tinton
Falls and improved access to Route 18. The Middletown Township
Committee agreed that this new Interchange is needed and,
on December 1st, 2003, passed a resolution requesting that
a study be done. (To read the resolution click here.)
The resolution and an accompanying letter were sent to county
and parkway/turnpike offices. The letter can be viewed
here.
The LVGA also presented our proposals to the Two River Mayors
Council consisting of Mayors from Eatontown, Red Bank, Little
Silver, Tinton Falls, Shrewsbury, Fair Haven, Oceanport and
West Long Branch. Although most of the townships supported
the proposal, it did not have the support of former Mayor
McNamara of Tinton Falls. A state study of the feasibility
of an exit 107 was also not favorable.
In recent Rt 18 & GSP Proposals (Fall 2006)
the LVGA is urging the governments of Middletown,
Tinton Falls, Eatontown, Shrewsbury, Little Silver, Red Bank
and Colts Neck, as well as the Freeholders of Monmouth County,
to write resolutions urging the state to make improvements
to the GSP and Rt. 18. (View our letter to Middletown Twp.
here.) The LVGA feels that
these improvements will lesson traffic, especially truck traffic
on local roads, as well as State highways throughout eastern
Monmouth County, and consequently improve the safety of our
roads. Our proposals are as follows:
1) Create a new exit on Rt. 18 at an extension
of Laird Road. Laird Road connects to Phalanx Road
which leads to the Phalanx Road entrance of Brookdale Community
College.
2) Allow trucks to use the Garden State Parkway
up to Exit 117 (Keyport exit). Because trucks currently
must exit at Exit 105, many choose to use CR537 and CR50
to travel to points in northern Monmouth County. Exit 117
allows trucks direct access to State Routes 35 & 36.
3) Expand the Garden State Parkway Exit 105 to
include full direct access to Rt. 18. Currently
Rt. 18 does not have a direct connection to and from GSP
North. Consequently, residents along Rt. 18 who wish to
travel north on the Parkway use CR520 to enter the Parkway
at exit 109. A direct connection would encourage drivers
to stay on the superhighways in their travels.
4) Create an entrance and exit to northbound
Garden State Parkway from Wayside Road in Tinton Falls.
Currently Wayside Road motorists can access the Parkway
southbound via Rt. 18 but there is no connection to northbound
GSP. Various truck destinations (County Land Fill, Marpal
recycling center, etc.) are located near the Wayside intersection
with Rt. 18 and the Garden State Parkway. The new northbound
entrance and exit to the GSP from Wayside would not only
help commuters but would also be a direct connection for
trucks if they were allowed on the Parkway up to Exit 117.
A state task force recently outlined new truck regulations
that would require all large inter- and intra-state trucks
to use national interstate and designated state highways.
(See links below.) The proposal included continuing the ban
on trucks north of exit 105 on the Garden State Parkway. Before
the regulation takes affect, a public comment period is provided.
Expanding exit 105 with connections to Rt. 18 and allowing
trucks on the Parkway up to exit 117 will remove a substantial
number of trucks from local roads.
The following are related articles with links:
—State DOT changes to regulations regarding truck
routes:
—Asbury Press Press articles
—The Independent article: November
29, 2006 "Residents propose ideas to ease Rt.
520 traffic"
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