Rt. 1 Shoulder Usage Cut Congestion By 50%, Will Be Permanent

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Do you take Rt. 1 through South Brunswick Twp. on your way to work?

The state of New Jersey proudly announced today that their novel "shoulder-running" program has cut down on Rt. 1 congestion in South Brunswick by 50 percent. The state will now make shoulder running on Rt. 1 permanent.

The NJ DOT started the shoulder running in June of last year: Starting on June 26, the pilot project allowed cars to use the shoulder as a travel lane Monday through Friday between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Rt. 1 northbound and southbound from Raymond Road to Promenade Boulevard in South Brunswick. Past Patch reporting: Starting Monday, You Can Drive On The Rt. 1 Shoulder

"Using the shoulder as a travel lane during peak travel times in South Brunswick has cut commuting times by 50 percent and relieved congestion through the area," said the DOT in a statement. "As a result of the pilot project’s success, the Department is in the process of making this program a permanent improvement to Rt. 1."

“It’s amazing how like-minded groups, in this case NJDOT and South Brunswick Township, can work in a cooperative and collaborative effort to solve a long standing egregious issue that many had claimed to be unsolvable,” South Brunswick Councilman South Brunswick Councilman Joseph J. Camarota, Jr. said.

Some data from the six-month pilot study:

• Average speed during peak commuting times went from 13 mph in 2015 to 31 mph during the six-month evaluation period in 2017.
• Drivers were able to get through that stretch of South Brunswick four minutes faster each morning and evening.
• In 2015, before the pilot program was initiated, that same section of Rt. 1 carried an average of 5,600 cars southbound from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on two lanes of traffic. In 2017, during the pilot program, it carried more than 6,000 cars on average across three lanes of traffic. The shoulder essentially became a third lane of traffic.

“NJDOT prides itself on this type of out of the box thinking,” NJDOT Acting Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “Traffic and congestion are a serious problem in New Jersey, especially along the busy Route 1 corridor. Working together, the Department and local officials developed an innovative and cost effective solution that improves safety and travel times on Route 1 that all motorists can appreciate.”