Common Sense vs. Induced Traffic
Scores of residents of Randolph Township in Morris County, NJ objected at a July public hearing to NJ DOT plans to widen the Suffolk Turnpike from two to four lanes for a congested one-mile stretch. Opponents said the DOT plan would transform the rural road into a busy commercial highway, generate more traffic and render Randolph's vision for a pedestrian-oriented village along the road a shambles. A Township council candidate said the four-lane highway would not solve congestion, explaining it would fill up with new traffic. Another speaker urged DOT to "abandon this idea and put [its] efforts into public transportation." A solution advanced by the township would add a third lane, bike lanes and turning lanes at clogged intersections. Star-Ledger
