Like the earlier studies of the proposed Route 92 boondoggle in central New Jersey, the draft environmental impact statement just released shows that any congestion-busting benefits of the $350 million, 6.7 mile highway for north-south corridors or the local road network are unimpressive and short-lived.

The Turnpike Authority’s consultant used trip times between 30 origin-destination pairs and traffic levels of service at 17 intersections to show that the expense and wetlands destruction is justified.

If Rt. 92 is built, levels of service at 11 out of 14 intersections studied would not improve at all in the morning peak hour over the 2028 no-build scenario—in fact, all 11 intersections remained at total failure. Service levels are a measure of traffic delay, graded from A, free-flowing, to F, gridlock. Worse, Rt. 92 will not improve any intersection with an F rating in the AM peak hour, and will only slightly improve three intersections in the PM peak, compared to the no-action alternative. Building Rt. 92 would also make no difference compared to the no-build scenario in the PM peak hour. Again, 11 intersections would remain at service level F. Building Rt. 92 is actually projected to worsen evening congestion at Raymond Rd. and Rt. 27. Only one intersection would dramatically improve in the evening—Plainsboro Rd. and CR 535.

The Turnpike Authority also chose thirty origin-destination pairs to analyze vehicle trip delay now (2001) and 20 years after the project is built (2028) and compared delay with a 2028 no-build "trend" condition. Princeton and West Windsor motorists traveling from Princeton Junction to Turnpike Exit 8A will experience more delay in the morning rush if Rt. 92 is built over the no-build option. Plainsboro residents in 2028 would also shave very little from their trips compared to the no-build option.

The Turnpike’s 1999 wetland permit application also analyzed traffic delay. That study showed that only 6 of 31 intersections would improve if Rt. 92 were built, versus the no-build condition. Similarly, Rt. 92 was projected to increase east-west travel speed by a mere .6 mph. The more this highway’s ability to tackle delay is studied, the worse its performance gets.  It's time for Governor McGreevey to pull the plug.v