The New Jersey DOT recently announced it would develop a reversible bus lane along Route 9 in Middlesex County. The lane will operate north-bound in the morning rush period, and south-bound in the evening. It will help buses reach or exit the limited access highway system north of the Raritan River, generally speeding up bus commutes.

The approximately four-mile project will also build new sidewalks and median pedestrian refuges. It is a promising sign that New Jersey’s roadways are becoming multi-modal corridors, accommodating the specific needs of mass transit and pedestrians, as well as motorists. We hope it is the first of many projects designed with New Jersey’s hundreds of thousands of daily bus riders in mind.

DOT aims to have the project done in 2006 as part of a new initiative to complete construction work according to rigorous deadlines.

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