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Land Use and Transportation Plan
Frequently Asked Questions
| Q. What is the focus of the Route 57 Corridor Study? |
A. The Route 57 Corridor Study is focused not only on Route 57 itself, but land use and
transportation issues associated with development along the highway between Phillipsburg and Hackettstown in Warren County.
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| Q. What is the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s (NJDOT) goal? |
A. NJDOT is taking a proactive approach to ensure the long-term effectiveness of Route 57 as a
two-lane rural road by creating a coordinated approach to local land development and transportation improvements with
local planners and municipalities. The study team will include NJDOT staff and consultants working in close consultation
with local and municipal planners.
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| Q. Why not just widen the road? |
A. Following an analysis of traffic and area growth, NJDOT determined the Route 57 corridor does
not need to be widened for the next 20 years. To maintain the highway as a rural, two-lane road, a corridor plan was
initiated after it was realized that through careful planning NJDOT investments can preserve the roadway for the future.
NJDOT officials are now investigating a better way to relieve traffic while enhancing the area’s transportation
network and preserving its natural, historic and cultural resources. Furthermore, widening is not financially
feasible as the best long-term solution for the transportation system. NJDOT and its local partners have determined
that sections of Route 57 should take on the character of a local road, designed by and for the communities that it serves.
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| Q. How do the community workshops work? |
A. The public will be introduced – and immersed – into to the planning process during three
community workshops (link to community meetings section of the community outreach page). Each of the workshops
will engage members of the community in dialogue and a planning exercise that offers opportunities for input on
the future of Route 57.
The first workshop, “How Shall We Grow?”, held in March 2005, allowed participants to review a variety of community
types and offer their opinions on the most desirable for Route 57.
The second workshop, “Where Shall We Grow?”, was held in May 2005. The event provided members of the community the
opportunity to shape the design and density of growth along Route 57. They participated in a gaming exercise to prepare
future development scenarios for Route 57 and think about which community types are appropriate for the corridor’s town
and villages.
The third and final workshop, “How Will We Get There?”, held in July 2005,
reviewed the results of the development scenarios. Participants evaluated the outcomes and compared them to the goals
and principles developed in the earlier Workshops.
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| Q. When will the study be completed? |
A. The Route 57 Corridor Study is made up of three major project reports. The Corridor Conceptual
Plan will be completed in August 2005. The Route 57 Framework Plans and
Design Guidelines are scheduled to be completed in January of 2006. The final portion of the study will be an
Implementation Toolkit, which is scheduled to be completed in February of 2006.
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| Q. What happens next? |
A. When this study is completed, the municipalities along the 57 corridor should have strategies and
tools to continue to plan growth in conjunction with the county and the Highlands Region. The NJDOT will continue to look
for opportunities for scenic preservation and spot transportation improvements within the corridor.
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| Q. What studies have been completed on Route 57? |
A. The Route 57 Corridor Study will build upon the information and strategies developed in previous
state, regional, and local plans. The 2002 Washington Borough Revitalization Plan is a vision for future development and redevelopment in Washington Borough.
The Route 57 Needs Assessment/Concept Development Study, also completed
in 2002, made recommendations to improve specific areas of deficiency, including the intersection of Route 57 and County
Route (CR) 519, Washington Borough roadway, streetscape, and pedestrian improvements, as well as traffic calming projects
and gateway treatments.
The 2004 Warren County Strategic Growth Plan provides land use policy
guidance for municipalities, identifies important transportation improvements and seeks to ensure that public facilities
are developed in coordination with local growth.
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