Route
57 Corridor Plan
Warren
County
Background
The Route 57 Corridor Plan was started
in 2005 to examine various alternatives
that would preserve the rural nature
of Route 57 from Phillipsburg to Hackettstown,
one of the last remaining state highways
with a rustic character. The 18-month
planning effort examined future development
and transportation alternatives for
the twenty-mile, two-lane rural roadway
through Warren County. |
|
Preserving
the rural landscape
of Route 57 was
the focus of
the
plan. |
Project
description
The study built upon related efforts
to promote a smart growth and context
sensitive approach to future development
along the corridor. The outcome of the
plan was a recommended development scenario
for the region that would focus growth
in and around existing urban centers,
protecting agricultural land and views
between the centers, while minimizing
points of congestion along the corridor.
This scenario also conserves an estimated
7,000 acres of land.
The Route
57 Corridor Plan was
developed through a collaborative
planning process that
engaged key stakeholders,
technical experts and
community residents alike.
The Plan identified innovative
implementation measures
such as municipal zoning
to support smart growth
development, integrated
land use and transportation
planning, improved street
connectivity, calming
of excessive traffic
speeds and targeted
spot transportation improvements
to mitigate future traffic
congestion. In addition,
four conceptual prototypes
were designed to provide
the study communities
with a better understanding
of potential issues that
are common to the corridor.
This subset of demonstration
plans includes the planning
contexts of village/farm
preservation, borough/township,
transitional areas,
small villages and the
unique challenges for each
context outlined in further
detail.
The
Route 57 Implementation
Toolkit was developed
as a companion document
to the Corridor Plan.
The toolkit provides
detailed information
and resources, including
suggested design
guidelines and regulatory
measures that municipalities
can use to help implement
the corridor plan.
Project
status
The Route 57 Corridor Plan and Implementation
Toolkit were completed in 2006. The New
Jersey Department of Transportation designated
the Route 57 corridor as a New
Jersey Scenic Byway in February 2009.
A corridor management plan is currently
being prepared. |
|
The Route 57 Corridor
Plan resulted in
designating Route
57 as a New Jersey
Scenic Byway. |
NJFITness
goals advanced by the Route
57 Corridor Plan
are rated on a scale of
one to three stars, with
three stars indicating
the most strongly pursued:
The
NJFIT tools that are
most applicable to this
project are starred:
|
