JTA Seeks $100 Million for JTB Interchange After Just Spending $14 Million

[spuwho]

I have reviewed the JTA proposals for the I95/JTB updates and while it will definitely resolve anything coming and going on I-95 and JTB, IMHO they all leave Phillips Highway in the lurch.

The desire to maintain the retail access with Bonneval Road make all the proposals difficult and expensive. I agree that they should maintain the access, it's just that the proximity of the retail/office/hotel/food outlets so close to the ROW (and Phillips Hwy) makes it more complex than usual.

Raising Phillips Hwy above JTB and using either the urban or standard intersection layout appears to work best. The "side exit" where traffic goes against the grain to reach JTB is a bust and will cause more accidents and definitely confusion.

Of all the proposals, all of them will kill the gas station at Phillips & JTB. In all of them, access to the station will be more restricted. Do the owner a favor, buy the lot now and use it for ROW. Don't let it turn into another broken glass lot like Bowden/University/Phillips.

[stjr]

The desire to maintain the retail access with Bonneval Road make all the proposals difficult and expensive. I agree that they should maintain the access, it's just that the proximity of the retail/office/hotel/food outlets so close to the ROW (and Phillips Hwy) makes it more complex than usual.

Raising Phillips Hwy above JTB and using either the urban or standard intersection layout appears to work best. The "side exit" where traffic goes against the grain to reach JTB is a bust and will cause more accidents and definitely confusion.

Bonneval Road seems to cause the mirror image problem to the west of I-95 that Salisbury/Belfort creates to the East.  I don't approve of spending $100 million on this mess given other more pressing needs in this community, but, if money was not the sole object, I would think an overpass/interchange a la Belfort Road should be built for Bonneval to remove the idiotic light on a road that is otherwise an expressway.  And, as suggested, a full interchange should be built with Philips Hwy.  But, that would take common sense which is clearly in short supply with JTA given what is there now.

Save the $100 million that won't fix much of anything here and spend it on something else that will work and have a far more positive result.

[tufsu1]

And, as suggested, a full interchange should be built with Philips Hwy.  But, that would take common sense which is clearly in short supply with JTA given what is there now.

actually, common sense says that is a really bad idea...that intersection is primed to be a TOD (w/ a commuter rail stop)....and an interchange would instead encoiurage big box auto-oriented land uses.

[stjr]

Actually.... an interchange properly designed could drop people from JTB directly into a commuter rail parking garage/station drop off.  I would think that would be helpful in helping commuter rail compete with "just taking a ramp" onto I-95 for parallel travel.

[tufsu1]

sure...but interchanges also promote high speed traffic....not exactly good for pedestrians

[stjr]

sure...but interchanges also promote high speed traffic....not exactly good for pedestrians

Pedestrians at JTB and... any other street?  Shock me!

[CS Foltz]

Why don't we just leave it as is and save our money? Spending wisely might help but common sense seems to not enter the picture! Much thanks all of you consultants!

[spuwho]

While I am no fan of spending money in poor places, actually to spend 100 mil here is probably a good investment considering how much underinvestment has taken place over the previous years.

The suggestion to get a connection to a future commuter station off Phillips (where a lot exists today) is inspired and a good idea.

My only concern is while it will improve the traffic flow in the corridor, it will kill off the retail due to the hassle of access. Maintaining a "local" access to Bonneval will abate that to some degree and over time, once everyone adjusts to the new pattern, will probably not have issues with it.

I am curious what other 'needs' stjr sees that rate higher.

[stjr]

I am curious what other 'needs' stjr sees that rate higher.

Spuwho, where do I begin?  Education, public safety, maintenance of existing roads and other infrastructure, appropriate social intervention programs particularly with youth, parks, recreation, conservation, mass transit (i.e. buses, commuter rail, street cars), alternative transit (bikes, better pedestrian and jogging pathways), downtown improvements that actually work, etc., etc.  I know this is "JTA's money" (why not spend it on those bus shelters?) but it is, in the end, the taxpayers.  We need, as a society, to totally restructure the allocation of our public resources.