16 June 2007

House Call, part two

When we left Dr. House, he was consulting with his team concerning the prognosis for Route 206 in Hillsborough. Dr. Cameron had just suggested a four lane elevated highway bypass from Old Somerville Road south to the Montgomery Township Municipal Complex - but House has some reservations. Let's listen in:

House: There's just one little problem with your plan Dr. Cameron - it can't be done. To run a bypass from Old Somerville Rd. to Belle Mead Griggstown Rd. we'll have to cut right through the Pike Run development - that's a major organ.

Chase: So? These people knew we might need to run a bypass through there some day - and the right of way is already in place!

Forman: Cutting through Pike Run will cause severe neurological side effects. I wouldn't even think about going through there.

House: Forman's right, Chase is wrong - as usual. We need another option. Come on people, is there anything else on the patient's chart that could help us?

Cameron: The area around the old GSA depot on Mountain View Rd. has recently been re-zoned. Planned uses call for recreation, and research and development. I also see that recent traffic studies show that a significant amount of southbound drivers don't continue on 206, but rather turn off on 601.

Forman: If that's true we should end the bypass at Mountain View Rd. We'll still reduce traffic congestion in the proposed Town Center area, and provide access to the GSA site. And we'll save money too!

Chase: I can't believe what I'm hearing! With that plan we'll have to cross the CSX rail line TWICE - and we'll have to scale down the southern portion of the bypass from 4 to 2 lanes. Plus we'll have to put a traffic light at Hillsborough Rd., and an additional light near Amwell Rd! And we haven't even talked about Triangle Road to Duke's Parkway, that's where the real traffic is!

House: Thank you Dr. Chase for stating the obvious, but this may be our last best option to save the patient.

So, what will it be? Should House and his team begin treatment? Leave a comment with your thoughts - or write the final segment to this drama! It's up to you.

5 comments:

  1. Seems like we have ended up with the usual political bandaids that are unlikely to stem the hemorrhaging. While the argument about 601 is a reasonable one, that road is overcrowded too and never meant to carry the traffic it current does.

    Traffic lights on a bypass is an oxymoron with the emphasis on the moron part. These lights will just dump more traffic into the already overcrowded area.

    Lastly, this will not fix the extrememly dangerous 601/206 intersection and dangerous bridge. At best the patient has already slipped into a coma with no chance of revival.

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  2. Doctor, Doctor

    One must think of the unwanted side effects. Remember Since a real by-bass (4 unobstructed lanes from Brown Ave to Montgomery) will cause unwanted side effects like an increased crime rate (stolen cars and burglaries most likely) this may not be good for the patient in the long run.

    ALSO, HISTIORY HAS proven major arteries like this cut into the existing landscape always bring more undesirable grow with them and because of that they are at best a temporary fix.

    Oh let us not forget that a number of businesses in the current center of town are actually dependent on all the traffic that flows through that area now. Some of them stand the real chance of seeing there customer base dry up if they have an “easer” way to get through town.

    I’m thinking here Doc., that maybe this bypass may not be such a good idea. You know it is starting to seem to me it’s more likely to put us in that old adage of ---- It is hard to remember the propose of the action was to drain the swamp, when you are up to your butt in alligators – than really help the patient.

    I don’t know Doc, but it seems to me IF we made Dukes parkway West 4 lanes (a nice genital 4 lane road like Raider Blvd, with a 35 or 40 MPH speed limit) from it’s intersection with 206 to Auten Road near the school where it’s 4 lanes already and put an overpass in at New Amwell and Amwell road, won’t that be a better bypass?

    Or maybe Doc. It is just best left the way it is as painful as that might be. We really MUST consider the side effects of our actions before we just start cutting

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  3. PS Doc.

    If you want to reduce the traffic on 206, particularly truck traffic, petition the state to REDUCE the speed limit on 206 to no more then 35 MPH with lots of heavily enforced 25 MPH zones thrown in. Who knows, maybe the tickets that would generate might off-set our taxes a little bit!

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  4. Thank you Spokey and 08844 for your comments. The latest bypass proposal is absolutely not a perfect solution.

    Spokey, I believe a redisigned 206/601 bridge and intersection is anticipated, and was indicated on the most recent bypass plans.

    08844, I have also often wondered why businesses on 206, that pushed so hard for a new sign ordinance would want customers to completely bypass their establishments on a new highway, where they have no chance of seeing the signs! And you are close to the mark with your observations about Raider/Auten/Duke's Parkway - except that I think you would like it to be a "genial" road, and not what you wrote! In any case, I am going to reserve any further thoughts of my own on this topic for a new blog post.

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  5. Genial!

    Genital. I guess Bill Gates and his auto spell corrections are trying to tell us all to be genial to our genitals.

    At Last!!! Some worthy advice form Microsoft!

    Have you ever noticed that in general our society (I’m not saying you, so don’t read between the lines) look at people who make written grammar mistakes as Stupid. Yet Einstein had trouble spelling his name and I know plenty of good writers that can’t even jump start their own cars!

    Looking forward to your blog on the bypass.

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