 The Current Marlton CircleThe residents have established a website, Marltoncircle.com, spoken with local elected officials, conducted a letter writing campaign, and have been collecting petition signatures to try and stop the planned overpass which they believe is being forced on the community by the NJ Department of Transportation.  Residents are Suggesting an at-Grade IntersectionThey cite maintaining the character of the town, the impact the new design will have on local busineses, whether it will actually resolve traffic congestion and the potential savings of an at-grade project as reasons the current plan should not go forward.
This has been a decades long debate and discussion about planning along with funding for the project and if you follow me below the fold, I will try to explain how we got to this point today. |
| On three separate occasions, December 16, 1997, December 21, 1999 and February 15, 2000 the Evesham Township Council passed resolutions supporting what was known as the original improvement Plan Alternate A which called for the DOT to move forward with the "design and construction" of an at-grade intersection to replace the Marlton Circle.
 NJDOT's proposed overpass lifting Route 73 over Route 70Then, after these past resolutions affirming support for the plan for an at-grade resolution, the council suddenly passed a resolution on June 19, 2001 voicing support for what is known as Improvement Plan Alternate 3b which proposes an overpass. This resolution however, unlike the previous only called for a study and to proceed with further design of the project, not voicing support for construction of the new plan. That resolution was contingent on studying the potential impact the new plan would have on local businesses and to take into consideration 8 nearby intersections and traffic from "pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular circulation". The 2001 resolution also directed NJDOT to study the 8 nearby intersections for the traffic impact, but they contend that they can't do anything about them until after they construct the overpass. Isn't this a backwards plan? Don't you check the impact before you do the work? And when is the last time they did an updated traffic flow study or are they using the numbers from the original plan over 10 years ago? I would think such a study should include not just the Circle but, comprehensive studies that evaluate the full length of 70 and 73 running from one border of Evesham to the other in all 4 directions, not just a 1/2 mile stretch when you already know there are problems surrounding it. There should be a comprehensive look at the surrounding effects as well, not the piece mail effort that seems to be in place. From 2001-2006, there were no resolutions passed regarding the circle, so no support for the construction of an overpass had been given. In 2006, the council passed another resolution amending the prior resolution regarding the Improvement plan for Design of the Marlton Circle as currently presented upon the condition that the main entrance to the BMW dealership that was there was improved for entry and exit. Well the BMW dealership isn't there anymore, so problem solved right? Well not if you want to have another business providing ratabales to the town utilize the location and there is still no resolution supporting the construction of the overpass, just one to study the design. So how then was NJDOT authorized to do the construction is the question that the residents behind MarltonCircle.com are asking? Thats not stopping the DOT because according to the Marlton Telegram, NJDOT is scheduled to award a contract for this project in late June 2008 and construction is scheduled for completion in late 2010 said department spokeswoman Erin Phalon. The residents preferring an intersection have some ideas of their own for the estimated $40-$50 million the overpass would cost - like using the savings to improve other intersections with major congestion problems like 73/Brick and 73/Evesham. They say: Our plan involves a much less expensive and much shorter construction period while calling attention to the fact that NJDOT's overpass plan will not reduce congestion within or beyond a one mile radius of the location where Routes 70 and 73 intersect.
Our quick, simple, inexpensive and logical plan has a few important key elements: · "Smart Lights" (Actuated Lights) to sense real-time traffic volume to maximize the flow of traffic in each direction so it may quickly go straight, turn left or make a U-Turn. · Right turn on red" that branch prior to the intersection allow 2 lanes to be used for traffic going straight, moving a greater volume of traffic thru with each green light. · U-Turns to be made from the far left lane (along with the traffic turning left) - that blend into the center lane of the adjacent 3 lanes to avoid extremely severe U-Turns. · Long vehicles (such as semi-trucks and buses) to be prohibited from making U-Turns at the "Intelligent Intersection". The Current Evesham Council, which is comprised of members not involved in the original process are now seeking input from the residents and looking to make a decision going forward said Mayor Randy Brown... "Every e-mail I've gotten, they've all been in favor of one thing, they've all agreed, the Marlton Circle has outlived its use," he said. The next council meetings will go a long way in determining the future of a major traffic hub in South Jersey. If you'd like to have your voice heard, apparently now is the time to speak up. The Council and DOT say they are listening. |
