In a constrained physical environment, land use and transportation decisions have a significant impact on communities. In the Township of Edison, the sixth largest municipality in New Jersey, Route 1 and Route 27 are significant thoroughfares. Their functionality, appearance and role are critical to the continued vitality and character of the town and surrounding areas. But as regional and local traffic grows and new development pressures occur, these corridors are experiencing high levels of vehicle congestion, impacting pedestrian and bicycle mobility, and effecting overall travel safety. The Edison Smart Growth Planning Initiative addresses the future designs of the Route 1 and Route 27 corridors as well as key redevelopment sites in Edison by combining a context sensitive design approach with smart growth principles. This Initiative is focused on revitalization through the enhancement of personal mobility and livability in Edison. This paper details the approach used in the initiative and describes how a context sensitive design was employed in coordination with smart growth planning principles to frame transportation improvements and redevelopment within a built-out suburban community. With the capacity and land constraints, creative planning and engineering approaches to enhance mobility were employed. Critical to all of this is the importance of preserving essential capacity, flow and safety along state highway facilities while improving quality of life for the community.
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