Council Approves New Park and Ride for Beekman & Route 27 Intersection

The South Brunswick Township Council approved a resolution at Tuesday's meeting for a new park and ride facility to be located at the intersection of Route 27 and Beekman Road. However, that location may not be final, as the council will continue to look at other locations for the proposed park and ride.

The township had until the end of December to spend approximately $2 million remaining from a $4 million federal transportation grant awarded to South Brunswick in 2006.

"This says we will build a new park and ride (at Beekman and Route 27) if we can't find a more suitable location," said Mayor Frank Gambatese. "It might not necessarily be built there, but the main thing is not to lose that money. There is no time limit on when the project needs to be completed, so this protects us for the time being."

Included in the resolution is language that states work on the new park and ride will not begin until the long-awaited improvement project is completed at the Beekman Road intersection.

The Beekman Road intersection improvement project has been in limbo for close to three years, . The township went out to bond for the approximately $1 million improvement project about three years ago, yet the plan has remained in limbo due to difficulties obtaining approval from the state. The small two-lane road is regularly clogged with motorists making various turns and going to the shopping center across the street in Franklin.  

The improvement project will include the widening of the intersection, an improved turn radius, and the addition of a right-hand turn lane. The intersection will also receive a new traffic signal that will include right-hand turn only lighting.

Councilman Joseph Camarota cast the lone vote against the park and ride for Beekman and Route 27 over concerns about the impact of added traffic.

"The bottom line is this will add more vehicles to Beekman, whether it's (a parking lot for) 85 vehicles or 40 to 50, it's still the same circumstance that led me (to vote against) the approval before," Camarota said. "This will add more traffic to Beekman, which is a concern."

Beekman Road resident Sue Nissenblatt said she felt deceived after the council earlier this year. She said any extra traffic on Beekman is a mistake, and putting the park and ride on Beekman to avoid losing grant funding would end up harming the township.

"This is a nightmare and it doesn't belong on Beekman," Nissenblatt said. "I don't think (this decision) is in our best interest."

Councilman Charles Carley said the bus route that would serve the park and ride already runs on Route 27 and commuters park in the lots of the Kendall Park Shopping Center and Franklin Park Shopping Center. 

"I don't concede that Kendall Park has been made the worse for it," he said.

Work on the project is expected to begin in 2012. Carley said the purpose of both new park and rides is to remove cars from the roadways and alleviate traffic issues, not add to them. He added that this project is important for the thousands of commuters who live in South Brunswick.

Both Gambatese and Councilman John O'Sullivan agreed that it was crucial to approve the Beekman Road plan to make sure the grant money wasn't lost.

"We don't have to start this project next year or even the year after that, and nothing will be done until the intersection has been completed," Gambatese said. "We're still going to look at other areas, but the main thing is to not lose that money."