In a shining example of good government, NJDOT listened and responded to Millville and Cumberland County residents and elected officials opposed to a project which would have widened Route 49 by lengthening the Route 55 exit ramps.

The $28 million project was announced in April by Gov. Corzine, but fears that the project would increase traffic congestion spurred a petition from residents and a letter from State Sen. Jeff Van Drew to Commissioner Stephen Dilts requesting a delay. NJDOT obliged and held several community meetings to address residents’ concerns, and the resulting amendments saved taxpayers $10 million by removing the widening.  The re-opened dialogue also protected a 230-year-old White Oak tree that is older than the town itself, and refocused the Department’s attention to congestion issues more germane to local residents, such as traffic on Route 57.

Beyond the obvious victories for the Millville community, there is a great lesson to be learned from the Route 49/55 project. NJDOT’s willingness to maintain an open dialogue with residents enabled the agency to save scarce transportation funds, make better planning decisions, and forced it to reevaluate the efficacy of its plans.

First designed 12 years ago, the Millville widening project became obsolete as it waited for state funds – a fate not unique to Route 49. Millville petitioners stated that traffic flow had improved significantly after the traffic signal timing was recalibrated, rendering state plans unnecessary.  It would be a shame if this successful cooperative process was not emulated elsewhere. Millville Mayor Tim Shannon summed it up in a statement to The News of Cumberland County: “I know most people don’t have anything good to say about the government, but I just want to say I think this was an example of government at its best.”