What Do You Want from Route 9?

The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority will hold public meetings in Toms River and Lakewood in August to discuss the ongoing study into ways to improve Route 9 and reduce traffic congestion through the two towns.

Ocean County Engineer Frank Scarantino says the meetings are a preliminary part of the process designed to get input from the public.  He says every town's needs are different, so there are a lot of questions.

"How important are shoulders to a municipality, versus curbs and sidewalks?" Scarantino asked.  "Do you believe that a barrier is appropriate or not?  Is it more important to have a two-way turn lane down the middle of the road or are jug handles important?"

Scarantino says the suggestions and ideas gathered at these meetings will be used to help create a plan for improvements that will hopefully clear up traffic troubles in the area, but that's not all.  He says the future of the roadway can actually affect how the towns attract new development.

"If you have a two-lane, no curb, no sidewalk road, you're not going to have someone come in and put up a WalMart, as an example.  They don't want that," Scarantino said.  "But if they know that the road is a six-lane divided highway, then they come in and put up a big box."

The Toms River meeting is set for August 18, 2015, from 5pm to 8pm.  It will be held at the Ocean County Library, located at 101 Washington Street in Toms River.

Lakewood's meeting is scheduled for August 25, 2015, from 5pm to 8:30pm.  It will be held at the Lakewood Municipal Building, located at 231 Third Street in Lakewood.