When Traffic Solutions Cause Travel Delays

The poles on Route 495 separate out a bus lane, but riders often find themselves traveling slower than vehicles in the car lanes.

1 minute read

March 25, 2019, 2:00 PM PDT

By Camille Fink


Route 495 New Jersey

Famartin / Wikimedia Commons

Delineators used to cordon off a bus lane to the Lincoln Tunnel on Route 495 in New Jersey are causing delays, reports Larry Higgs. When the plastic poles are knocked out, traffic is halted so they can be manually replaced. In addition, the delineators are put in and taken out each day by hand. 

"Two kinds of delineators are currently used, hollow yellow plastic tubes with reflective bands on flat sections of Route 495 and a different model on hills with a large body and a peg on the bottom that fits in holes drilled in the road," says Higgs.

Port Authority officials say the problem is narrower lanes and wider buses, says Higgs. The agency is looking at solutions, including replacing the current delineators with more stable ones and using adhesives that would keep the poles in place.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019 in NJ.com

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A Firefighter sprays water from a hose at a tall blaze.

US buildings threatened, destroyed by fires set to triple by 2060

Researchers found a high fire risk for socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods in the American West.

November 4 - Inside Climate News

People cross a crosswalk in Los Angeles.

LA residents may be allowed to paint their own crosswalks

Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky put out a motion instructing the Los Angeles Department of Public Transportation to study the feasibility of allowing volunteers to paint crosswalks.

November 4 - ABC7

Two women walking on the sidewalk in Dallas.

Dallas moves to overhaul its zoning code

The city's zoning reform will allow more multi-family and mixed-use developments.

November 4 - Yahoo News