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The Millstone Bypassby Helen Labun, campus greens
The Millstone Bypass is a proposed 2.5 mile long road which would begin at the Princeton Junction train station and follow the Millstone River to Route 1 and the Delaware and Raritan Canal to Washington Road. The bypass is meant to relieve traffic congestion and to eliminate four traffic lights along Route 1. For a more detailed description of this project’s objectives, visit the NJ Dept. of Transportation homepage at [http://www.state.nj.us/transportation]. Problems with the bypassThe Millstone Bypass will have many negative environmental repercussions. Water quality in the Millstone River, the Delaware and Raritan Canal, the Raritan River and Lake Carnegie will be degraded. The bypass will come within 450 feet of the Delaware and Raritan Canal, interrupting one of the longest sections of the East Coast Greenway. Sensitive ecosystems in the Penns Neck Woods and the wetlands in the Millstone River corridor will be disrupted. Roughly one quarter of the elm trees lining the Washington Road entrance to Princeton campus will be cut down. Students at Princeton will be especially affected not only by the loss of the Washington Elm Allee, but also by the bypass’ planned course through West Windsor fields and along the towpath. Finally, the Millstone Bypass may not even solve the traffic problems it is intended to eliminate. In the short run, the congestion may simply shift to other residential neighborhoods. Long term, DOT studies have found that traffic flow would quickly fill the capacity of the proposed project, creating more traffic problems, and a call for more highway work.. Many people have pointed to this as an example of New Jersey’s flawed approach to traffic problems, an approach that relies on an ever expanding network of roadways and does not provide for structured urban growth or adequate alternative transportation systems.Environmental AssessmentThe Millstone Bypass is a federally funded highway project with the potential to have a significant impact on the environment, publicly owned parklands, and state listed Historic Sites. As such, it falls under the restrictions of the National Environmental Policy Act, which required an Environmental Assessment before construction is approved. An Environmental Assessment is defined by the Council on Environmental Quality as follows: Section 1508.9: "Environmental Assessment": (a) means a concise public document for which a Federal agency is responsible that serves to: (1) Briefly provide sufficient evidence and analysis for determining whether to prepare an environmental impact statement or a finding of no significant impact…(b) Shall include brief discussions of the need for the proposal, of alternatives required by section 102(2)(E), of the environmental impacts of the proposed action and alternatives, and a listing of agencies and persons consulted."
The NJ Dept. of Transportation released their Environmental Assessment on Oct. 17th. It can be found at [http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/press/2000releases/c001016.htm]. This assessment found that, if adequate mitigation measures were put in place, the Millstone Bypass would have a minimal impact. This finding meant that the process would not continue to an Environmental Impact Statement, a much more rigorous examination of possible impacts and thorough evaluation of all proposed alternatives. Instead, there would be a 30- day public comment period, and then the plans would go to the Federal Highway Administration for approval. Several independent reviews of the project did not reach the same conclusion. The Stonybrook Millstone Watershed Association conducted its own Environmental Assessment which can be read at: [http://www.thewatershed.org/MillstoneIssuePaper.html]
The NJ branch of the Sierra Club has posted its own review of the project at: [http://home.att.net/~sierraclub/millstone2.htm]. Both of these assessments outline the case that the bypass construction would cause significant environmental damage. On November 2nd, Gov. Whitman intervened in the process and called for an Environmental Impact Statement. Although the Environmental Assessment did not find that the EIS was necessary, Gov. Whitman cited concerns about the potential to create more environmental damage than was eliminated, the need for greater public involvement, and the importance of an exhaustive examination of alternative solutions before approval of the proposed construction plans. This will delay a final decision by the FHWA for 1-2 years while the statement is prepared.
What You Can DoVisit the STOP (Sensible Transportation Options Partnership) at [http://www.princetonol.com/groups/stop] to view a list of local organizations associated with the campaign against the proposed Millstone Bypass. This page includes links, meeting times, and announcements. Attend the public forums that will be conducted by the New Jersey Dept of Transportation to learn more about the project and how to offer input. The previously scheduled forums have both been canceled, however check [http://homepages.wwptoday.com/advocates/millstone] for a new schedule when it is released. Contact your representatives, and local council members, to tell them that you support Gov. Whitman’s call for the Environmental Impact Statement and that you want to ensure that the all negative impacts of the Bypass, along with all possible alternatives, are thoroughly investigated before any construction is approved. For representative contact information, go to [www.princetonol.com/groups/stop/contact.htm] Related SitesS.T.O.P: http://www.princetonol.com/groups/stop Stonybrook Millstone Watershed: http://www.thewatershed.org Sierra Club (Millstone page): http://home.att.net/~sierraclub/millstone.htm NJ Dept. of Transportation: http://www.state.nj.us/transportation Last modified: Wednesday, 07-Feb-2001 00:04:32 EST |