Entries Under $5 Million

Over $5 Million Award Winner

Washington Street Redesign Project

OWNER: City of Hoboken
DESIGNER: T&M Associates
CONTRACTOR: Underground Utilities
COST: $19.5 Million

Washington Street is a historic, vibrant corridor within the City of Hoboken which brings together residents, business owners and visitors.  Once named by the American Planning Association among the nation’s “10 Great Streets,” the decades had taken their toll on the busy thoroughfare.  Traffic signals were outdated resulting in increased collisions and dangerous conditions for pedestrians.  The roadway, featuring two lanes of opposing traffic, had no accommodations for bicycles, and was frequently throttled by deliveries and trash pickups.  Double-parking and reduced pedestrian sight-distances added further complications.  Superstorm Sandy and other major rainstorms were a painful reminder to the city that the aging sewer system was overtaxed.  The century old water infrastructure was contending with water main breaks and storm flooding, and critical facilities lacked emergency backup power. 

In 2015 the City of Hoboken, in conjunction with T&M Associates and the New Jersey Department of Transportation, moved forward with a plan to modernize Washington Street and make it safer and more accessible for all users.  T&M Associates was engaged to perform the streets redesign which led to the acquisition of additional contracts for construction administration, inspection and observation services.  Project requirements encompassed the reconfiguration of 15 blocks spanning from Observer Highway to 14th Street with the integration of complete street designs to improve overall mobility and visual enhancement. 

Creating a busy corridor that offered safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for all users and abilities was no easy task.  T&M worked closely with city officials, businesses, and residents over a two-year period to find and incorporate solutions to problems which included high-visibility crosswalks, 14 state-of-the-art ADA-compliant traffic signals armed with GPS timers, pedestrian countdown indicators and signal preemption features to facilitate emergency vehicles.  Dedicated loading zones and color-coded bus stops were installed to decrease congestion and back-in parallel parking spaces and bike lanes with green, high-visibility pavement improved safety.  

In addition to traffic improvements, T&M oversaw the installation of one of the country’s first municipal electrical microgrids used to supply redundant power to critical facilities.  A fiber optic spine was installed to enhance internet connectivity.  To improve water quality and reduce service interruptions 9,000 linear feet of water mains, 530 water services and 31 fire hydrants were replaced and 2,300-LF of new drainage pipe, and 58 new drainage inlets and manholes were installed.  The antiquated water distribution system was upgraded to include new lateral service connections for all residences and businesses along the street.  “Green” enhancements included the installation of 15 rain gardens where collected stormwater is used to beautify the streetscape rather than burden the sewers.

Throughout the life of this extensive revitalization project the busy corridor of Washington Street remained open to vehicles and pedestrians with minimal delays and interruptions for vehicles, transit, pedestrians and bicyclists.  Last July, the project was successfully completed. Washington Street is now a safe, modern and attractive streetscape with reduced traffic congestion, greater mobility options and an overall boost to the community’s vitality.

Under $5 Million Award Winner

White Horse Circle Intersection Improvements

OWNER: New Jersey Department of Transportation
DESIGNER: Urban Engineers
CONTRACTOR: South State, Inc.
COST: $4.3 Million

Once referred to as a “death trap” by the Times of Trenton, the intersections of Route 206, South Broad Street and White Horse Avenue was long overdue for a change.  For drivers in Hamilton Township, White Horse Circle was more akin to a maze than an intersection, and it was often avoided by drivers because of the confusing crisscrossing lanes at the intersection. Between 2006 and 2008, there were a total of 161 crashes at the intersection of which 56 included injuries.  

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) began exploring ways to improve safety at the circle and enlisted Urban Engineers to develop conceptual designs for several options, including a modern roundabout that was ultimately selected for construction. Rather than cutting through the circle, all approaching vehicles would yield to circulating vehicles within the roundabout which would in turn remove several conflict points that existed in its original configuration.  

Promoting a modern roundabout as a solution in a State known for removing “traffic circles” was not an easy task.  Along with NJDOT, Mercer County, and Hamilton Township, Urban created and executed a public involvement process; engaging and educating the public on the difference between roundabouts and traffic circles, demonstrating how the modern roundabout was the best solution through pamphlets, presentations, virtual modeling, and Q&A’s. Urban worked with partners to create a multi-staged traffic control plan with limited detours. The firm designed a single/double lane hybrid roundabout that was 170 feet in diameter with 16-foot wide lanes. Each approach has a splitter island and the White Horse Avenue and South Broad Street approaches both include high-visibility crosswalks. 

Completed in April 2018 by South State, Inc., the new roundabout serves as an aesthetically pleasing gateway into Hamilton Township that is much safer for drivers and pedestrians. It also provides a smooth transition from the multilane highway section of Route 206 to the residential streetscapes of town. In the first six-months since its competition, the improvements to White Horse Circle have decreased the average total crashes per month by 71% and total injury crashes by 93%.  The immediate positive impact these improvements are having on the traffic flow and safety of the traveling public is clearly evident. The success of this project would not be possible without the commitment of our local and state partners, and the commendable performance of the contractor and construction managers.  

ASHE SNJ and ASHE NCNJ would like to thank this year's judges: