What exactly is an nj left? I live in nj and I know we have some strange traffic patterns compared to other states but I’ve never heard the term before.
A New Jersey left is where a driver needs to make a left at a normally light controlled intersection. But instead of a left turn lane they’re required to go through the intersection and take a right hand turn so they can loop back onto the cross street and pass through the intersection. I grew up in northern NJ knowing them as Jug Handles.
It was justified as a traffic control tactic that removes the wait cycle for left turns.
The article also says you can exit before the intersection to make a left on the side street before the light and then go through but I’m less familiar with that design. It requires you to make a left through waiting traffic which seems much harder to accomplish.
I just moved to the east coast 2 years ago and have only heard New Jersey left on videos but the Wikipedia entry says ‘Jughandle Turn’. When a left turn isn’t on the left side of the current road and is on a separate slip road for all turns. Seen 1 or 2 in NC but mostly NC has a lot of UTurn only left turns which I hadn’t interacted with much out West so get confused to turn or Uturn or where exactly to go.
What exactly is an nj left? I live in nj and I know we have some strange traffic patterns compared to other states but I’ve never heard the term before.
There are 3 types of jughandle turns according to the NJDOT (New Jersey Department of Transportation) :
• Type A—Forward Ramp • Type B—U-Turn Ramp • Type C—Reverse Ramp
The rationale behind New Jersey’s embrace of jughandles lies in their ability to enhance traffic flow, mitigate congestion, and improve safety.
Here is a video that should show you how traffic is designed to flow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2l26qrCFJ4
A New Jersey left is where a driver needs to make a left at a normally light controlled intersection. But instead of a left turn lane they’re required to go through the intersection and take a right hand turn so they can loop back onto the cross street and pass through the intersection. I grew up in northern NJ knowing them as Jug Handles.
It was justified as a traffic control tactic that removes the wait cycle for left turns.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jughandle
The article also says you can exit before the intersection to make a left on the side street before the light and then go through but I’m less familiar with that design. It requires you to make a left through waiting traffic which seems much harder to accomplish.
Oh yeah jug handles. I grew up and live in south NJ and that’s what I know them as.
I just moved to the east coast 2 years ago and have only heard New Jersey left on videos but the Wikipedia entry says ‘Jughandle Turn’. When a left turn isn’t on the left side of the current road and is on a separate slip road for all turns. Seen 1 or 2 in NC but mostly NC has a lot of UTurn only left turns which I hadn’t interacted with much out West so get confused to turn or Uturn or where exactly to go.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jughandle