| Issue 4 | September 28, 1994 |
NJ DOT Meeting of Technical Advisory Committee
NJ Assembly Environment Chair Maureen Ogden hosted a lackluster meeting on transportation pricing policies in conjunction with NESCAUM in Trenton on Sept. 16. Following the forum, NJ Dept. of Transportation held the second meeting of the technical advisory committee to its "Innovative Transportation Control Measures" project. The project is advertised as an evaluation of a range of the tougher TCMs, including pricing, land use and special generator measures, that could be included in New Jersey's ozone SIP. An economist who frequently serves as a state consultant kicked off the meeting by ridiculing the VMT and parking fees EDF's Jim Tripp had suggested during the morning session. A NJ Business and Industry Association representative followed by asserting that the present 88%-12% auto/non-auto New Jersey transportation modal split was an outcome of a free transportation market, which DOT's project presumed to meddle with. As the meeting bogged down, Therese Langer cut her losses and headed back to the office. Rutgers Environmental Law Clinic is following up with comments on NJ DOT's pricing issues paper (which isn't bad) and a letter to DOT urging that the project and future meetings be conducted according to a coherent agenda. RELC also intends to encourage productive organizations and individuals to attend future TCM project meetings. To obtain a copy of NJDOT's transportation pricing issues paper, contact John Moore, 609-530-6500.
