According to the Star-Ledger, the study finds that such a system would work well along the 173-mile Parkway, which features toll plazas sitting across the road's main through lanes. These toll facilities create big back-ups. Highways featuring non-stop toll collection generally split electronic toll payers and cash payers into separate lanes some distance before the toll plaza.

Still, the report found that reengineering the Parkways entire toll system could cost up to $100 million. Road authorities were cautious, saying they would prefer to struggle through the installation of standard E-ZPass now underway before considering something more high-tech. NJ Turnpike Authority director Edward Gross told the Ledger that retro-fitting old toll booths with E-ZPass would make such a dramatic difference in traffic flow that spending big money on non-stop tolling will be unnecessary.

But State Assembly Transportation Committee Chair Alex DeCroce said the state should proceed now with the best available technology. Last year, DeCroce introduced legislation to require the Parkway to set up non-stop toll collection at toll plazas where E-ZPass market share exceeds two-thirds. E-ZPass use at some Parkway facilities is now close to 50% (see MTR #276). The legislation spurred the Parkway to begin its study. The bill has support in the Assembly but needs more attention in the NJ Senate.

A citizens group seeking complete removal of Parkway tolls, Citizens Against Tolls, increased its activity this week, saying it intended to deliver large petitions to Governor Whitman. The group apparently is concerned primarily with traffic flow, not with the state raising highway revenue from motorists, because it proposed hiking the state gas tax to make up for revenue lost along the Parkway. In that case, it should simply back the drive to establish non-stop tolling. A member of the NJ chapter of the National Motorists Association cited in the Ledger expressed support for non-stop tolls.

Jersey City Mayor and gubernatorial aspirant Bret Schundler supported Citizens Against Toll's call for toll elimination, but said he didn't support raising the state gas tax. Schundler earned Dunce of the Week honors by stating to the Record that paying for highway upkeep is "a discussion we can have another day," just as the Legislature completed work on a four-year authorization of the NJ Transportation Trust Fund.