Bill Offers Traffic Relief to Cities and Towns

If draft legislation (S. 2093) now pending before the NJ State Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee is approved, NJ municipal planning boards reviewing development applications would, for the first time since 1975, be able to negotiate fees or deny applications based on severe off-site traffic impacts. The bill will be voted upon in Trenton on May 8th....

Downtown Rail Tunnel Still in Play

As reported last week in the NY Post, Governor Pataki has said he will support a direct Lower Manhattan-JFK rail link. He has directed his staff and relevant agencies to figure out how to pay for it. The danger in this news is that the $2-5 billion project may end up competing for funds for important NYC projects already in the pipeline, like the LIRR-Grand Central connection and 2nd Ave subway.

MTA Finances May Not Fare Well

Newsday reported this week that Gary Caplan, MTA budget director, could not rule out another transit fare hike in New York City and its suburbs in 2005.

East River Tolls Not Regressive 

New data developed by the Bridge Tolls Advocacy Project finds that regular East River bridge drivers are relatively well-off. Compared to neighbors who don’t drive to work over East River bridges, bridge commuters earn, on average, $14,300 a year more.

Tappan Zee II Study to Narrow Options 

NY State Thruway and Metro-North planners have developed a long list of possible project elements to address traffic congestion in the Tappan Zee corridor. The list will include most of what agency staff heard at public scoping meetings held over the winter, including a variety of mass transit ideas, and various plans for expanded or new highway alignments.

Pattern Plan Doesn’t Break Mold 

A recent report by the Mid-Hudson Pattern for Progress, a Newburgh-based business coalition, attempts to outline a 20-50 year, ten-point strategy for transportation planning in the Hudson Valley region in a paper entitled: “Hudson Valley Quality of Life = Transportation.”

Stop the Bleeding at Bee-Line 

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign has urged the Westchester County legislature to ensure that any Bee-Line bus fare revenue raised in excess of County projections be used to improve bus service. Transit advocates worry that the county may use higher fare revenues to further reduce general county support for the bus system.

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MTR 408 - March 24, 2003

MTR 407 - March 17, 2003

MTR 406 - March 10, 2003

MTR 405 - March 3, 2003