Albany Backs Stronger NYC Truck Route Enforcement
Legislation spotlighted here over the early part of 2003 (noted first in MTR #399) was approved last week by the State Senate and the State Assembly. As originally written, the bill would have imposed points against truck drivers’ licenses if they were caught driving off of approved NYC truck routes, and increased fines for such violations. The bill raises fines (to $200-$500 for a first offense and $1,000-$2,000 for a third offense), but the license points provision has been removed.
Reform Victory in NJDOT Lawsuit Bodes Well for Future
Having won the inclusion of performance objectives and accountability-in-spending amendments in the NJ Trust Fund Renewal Law in 2000 and having just prevailed in a lawsuit (see MTR #420) to enforce those provisions, transportation reformers like the Tri-State Transportation Campaign are well-positioned to win further advances in the Trust Fund law renewal in 2004.
Holland Tunnel Truck Changes Set for July
Port Authority and New York City transportation officials have agreed to relax west-bound access rules at the Holland Tunnel for two and three axle trucks, likely beginning after the 4th of July holiday. The agencies said they would also seek to permanently bar tractor-trailers from the tunnel.
City's Truck Route Study Faces Big Challenge
NYCDOT representatives emphasized that community participation was “integral” to the success of its new Truck Route Management study at the project’s community kick off meeting last week..
NYC Funding: Takeover Funding Unresolved
The Bronx News reported last week that the Bloomberg administration expects to have an outline of a plan for MTA takeover of city-funded private bus lines at the end of June, rather than a final plan ready for implementation.
Brooklyn transit riders could see significant savings in travel time if a revised proposal from Community Consulting Services (CSS) is taken seriously by the MTA. The report, Better Transit for Brooklyn, takes findings from a 2001 study and community input into consideration in laying out short-term, mid-term, and long-term solutions to improve Brooklyn transit.
As Fares Rise, TransitChek Catches On
Transportation fringe benefits are becoming increasingly popular, and many elected officials in NY are responding.
In response to the federal transportation funding plan called “SHARE” favored by southern and Midwestern states (see MTR #418), Mayor Bloomberg last week said any “minimum guarantee” provisions should apply across all federal programs. The “SHARE” plan, backed by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, would guarantee that every state receive at least 95% in federal transportation aid of the amount that motorists in that state pay in federal gas taxes.
| Each week, the Tri-State
Transportation Campaign publishes Mobilizing the Region, or MTR. MTR is a bulletin on New Jersey, New York and Connecticut
transportation news and opinion from the perspective of advocacy for
sustainable transportation.
Via fax, please write tstc@tstc.org or call 212-268-7474. |
| MTR #421 printable format (PDF) file (requires Adobe Acrobat).
|
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MTR 420 - June 16, 2003
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