MTA Position on Tolls Remains
Incoherent
On Tuesday, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign released a report by Komanoff
Energy Associates that shows the MTA could offer drivers congestion-busting off-peak
toll discounts without sacrificing the revenue it hopes to raise with its pending
bridge and tunnel toll increase.
McGreevey Budget Spares NJ Transit Fares;
Capital Budget Still Under Pressure
Governor James McGreevey’s budget proposal maintains last year’s
level of support for NJ Transit operations, avoiding what some advocates feared
would be the second fare increase in as many years.
MTA Fare Hike Hearings Begin
Rowdy crowds angered by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s plan
to raise transit fares and close station booths filled hearings in Manhattan
and Brooklyn last week. Hundreds attended each of the events, which featured
chants such as "no fare hike!" and "open the books!"
LIRR Third Track Project Derailed?
A notice in the procurement section of the MTA’s website lists the contract
to undertake the environmental impact statement for the LIRR Main Line third
track project as "cancelled."
East River Tolls Gain Ground in Albany
State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said last Thursday that East River
bridges tolls were a "strong possibility." As Bruno told a Crain’s forum, "We’re wide open on that issue. I think there’s merit
in people that use particular facilities pay as they go."
Rebellion Against MTA Overhaul Brewing on Long Island
Last week, Nassau and Suffolk state legislative delegations sent a letter to
Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials requesting more information on
the proposed MTA restructuring. The restructuring — which would place
LIRR and Metro North under one large umbrella "MTA Rail Road" agency
and absorb Long Island Bus into the NYC Transit bus division — was announced
last November.
Hold that Hike! State Officials Will Press for Bee-Line Relief
As the date for Westchester Bee-Line bus fare increases looms, several state
elected officials have agreed not to take the increases lying down. Assemblyman
Brodsky and Senator Spano have both agreed to look for state relief to prevent,
or at least tone down, the severe fare hikes approved by the County Transportation
Board late last month.
Majority of CT, NJ Roads Need Work
A study released earlier this month by the Surface Transportation Policy Project
(STPP), a transportation policy group based in Washington, D.C., reported that
New Jersey and Connecticut ranked among the 10 worst states for overall road
conditions.
