FY 04 NJ DOT Capital Program
Much Smarter
Although things probably couldn’t get worse than
last year, New Jersey DOT’s capital program managers
claim they are finally "turning the ship," and
paying heed to the Tri-State Transportation Campaign’s
call for higher levels of funding for "fix it first" projects.
Report Studies Who Will Pay for East River Tolls
The Bridge Tolls Advocacy Project released a report this
week that examines who will pay if East River bridges
are tolled. Findings from the report indicate that less
than 2% of people over 18 would pay more than $50 a year
in East River tolls.
MTA Raises Fares, Approves Antiquated Toll Plan
The MTA Board voted on Thursday to raise fares on NYC
Transit to $2, increase LIRR and Metro-North Rail fares
by 25%, and close 62 token booths. The MTA also
voted for a 50-cent flat toll hike on its bridges and
tunnels, missing a perfect opportunity to implement congestion
pricing.
NJ "Safety First" Program
Limited
Governor McGreevey’s Highway Safety Task Force
released its twelve-point "Safety First" program
this week. Although the program was created in response
to a string of tractor-trailer crashes that killed three
people and shut down I-78, I-80, and I-287 on the same
day last November, it falls short of fully addressing
the dangers large trucks pose to NJ drivers.
Parking Investment Bad Sign for
NJ Transit Villages
Once a New Jersey transit village is designated as such,
state funding allocated to the town is not necessarily
consistent with transit village ideals. State funding
allocations to transit villages, especially those from
NJ Transit and NJDOT, should focus on transit village
ideals and decrease car dependency. So far, much of NJDOT
and NJ Transit funding is car-focused, and is not providing
residents with alternative transportation methods.
Bee-Line Fares Increase
This was a bad week for transit riders throughout the
region. Along with the MTA fare increase, base fares
for Westchester’s Bee-line bus system increased
on Monday from $1.40 to $1.75.
New York State TEA-21 Reauthorization Update
At Governor Pataki’s request, former New York State
Assembly Minority leader John Faso will head an initiative
to protect New York State’s interests in the upcoming
reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act of 21st
Century (TEA- 21) bill.
