NJ Senate Committee Passes Congestion
Busting Bill
Last Thursday, the NJ State Senate Community and Urban
Affairs Committee voted in favor of a bill (S.2093) that
would help municipalities reduce traffic congestion.
The measure, sponsored by Senator Shirley Turner (D-Mercer)
and Senator Leonard Lance (R- Hunterdon), would re-grant
local planning boards in New Jersey the power to consider
off-site traffic impacts of development, a right they
lost with passage of the Municipal Land Use Laws in 1975.
Fare Suit Decision Likely this Week
The Straphangers Campaign and supporters rallied in favor
of their lawsuit against the recent MTA fare increase
rallied prior to a hearing in court Friday afternoon.
The group emphasized two messages for the MTA: open the
books, and roll back the fare.
CT Lawmakers Seek to Moderate Fare Hike
The state budget proposed by Democratic lawmakers would
reduce the train and bus fare increases proposed by Governor
Rowland, according to the Stamford Advocate. The Democrats’ spending
plan, which has been approved by the Senate Appropriations
Committee, includes a measure to add $6 million to the
governor’s $70 million budget for rail operations
and $1.5 million to Rowland’s funding for bus transit,
now at $75 million.
NY State Looks to Widen Kosciuszko
Bridge
New York State DOT officials and consultants have come
up with 26 options for fixing the Kosciuszko Bridge,
which spans Newtown Creek along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
The options were developed as part of the “scoping” process
for the bridge project’s environmental impact statement.
NYC Truck Survey Still Alive
The NYC DOT extended the active life of the on-line survey
for its truck route study (see MTR
#413), but not by
enough time.
Station Access: Metro-North Spends Lion's Share on Parking
In its 2000-2004 financial plan, the MTA allocated $50
million to create more parking at Metro North train stations,
hoping to attract more riders and increase access to
train stations.
A Good Grasp of the Problems
A theme running through the NYU Rudin Transportation
Center’s bi-state symposium last week was the region’s
need to reduce its dependence on trucks.
State of the Air
East coast politicians burnish environmental credentials
with a seemingly endless parade of lawsuits against industrial
and power plant air pollution from the Midwest and other
regions. Meanwhile, emissions from cars, SUVs and trucks
in our own states attract scant political attention by
comparison.
