Trenton Reviewing Route 92 Project
The McGreevey Administration has reportedly requested
a delay in the release of the Draft Environmental
Impact Statement for Route 92, a major new alignment
highway on the NJ Turnpike Authority’s books.
Apparently at the state’s request, the NJ Turnpike
Authority recently asked the Army Corps of Engineers
to delay the Route 92 DEIS release pending a review
of the project in light of the state’s smart
growth objectives. This is welcome news to advocates
who say the project will promote sprawl.
Route 92 Would Add Traffic to Bad Section of Route 1
NJ and federal transportation officials, as part of a “Safety
Impact Team,” are studying possible safety measures
for a segment of Route 1 that is close to the proposed
Route 92 right-of-way. The part of Route 1 in question
is already overcrowded and would only see more traffic
and crashes after the construction of Route 92...
Trucks Returning to Holland Tunnel?
The Staten Island Advance reported last Tuesday
that the Port Authority would soon lift the ban on trucks
at the Holland Tunnel. Commercial traffic restrictions
have been in place at the tunnel since the Sept. 11,
2001 attack on the World Trade Center. Presently, all
trucks are excluded in the NYC-bound direction, while
tractor trailers are excluded from NJ-bound lanes...
City Truck Route Study Finally Underway
NYC DOT has announced that its study to revise the city’s
truck route system will begin with a kick-off outreach
meeting on Tuesday, June 17, at City College in Manhattan.
Community groups, civic leaders and local elected officials
have been waiting for five years for the effort to begin...
End Nearing for City Bus System?
The Straphangers Campaign’s
Gene Russianoff laid out the likely pitfalls of Mayor
Bloomberg’s
efforts to rid the city of responsibility for the franchise
bus system operating in the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn
in a Friday Daily News opinion piece...
A Ticket Blitz We Could Use
The Daily News is right – NYC law enforcement
should focus on real problems, not the dopey stuff
highlighted last week..
Another Washington Plan to Take Our Transit Funding
If a coalition of southern and midwestern states has
its way, New York and Connecticut could lose desperately
needed transportation funding as part of the upcoming
TEA-21 reauthorization. A recent study by NYU’s
Rudin Center for Transportation says this would mean
a funding loss of $300 million annually (or 18% of
total highway funding) for New York’s transportation
system...
Bush, Congress Offer Free Humvees
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council,
the $350 billion tax cut bill passed by Congress and
signed by President Bush last week includes a loophole
that quadruples the business deduction for the largest,
least efficient suburban utility vehicles from $25,000
to $100,000. The increase, which will cost taxpayers
billions, effectively subsidizes the full purchase
price of 38 of the biggest and most expensive SUV models
on the American road, including Hummers, Range Rovers,
Expeditions, and Escalades...
Transit Chek Fixed for City Van Riders
Last week, the TransitChek organization issued a notice
stating that its benefits were again available to
NYC Access-a-Ride users...
NJ Bicycling Promo Event Marks End of Road Building
Era?
To mark National Bike Month and Bike to Work events
around the state, NJ DOT commissioner Jack Lettiere
recently handed a check for $1 million to Wall Township
officials for bikeway construction. But the significance
of the event went far beyond the fact that Wall will
construct a 20-mile linear park with a bike and pedestrian
path...
