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.
A Transit Agenda for Brooklyn
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.
Mayor Raps SHARE
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.
