New Jersey Turnpike Authority officials are scheduled to vote Friday, Oct. 10, on proposed toll increases at the conclusion of a public hearing.
OOIDA is encouraging its member truckers to comment on the issue because tolls are proposed to more than double on the turnpike by 2012. For example, a $26.55 toll to run the entire length of the turnpike is proposed to increase to more than $57 by 2012 according to turnpike officials.
A turnpike spokeswoman told Land Line on Thursday, Oct. 9, that e-mail is the preferred method of receiving public comments at this late stage from people who cannot attend the hearing. The hearing is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon, Friday, Oct. 10, at Turnpike Authority headquarters, 581 Main St., Woodbridge, NJ.
Anyone wishing to comment on the proposed toll increases can send an e-mail to info@turnpike.state.nj.us. Officials will accept written comments until noon on Friday. The Turnpike Authority’s board of directors will meet in the afternoon to weigh public testimony and comments before voting on the increase proposal.
Even though transportation officials in New Jersey revised their toll increase proposal, trucking officials are still concerned that the increases will hurt the industry while transportation officials divert millions of dollars to a mass-transit tunnel project.
Under the initial proposal released to the public in September, New Jersey Turnpike Authority officials called for an increase of 50 percent in 2009, another 50 percent in 2012, and 10 percent in 2023.
Comments received during three public hearings and a written comment period persuaded officials to announce a recalibrated proposal on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
Turnpike officials are now promoting a nearly 41-percent increase the first year followed by a 53 percent increase in 2012 and inflationary increases through 2023 for the New Jersey Turnpike.
Based on percentage calculations, the current average truck toll of $5.05 on the turnpike would become $7.10 in 2009 and $11.05 in 2012.
Further calculations show that the current truck toll of $26.55 for the full length of the turnpike would become $37.33 after the nearly 41 percent increase in 2009. The toll would increase by $19.78 and become $57.11 in 2012.
The turnpike’s initial proposal called for the 2012 truck toll to be $59.75 for a full-length trip.
The recalibrated proposal amounts to $2.64 less than initially proposed for a full-length truck trip.
Turnpike officials would also throw in a 5 percent across-the-board discount for truckers who use E-ZPass.
Truckers appreciate the attempt at lessening the initial increase, but say the increase in 2012 will still hurt truckers.
“It’s a start, but not nearly good enough,” OOIDA Director of Legislative Affairs Mike Joyce told Land Line.
Joyce also points out that the toll proposal includes a plan to divert toll revenue for a new transit tunnel that would connect New Jersey and New York across the Hudson River.
“The big problem we have there is the diversion. If they’re taking money to build a rail tunnel, that’s pulling the wool over the eyes of the highway user,” Joyce said.
“Once again, the trucking industry is being put in a position to subsidize everybody else.”
On Monday, Oct. 6, the New Jersey Senate Republican Caucus announced that diverting toll revenue for a transit project is “not consistent with the intent of the Legislature,” Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean stated.
Kean introduced a resolution to stop the diversion of toll revenue for the tunnel project.
“When the turnpike consolidation law (2003) was being debated, the commissioner repeatedly assured legislators that the legislation banned spending tolls on anything but the Turnpike and the Parkway,” Kean stated. “… Toll revenues cannot be used for non-highway projects, even a project as worthy as the trans-Hudson tunnel.”
Joyce said truckers agree with the statement.
“We will fall right in line behind that because they are saying what we say,” Joyce said.
– By David Tanner, staff writer
david_tanner@landlinemag.com
