The following are links to a selection of transportation-related articles published recently by newspapers in the northern New Jersey region. This page is updated on at least a bi-weekly basis. Please note that links on this page may expire or be unreliable due to changes made by host newspapers.
The following links were posted July 6, 2010:
Report: Toll collector complaints are down
Asbury Park Press June 29, 2010. WOODBRIDGE — There are fewer toll collectors behaving badly these days. The number of complaints made by patrons against toll collectors on the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike dropped by 28 percent for the the first quarter of 2010, officials reported at Tuesday's Turnpike Authority meeting.
Metuchen businesses suffer from Route 27 bridge closure
Star Ledger Published: Sunday, June 27, 2010. METUCHEN — Business has been beyond slow at the Delta gas station in Metuchen. “Sometimes, I will go an hour without seeing a customer,” said Omar Mir, the station’s manager. “I could take a nap.” Over the last two months, gas sales have dropped 90 percent at the station, according to the owner. But the problem isn’t the economy. In April, the state Department of Transportation unexpectedly closed a heavily traveled stretch of Route 27 until October because of safety issues that sprang from a bridge reconstruction project.
Port Authority acquires Bayonne, Jersey City sites for giant container vessels to come; Port Authority acquires two sites for giant container vessels to come
Asbury Park Press June 26, 2010. NEW YORK — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have made two significant land deals to expand port operations in Bayonne and Jersey City, buying more than 200 acres on the Jersey side of the Hudson River waterfront.
Route 46 bridge closure: NJ Department of Transportation defends Dover bridge replacement; Residents sound off at first public hearing
Daily Record, June 25, 2010. DOVER — Impacted residents, motorists and business owners questioned the state Department of Transportation on Thursday evening over various aspects of the impending Route 46 bridge closure. More than 110 people attended the 6 p.m. hearing at Dover High School, with more than a dozen posing often critical queries to DOT representatives. It was the first DOT public hearing on the bridge closure, which is scheduled for July 9 and expected to last about six months.
L.B. looks at options for pier, ferry; Projected cost put at $91.5M
The Atlanticville, June 24. If Long Branch residents learned one thing at the pier and ferry charrette last week, it was that piers and ferries come in many different shapes, sizes and designs. One of eight options for the pier design.
Port Authority to buy former Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne in effort to expand ports
Star Ledger Published: Thursday, June 24, 2010. BAYONNE — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is buying a huge chunk of the former Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne and all of the Global Terminal container port in Jersey City as part of a plan to ensure the future growth of the region’s ports.
Montclair seeks to implement 24-hour quiet zone after train whistle ban expires
Star Ledger Published: Thursday, June 24, 2010. MONTCLAIR — Sleep easy, Montclairians. Montclair’s nearly four-decade-old nighttime train “whistle ban,” which is set to expire tonight, has been granted an 11th hour reprieve while the township works with federal rail officials to implement a 24-hour quiet zone.
Port Authority Chief Calls for Green Overhaul of Region’s Freight System
streetsblog.org June 23, 2010. Port Authority exec Chris Ward pointed to Dresden's CarGoTram as a sustainable freight mover that the region could learn from. Image: Wikimedia.In a region where passenger transportation is being reimagined, freight needs to catch up. That's the message Chris Ward, the executive director of the Port Authority, delivered in a "call to arms" at Baruch College this morning. After outlining the importance and challenges of moving freight, Ward put forward the beginning of a plan to rationalize cargo movement, calling for a combination of new infrastructure, new pricing schemes, and centralized distribution centers scattered across the New York region.
Lyndhurst may purchase train stations
LYNDHURST Leader June 22, 2010. The Lyndhurst Board of Commissioners may purchase the two dilapidated train stations located in the township as part of a plan to improve the façades that greet commuters as they enter and exit the municipality.
NJ Transit returns $4M from Hudson River tunnel study
Star Ledger Published: Tuesday, June 22, 2010. A $4 million Trans-Hudson Midtown Corridor Study for NJ Transit appeared on a list of Federal Transit Administration earmarks that were introduced and approved by Congress, yet lapsed after the money was never spent.
Port Authority reviews 'best' methods to finance raising of Bayonne Bridge
Star Ledger Published: Tuesday, June 22, 2010. BAYONNE — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is using the "best" methods to finance the raising of the Bayonne Bridge, according to Gov. Chris Christie, in a report by NewJerseyNewsroom.com.
NY-NJ Port Seeks Bayonne Bridge Proposals
Journal of Commerce Jun 22, 2010. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey issued a request for proposals from engineering companies and consulting firms to provide technical information on the environmental and regulatory issues related to modifying or replacing the Bayonne Bridge.
Flemington shakes money tree, gets $1M for Park Avenue project
Hunterdon Democrat Published: Tuesday, June 22, 2010. FLEMINGTON — Faced with hard choices on the Park Avenue realignment project, the borough gave the money tree another shake — and a million dollars fell out. While Flemington was poised to reluctantly add $1 million to its debt burden before contractors’ bids expired, N.J. Department of Transportation officials were facing a deadline of their own. They had to award federal stimulus money to shovel-ready projects quickly or face the bureaucratically unthinkable contingency of letting the money flow to another state.
N.J. motorists say local road conditions are worst in seven years
Star Ledger Published: Tuesday, June 22, 2010. That rattle of teeth and that rumbling you keep hearing? It’s not you. It’s your road. The approval rating for local roads in New Jersey is the worst it’s been, according to a AAA Clubs of New Jersey biennial survey of Garden State motorists. And, judging from past results, they have been getting a little worse each year since 2003.
Commuting: Dover's Rt. 46 bridge closure will have a ripple effect on gridlock
Daily Record June 21, 2010. DOVER — The impending closure of the Route 46 bridge is one of those rare transportation issues that will affect a vast portion of Morris County.
In case you missed it: Taking a tour of Morris County's worst traffic corridors
Daily Record June 21, 2010. The requests ranged from changing the timing of traffic lights to rebuilding a portion of a highway, adding material to a fence for soundproofing to major intersection reconstruction. State Assemblyman Alex DeCroce, R-Parsippany, and a half dozen local officials accompanied state Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson on a bus tour of some of the worst traffic problems in the area a little more than a week ago.
Shuttle bus service returns today to Liberty State Park in Jersey City; will run weekends-only through summer
Jersey Journal Saturday, June 19, 2010. A shuttle service through Liberty State Park in Jersey City will resume today, just in time for an event expected to draw 35,000 people to the park.
DOT: Route 46 bridge in Dover will close for 6 months
Daily Record June 17, 2010. DOVER — The Route 46 bridge closure is expected to last for approximately six months, the state Department of Transportation said Wednesday.
Amtrak considers another N.J.-to-N.Y.C. rail tunnel under Hudson River
Star Ledger, June 17, 2010. NEW YORK — Amtrak is considering the need for another rail tunnel under the Hudson River complimenting an NJ Transit rail being built to handle a ridership that is expected to double in the coming decades, a report on NorthJersey.com said.
Op-Ed: Why we should support ARC rail tunnel project
The Record Wednesday, June 16, 2010. IT’S DISHEARTENING to see so many respected and intelligent columnists for major daily newspapers in New Jersey drinking the Sierra Club Kool-Aid and getting suckered into attacking the ARC Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel project. ARC is a generational project — a once-in-a-hundred years project — that will benefit the entire region for the next century. Instead of questioning portions of the project after the fact, ARC should be fully embraced by all regional environmental and transportation groups.
NJ Transit hopes real-estate deals generate $100M
Asbury Park Press June 16, 2010. NEWARK — NJ Transit officials took another step toward public-private partnerships with its real estate holdings that Executive Director James Weinstein said could earn the agency $100 million in revenue, which could go toward covering operating costs.
NJ Transit seeks legal advice on privatizing parking lots
Star Ledger, Published: Wednesday, June 16, 2010. On the heels of fare hikes, service cuts and decreasing ridership, cash-strapped NJ Transit is now hiring lawyers who will provide legal advice as the agency begins exploring ways to make more money from its 40,000 parking spaces.
N.J. joins regional effort to improve air quality
Newsroom NJ, Wednesday, 16 June 2010. 11 states seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through transportation improvements and efficiencies. New Jersey is one of 11 states and the District of Columbia to join in the creation of the Transportation and Climate Initiative, described as a regional group designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through transportation improvements and efficiencies.
By 2030, Penn Station New York will be maxed-out. The Record Monday, June 14, 2010.That's after the nearly $9 billion new Hudson River tunnel and its subterranean train station is completed under 34th Street.
In short, $9 billion buys a short-term solution to a long-term problem.
A Quick Kiss of Plastic, and Ready to Ride
NY TimesPublished: June 11, 2010. It was there, at the corner of 110th Street and Lexington Avenue, between a neighborhood botanica and the DeWitt Clinton Houses: the future of New York transportation. One flight down in the No. 6 subway station, the left-most turnstile bore a new electronic reader. Clutching my specially enabled credit card, I made an initial approach, only to be cut off by a rider attempting to swipe a plain old MetroCard — a MetroCard, can you believe these people? — and experiencing all the usual setbacks. But eventually she made it through, and my turn was at hand.
The following links were posted June 23, 2010:
Taking a tour of Morris County's worst traffic corridors
Daily Record June 20, 2010. The requests ranged from changing the timing of traffic lights to rebuilding a portion of a highway, adding material to a fence for soundproofing to major intersection reconstruction.
Montclair train station reopens with new restaurant, waiting area
Star Ledger Published: Sunday, June 20, 2010. MONTCLAIR — After a fire four years ago, not much was left of the historic Upper Montclair Train Station except for burnt rubble.
L.B. looks at options for pier, ferry
The Atlanticville, 6/22/10. If Long Branch residents learned one thing at the pier and ferry charrette last week, it was that piers and ferries come in many different shapes, sizes and designs.
NJDOT announces night closure of Route 88 bridge
The Ocean Star, 6/22/10. POINT PLEASANT — The New Jersey Department of Transportation [NJDOT] has announced that the Route 88 bridge over the Point Pleasant Canal in Point Pleasant will be closed to traffic for several nights this week.
Local Student to Receive Traffic Safety Award
The Cranford Patch, 6/22/10. Creativity comes in many forms. For Emily Rehbein, a student at Hillside Avenue School, and her brother Christopher, it came in the form of developing a traffic safety poster, and their work will now be recognized.
Red light cameras are now back on Morris Township agenda
Morris News Bee, 6/18/10. MORRIS TWP. - A year ago at this time a plan to install cameras at the intersection of Columbia Turnpike and Normandy Parkway to catch drivers running red lights at the traffic signal there appeared dead in the water.
New Traffic Patterns For Amboy Avenue Over Route 440 In Perth Amboy
NJToday.net, 6/18/10. TRENTON –The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced new traffic patterns in connection with the ongoing project to replace the Amboy Avenue (County Route 653) bridge deck over Route 440 in Perth Amboy. Beginning Saturday, June 19 and continuing until mid-August, NJDOT will install a new work zone on the west side of the bridge and the existing work zone in the area of the U-turn lane will remain.
Wesmont Station back on track
The Leader, 6/17/10. WOOD-RIDGE — Wood-Ridge’s Wesmont Station has a new shot at life. The borough’s governing body has re-activated its financial agreements with the developers responsible for the project — a mixed-use residential and transit hub on property once home to the Curtiss-Wright industrial complex.
N.B. transit village plan approved
The Sentinel, 6/17/10. North Brunswick will see the beginnings of a transitoriented development within the next few years. On June 10, the Planning Board unanimously approved the preliminary site plan and general development plan to redevelop the 212-acre former Johnson & Johnson site off Route 1.
CAPT Joseph Azzolina Memorial Bridge: To honor former State Senator and Navy Captain
The Bayshore Courier, 6/16/10. Highlands - State Senator Sean T. Kean, District 11, State Senator Joseph Kyrillos, 13th District, and Senator Jennifer Beck introduced a bill into the Senate Friday designating the Route 36 Bridge across the Shrewsbury River the CAPT Joseph Azzolina Memorial Bridge.
Ogdensburg side of Edison Rd. is open
The Advertiser News, 6/16/10. Ogdensburg — After months of repair work, much of it by Ogdensburg’s Department of Public Works, Edison Road is back in business.
NJ Transit takes first steps to privatize its parking spaces
The Record Wednesday, June 16, 2010. NJ Transit took one of its first steps Wednesday toward privatizing some — or all — of its 40,000 parking spaces and raising as much as $100 million.
Amtrak studying need for second Hudson rail tunnel
The Record Wednesday, June 16, 2010. Two rail tunnels under the Hudson River — one dug by NJ Transit and another by Amtrak — could be built within 20 years to handle the growing passenger load between New Jersey and Manhattan, transportation officials said Wednesday. Amtrak is studying the need for another underground railway to complement an existing, century-old Hudson River crossing and an $8.7 billion tunnel that NJ Transit plans to build by 2017.
Public outcry stalls Flemington vote on $1 million loan for Park Avenue project
Hunterdon Democrat Published: Tuesday, June 15, 2010. FLEMINGTON — Should the borough borrow $1 million to get the Park Avenue drainage and realignment project completed? With sentiment in the room running against the borrowing, Borough Council found that question unanswerable on Monday night and postponed it to a special meeting — Monday, June 21, at 7 p.m. The vote to postpone was 3-1 with Councilwoman Linda Mastellone dissenting.
Newark red light cams catch more than 20K motorists, make $500K in 5 months
Star Ledger Published: Tuesday, June 15, 2010. Red has meant green for the state’s largest city. In the five-month period that ended in April, the red light cameras raked in nearly half a million dollars for the cash-strapped city, according to figures released by the Newark Municipal Court.
N.J. motorists continue to be frustrated by 'nation's longest traffic light' on Route 23 in West Milford
Star Ledger Published: Monday, June 14, 2010. PASSAIC COUNTY — It has been called the nation’s longest traffic light, and no one argues the point.
North Brunswick moves forward with revamped Route 1 transit village plan
Home News Tribune June 14, 2010. NORTH BRUNSWICK — The would-be transit village on the former Johnson & Johnson site now has a new name and preliminary approvals from the Planning Board.
Port Authority says investors have expressed interest in financing new Goethals Bridge
Star Ledger Published: Sunday, June 13, 2010. In what the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is calling an encouraging response to a novel proposal, a dozen investors have expressed interest in privately financing a replacement for the 82-year-old Goethals Bridge.
***NJTPA Mention***
Stimulus money resurfaces roads in West Milford
The Record Friday, June 11, 2010. Some money from a $9.2 million grant to improve Passaic County roads has enabled a road resurfacing project that has been underway in the Township of West Milford for the past few weeks. The North Jersey Transportation and Planning Authority (NJIPA) determined the level of award that each county and local municipality would receive and would be responsible for disseminating the funds throughout New Jersey.
Boonton's Main Street may lose street parking
The Citizen, 6/10/10. BOONTON - A proposal to remove 17 parking spots on Main Street for pedestrian safety when the county repaves the road in September prompted concern from town officials.
Farmer urges drivers to brake for slow-moving farm vehicles
The Examiner, 6/10/10. MILLSTONE — Four years ago, Shirley Pinhas lost her son Steven in a motor vehicle accident. On May 30, she nearly lost another son, Jonathan, 27, when a young woman hit his tractor as he was crossing Route 526. At the June 2 Township Committee meeting, Pinhas and her son asked the township for help resolving common problems for farmers moving equipment, such as low-hanging tree limbs and electric wires. They also asked the township to consider road signs, like those in place for horseback riders that ask drivers to slow down to 25 mph in the presence of a rider.
Navesink River Road reopening further delayed
The Independent, 6/10/10. MIDDLETOWN — Work on the westerly portion of Navesink River Road, which has been closed and under repair since April 1, has incurred another round of unexpected delays. County engineers are now hopeful the project will be completed by June 30.
Nightly lane closures begin on Rte. 35 in Holmdel
The Independent, 6/10/10. HOLMDEL — The New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced upcoming single-lane and shoulder closures on Route 35 southbound in Holmdel Township.
New Route 18 guardrails are waste of taxpayer dollars (letter)
The Suburban, 6/10/10. Has anyone noticed the new guardrails in the median along Route 18 below East Brunswick, continuing almost to the Garden State Parkway? It’s a huge waste of money.
Springfield Avenue bridge re-opens
The Cranford Patch, 6/9/10. Nearly four months earlier than originally anticipated, a bridge on Springfield Avenue that was closed since last August re-opened earlier today. The bridge, which spans the Rahway River, is often used by commuters for Orange Avenue School and Cranford High School and for others heading to Union County College and Kenilworth.
Could NJ’s Depleted Trust Fund Jeopardize Federal Funding for ARC?
NJ Future/wordpress.com June 9, 2010. That is the question posed by Phillip Barbara in a guest column in yesterday’s Star-Ledger. With New Jersey’s Transportation Trust Fund nearly broke, and no solution on the horizon, Barbara suggests that the federal government may be leery of committing to a “full funding agreement” of nearly $3 billion that had been expected. In all, the project, which will relieve a major bottleneck by doubling passenger rail capacity under the Hudson River between Secaucus and Midtown, is projected to cost $8.7 billion, making it the largest mass transit project in the nation.
NJ to pay Port Authority to tout state goods, business environment
The Record Wednesday, June 9, 2010. New Jersey's main economic development agency, mindful of the state's economic woes, has come up with an affordable way to tout state exports abroad and attract foreign investment. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority on Tuesday approved a deal to pay the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey $150,000 to use its representatives in London and Shanghai to promote the state.
N.J. toll plazas could feature sponsorships, advertisements under proposed law
Star Ledger, Published: Wednesday, June 09, 2010. We interrupt this trip on the New Jersey Turnpike for a commercial break. Exit 7 is brought to you by 7 Up, the Un-cola. Up next is Exit 8, sponsored by V8 vegetable juice. At that last exit, you could’ve had a V8.
N.J. contractors' 'Safety Day' promotes safe driving in work zones
Star Ledger Published: Tuesday, June 08, 2010. Imagine sitting at work and trying to phone clients or prepare a spreadsheet while cars and trucks zoom past your desk every five seconds at speeds of up to 80 mph. For New Jersey’s highway workers, the office is an asphalt interstate, and only orange cones separate them from vehicles a few feet away.
Sinatra Drive in Hoboken closed to traffic starting this Sunday
The Hudson Reporter, 6/8/10. HOBOKEN --Beginning on Sunday, June 13th, Sinatra Drive between Fouth and 11th streets will be closed to through vehicular traffic and open for recreational use from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the months of June, July and August, the city said Tuesday. The closing of Sinatra Drive dates back to at least 1998 when the City Council passed a resolution closing the street on Sundays during summer months.
Will New Jersey have the money to make good use of new Hudson River rail tunnel?
Star Ledger blog. Published: Tuesday, June 08, 2010. Viewed from the headlines, it’s been a bad year for New Jersey, particularly for transportation. The state’s fiscal crisis forced NJ Transit to raise fares and cut rail and bus service, while the Transportation Trust Fund is so indebted that after next summer, it won’t have cash to help fund road and rail improvements.
Will transit riders fill budget gap?
Times of Trenton Tuesday, June 08, 2010. The last thing I expected or wanted to do two weeks ago was write a column about the chance of another fare hike for NJ Transit passengers. No one has officially broached the subject, but with the state facing at least a $325 million budget gap, it shouldn't be a surprise if NJ Transit riders get hit with a second increase or more service cuts.
***NJTPA Mention***
AKRF Recognized by the Climate Registry
Earth Times, June 8, 2010.NEW YORK - (Business Wire) AKRF, an environmental, engineering and planning consulting firm, has been recognized as a leader in greenhouse gas and other climate change consulting by the Climate Registry, a nonprofit organization that provides meaningful information to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Recent notable climate change-related projects undertaken by AKRF include: NJTPA GHG Inventory – AKRF is part of the consulting team preparing the greenhouse gas emissions inventory for the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), using a groundbreaking protocol that takes both direct and life-cycle emissions into account for all sectors. NJTPA is the metropolitan planning organization responsible for planning the investments and activities that help improve regional transportation in northern New Jersey.
***NJTPA Mention***
Warren County officials suggest pedestrian safety improvements to Roseberry Street and Route 22 intersection
Express Times Monday, June 07, 2010. PHILLIPSBURG | Prohibiting right turns at stoplights, retiming pedestrian traffic signals and erecting barriers to prevent jaywalking are among suggestions officials are proposing to alleviate the crowded Roseberry Street and Route 22 intersection. A workshop in March, sponsored by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, included local, county and state officials crafting strategies to make Route 22 safer for pedestrians. The Roseberry Street crossing has become the focus of such efforts in Phillipsburg.
East Coast Greenway link to be completed in Union County
The Cranford Patch, 6/7/10. Another piece in the 3,000-mile jigsaw puzzle—the East Coast Greenway stretching from Maine to Florida—will soon drop into place in Union County, with the route slicing right through Cranford.
Amtrak heads for ridership record in 2010, chief says
thestar.com, Published On Mon Jun 7 2010. Amtrak, the U.S. long-distance passenger railroad, is on course to set a record for riders this year, Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman said.
Monmouth County wants to rebuild Sunset Avenue bridge; Sunset Ave. plan backed
Asbury Park Press June 7, 2010. ASBURY PARK — Monmouth County hopes to rebuild the 1924 Sunset Avenue Bridge over Deal Lake, which connects Asbury Park to Ocean Township, with a possible starting date in the fall of 2012.
Beyond ‘Real Time’ Reporting, Forecasting Future Traffic Jams
NY Times Published: June 3, 2010. WITH huge increases in the use of traffic cameras, roadway sensors and GPS-linked devices like cellphones, transportation agencies are now grappling with a flood of data available to tell them how well vehicles are (or are not) moving.
Lautenberg Sends Support Letter for Bike/Ped Access on Portal Bridge
Jersey City Independent Jun 1st, 2010. As we’ve reported, the East Coast Greenway Alliance is fighting to get access for bicycles and pedestrians as part of the new Portal Bridge being constructed to cross the Hackensack River. Late last month the Alliance got a key supporter on board in the form of U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg. In a May 20 letter of support to federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the senator says the bridge has the potential to provide “a key connection for a non-motorized link between New Jersey’s two largest cities, Newark and Jersey City.”
Port Authority official does not dismiss N.J. funding for Bayonne Bridge
Star Ledger Published: Tuesday, June 01, 2010. A top official of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey declined to rule out seeking state funds to raise or replace the Bayonne Bridge, a costly project that government and business leaders say nonetheless is necessary to protect commerce and jobs in the region.
Bayonne Bridge height fixes could cost millions, Port Authority's revenue fades
Star Ledger Published: Monday, May 31, 2010.The Bayonne Bridge crisis is fairly well known by now: the structure’s 151-foot clearance above the surface of the Kill Van Kull will be too low to accommodate the colossal container ships from Asia, expected to begin putting in at East Coast ports when an expansion of the Panama Canal is completed in 2015.
The following links were posted June 7, 2010:
***NJTPA Mention***
Warren County officials suggest pedestrian safety improvements to Roseberry Street and Route 22 intersection
Express Times Monday, June 07, 2010. PHILLIPSBURG | Prohibiting right turns at stoplights, retiming pedestrian traffic signals and erecting barriers to prevent jaywalking are among suggestions officials are proposing to alleviate the crowded Roseberry Street and Route 22 intersection. A workshop in March, sponsored by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, included local, county and state officials crafting strategies to make Route 22 safer for pedestrians. The Roseberry Street crossing has become the focus of such efforts in Phillipsburg.
States seek alternatives to roadside memorials
USA TODAY 6/4/10 SMYRNA, Del. — For nearly 23 years, Joyce Keeler has avoided the spot on rural Eagles Nest Road where a fiery crash killed her son. Instead, she comes to the highway rest stop near here to sit in a garden lined with bricks inscribed with the names of nearly 600 crash victims, including her son John. She prefers it to the kind of roadside memorial of crosses and flowers that spring up at the sites of thousands of fatal crashes across the nation every year.
N.J. falls behind in cutting waist-high grass on state's highways
The Star-Ledger June 03, 2010.April showers may bring May flowers, but this year in New Jersey, winter snowing has prompted a late-spring mowing — of the waist-high grass in highway medians. In February, an army of state workers toiled to clear away record-breaking amounts of snow to keep drivers safe, then worked during the spring to repair the resulting potholes. Four months later, after the warmest March, April and May in more than a century, the same workers are rushing to cut grass so high it blocks the view of motorists coming down ramps into rushing traffic.
Beyond ‘Real Time’ Reporting, Forecasting Future Traffic Jams
NY Times Published: June 3, 2010. WITH huge increases in the use of traffic cameras, roadway sensors and GPS-linked devices like cellphones, transportation agencies are now grappling with a flood of data available to tell them how well vehicles are (or are not) moving.
Construction work to change traffic patterns in North Brunswick, Edison, Woodbridge
The Star-Ledger June 03, 2010. MIDDLESEX COUNTY — Drivers will contend with lanes shifts on Route 1, Route 440, and Route 9 in North Brunswick, Edison and Woodbridge as construction work proceeds to replace bridges, state Department of Transportation officials said.
Standing in a Tunnel’s Path, and Forced to Leave
NY Times Published: June 3, 2010. Christine A. Moore, a hat designer on 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, is one of the unlucky 100. Like other businesses and landlords in the area, she has been warned that a giant tunnel-boring machine is coming to her neighborhood and that she will have to move as her building is marked for demolition.
Amtrak to offer free wireless on Acela Express trains
By The Associated Press June 02, 2010.WASHINGTON — Free wireless will become a standard service for passengers on Amtrak's Acela Express trains. Amtrak made the announcement Tuesday. It follows a three-month trial run in which all 20 of Amtrak's Acela Express cars provided free service.
Transit Maps in the Palm of Your Hand (No Refolding Required)
NY Times Published: June 2, 2010. In some cities, pulling out a transit map is an open invite to solicitations from panhandlers, swindlers and car services. But you can avoid such nuisances if you own a smartphone.
Jersey City PATH stations accepting PayPass credit cards
The Jersey Journal June 01, 2010. With the wave of his MasterCard PayPass Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy moved seamlessly through the turnstile at the Exchange Place PATH Station yesterday afternoon. Healy was among the first people to try out the new "Tap & Go" system, a pilot program being used by NJ Transit, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Metropolitan Transportation Authority that will allow riders to pay by credit card on certain buses, PATH trains and subways.
Tap-and-go payments come to NJ Transit, PATH trains, N.Y.C. subway
The Star-Ledger June 01, 2010. NJ Transit, New York's MTA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey are trying out tap-and-go payments.Some commuters who use a combination of PATH, NJ Transit or MTA trains or buses will no longer have to juggle multiple fare cards — as long as they have a MasterCard credit or debit account.
Port Authority official does not dismiss N.J. funding for Bayonne Bridge
The Star-Ledger June 01, 2010. A top official of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey declined to rule out seeking state funds to raise or replace the Bayonne Bridge, a costly project that government and business leaders say nonetheless is necessary to protect commerce and jobs in the region. Bill Baroni, deputy executive director of the Port Authority, said today that his agency would pursue “all of our possible sources” of funding for the project, estimated to cost $1.3 billion to raise the 79-year-old bridge, and $2.15 billion to replace it. Federal funds and private investors are other potential sources.
Bayonne Bridge height fixes could cost millions, Port Authority's revenue fades
The Star-Ledger May 31, 2010.BAYONNE — In the 2005 sci-fi film, "War of the Worlds," Tom Cruise’s character weaves through traffic in the family minivan to escape an alien attack, as the Bayonne Bridge is obliterated in the background. If only it were that easy. The Bayonne Bridge crisis is fairly well known by now: the structure’s 151-foot clearance above the surface of the Kill Van Kull will be too low to accommodate the colossal container ships from Asia, expected to begin putting in at East Coast ports when an expansion of the Panama Canal is completed in 2015.
N.J. DOT traffic measures, bridge project ease congestion near Sandy Hook beach
The Star-Ledger May 30, 2010. SANDY HOOK— The sunburned may no longer have to do a slow burn: New measures seem to have cut traffic delays to a fraction of the three hours it sometimes took last year to leave the beach at Sandy Hook. Motorists leaving the popular section of Gateway National Recreation Area in Monmouth County faced no more than 15- to 20-minute delays as they headed out last night on Route 36 North, said Rilesh Shah, a supervisor at the state Department of Transportation’s operations center in Woodbridge.
N.J. State Police increase number of tickets issued on Turnpike and Parkway, target aggressive drivers
The Star-Ledger May 29, 2010.State troopers patrolling the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway last month wrote about 50 percent more traffic tickets than they did the previous April. The tickets are being written in the name of safety — not revenue, according to a State Police spokesman, who added that any increases in summonses are part of an attempt to reduce the number of accidents. Fatal wrecks are down 12 percent this year on all New Jersey highways.
The Livability Moment
The New Republic May 28. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s five-year strategic plan was released recently and is open for comment. It has straightforward goals around safety, environmental stewardship, and organizational excellence that don’t appear to be too much of a departure from the current plan. Yet a new set of strategies around the plan’s Livable Communities chapter has generated a fair share of commentary—and some controversy.
THE BRIDGE TO SUMMER SUCCESS?
RedBankGreen.com, 5/28/10. The construction of the Route 36 Highlands bridge, which connects Highlands to the Sea Bright/Sandy Hook peninsula and funnels traffic into the Gateway National Recreation Area, plagued local businesses last summer and wreaked havoc on motorists. Now that the 65-foot high bridge is near completion — two lanes are operational, and two more are being added — local merchants are hopeful, but skeptical, that traffic will flow better, both on the road and in their stores this summer.
Port Authority Sees Mixed Results In 1Q 2010 Traffic Volumes
NJToday.net, 5/28/10. STATE — Activity levels at the Port Authority’s six bistate crossings and PATH mass-transit system continued to decline during the first quarter of 2010.
Roadwork promises smoother sailing to the Shore - in the future
Phila. Inquirer 5/28/10. Ah, the Jersey Shore. Sun. Fun. Traffic. Every year, starting with Memorial Day weekend, major routes such as the Garden State Parkway and the causeways that link the mainland to barrier island resort towns become snarled with vehicles. Road projects that officials promise will ease the gridlock could exacerbate congestion short-term, with ripped up asphalt and reduced speeds near Ocean City and Long Beach Island this summer.
New York City subway map gets redesign
The Star-LedgerMay 28, 2010.NEW YORK CITY — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is putting out a revised subway map for New York City next month, in an attempt to simplify the infamously complex tool, a report in the New York Times said.
DiVincenzo announces ambitions repaving project for Passaic Avenue
Recorder Newspapers Published: May 27th. Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. met with elected officials from Fairfield on Thursday, May 27 at the intersection of Passaic Avenue and Bloomfield Avenue to announce Essex County's commitment to repaving Passaic Avenue in West Caldwell and Fairfield. The work is part of a $10 million project funded through the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
NJ gearing up for a summer of roadwork
Asbury Park Press May 27, 2010. The hot colors this summer are orange and lime green — the colors of traffic cones, barrels and safety vests that drivers will see at numerous highway and bridge construction sites throughout the Shore area this summer. While officials at the state Department of Transportation and New Jersey Turnpike Authority traditionally shut down all construction except for emergency work on summer weekends and major holidays, weekdays are prime construction days, meaning day-trippers could see some delays and closed lanes.
Sharing the Bike Path with Cars on Hudson River Greenway
The Gothamist 5/27/10. A tipster sent us this photo taken today on the Hudson River Greenway. To the untrained eye nothing seems out of the ordinary here: bikes and cars sharing the road in Utopian harmony. But although it looks like a normal street, this is actually a bike path; the car here is supposed to be over on the left on the West Side Highway.
Weighing the future of Bergen County
The Leader, 5/27/10. MAHWAH — A recent conference held Tuesday, May 18 by the Bergen County Department of Planning and Economic Development focused on creating and achieving a better, more sustainable future for Bergen County. The project, entitled “Vision Bergen: Blueprint for Our Future,” was another step in the process of updating Bergen County’s Master Plan — a plan that was last updated in 1973, but has been in the works of being rewritten for the last two years, according to Director of Planning and Economic Development Farouk Ahmad.
NJDOT Announces Closure Of I-287 Ramp In Piscataway
NJToday.net, 5/27/10. TRENTON- The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) announced the I-287 northbound ramp to Easton Avenue will be closed to traffic after the peak travel period on Tuesday, June 1. The ramp closure is anticipated to last for approximately four weeks and will be re-opened to traffic before the July 4th holiday weekend. I-287 northbound traffic heading to Easton Avenue (CR 527) will be detoured to Exit 13B for Union Avenue, use the interchange to make a U-Turn to I-287 southbound to Exit 10 for Easton Avenue.
Drivers urged to leave enough room for handicap parking (letter)
The Independent, 5/27/10. I realize that a lot of people are unaware of what the aisle striped access next to the disabled parking space is for. I was not aware either until I purchased a van with a ramp on its side to drive my scooter down out of the van.
***NJTPA Mention***
Four GOP candidates vie for two council seats in Clinton Township
Recorder Newspapers Published: May 27th. The committee “succeeded in getting N.J. Transit to agree to make improvements to the historic station…We also got the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) to agree to hold a Walkable Community Workshop this summer. Planners and consultants from NJTPA will come in and work with residents and local officials to conduct a walking audit of the village and document safety issues and make recommendations for improvements.”
***NJTPA Mention***
Pirone cites experience on Town Council
By Independent Press May 27, 2010. While on the Council Mr. Pirone found NJ tuition assistance for our Fire and Rescue volunteers' families. He also helped stop the expansion of Exit 43 off Interstate 78 by lobbying NJTPA and county officials.
Franklin-Main Street light will be up by summer’s end in Rockaway
The Citizen, 5/27/10. ROCKAWAY – The intersection of Franklin Avenue and Main Street should be up and running by the end of the summer and borough officials plan to monitor the traffic in the town center to see if the new light improves the flow of traffic through downtown.
Should Fanwood Increase Its Parking Permit Fees?
The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Patch, 5/26/10. One Fanwood resident wants to know why the borough council isn't taking advantage of some untapped revenues from parking permit fees. During the council's hearing on the 2010 budget this week, Greg Cummings, a member of the mayor's citizen budget committee, questioned why the borough's commuter parking permit fees are so much cheaper than neighboring towns.
Citizens Against The Helipad Detail Objections to Application
The Summit Patch, 5/26/10. Two residents who epitomize many of the concerns of residents in the case of Overlook Hospital's application for variances to build a helipad on the roof of the hospital's C-wing sat down with Summit Patch for our last installment in a series with Hometowne Television.
What young drivers think
The Advertiser News, 5/26/10. Student reporter Jessica Tiger asked six of her fellow classmates at High Point High School their opinions and concerns on the new law which took effect on May 1 that requires drivers under 21 to post stickers on their license plates. Not surprisingly they all find it a nuisance and potentially dangerous.
THE WHEELS ON THE WALKING BUS GO ‘HMM’
RedBankGreen.com, 5/26/10. Mike Dannemiller, a cheery, bespectacled transportation planner from north Jersey, led a group up the sidewalk from Red Bank Primary School, along the north side of River Street to Leighton Avenue Tuesday night, stopping at random intervals to quiz the adults walking two-abreast behind him. ... Dannemiller, along with state officials involved in street-safety issues, gave a presentation to the few dozen who showed up on the benefits of implementing a walking bus system — just one component of the locally-started Safe Routes initiative, which has recently taken hold in Red Bank and appears to be gaining traction.
Watch traffic on the Parkway and Turnpike with Web cameras
Asbury Park Press May 26, 2010. Drivers using the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike can say yes to that question after the Turnpike Authority, which runs both toll roads, added feeds from 149 traffic cameras to its website. Previously the public could only see video from 14 cameras, said Tom Feeney, authority spokesman.
Route 80 rock blasting finally complete
Daily Record May 26, 2010. ROXBURY — Work has finally finished on rock blasting that periodically resulted in 10-minute closures of Route 80. The state Department of Transportation announced today that the blasting was over and the original traffic pattern will be restored on the highway's westbound side by Saturday, June 5. The $5.5 million project, underway since 2008, will pass another milestone on Thursday when DOT will order temporary single-lane closures to remove safety barriers and replaces a guide rail.
Rising imports, exports a sign of economic improvement, Port Authority officials say
The Star-Ledger May 26, 2010.In what officials say is a sign of economic improvement at home and abroad, the total volume of imports and exports rose 9.6 percent at the region’s ports during the first quarter of 2010 compared with the same period last year. Imports for the year’s first three months, rose 9.8 percent above 2009 levels, while exports were up 9.4 percent, reported the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Dover's Route 46 bridge will close after July Fourth weekend
The Star-Ledger May 26, 2010. DOVER--The state Department of Transportation will close the Route 46 bridge in Dover to all traffic after the July 4 weekend through the end of the year, according to Mayor Jim Dodd. Local and state representatives met with DOT officials yesterday to hash out a plan to deal with the ramifications of shutting one of Morris County’s busiest corridors.
Road improvement project will close Route 287 ramp to Easton Avenue in Piscataway next week
The Star-Ledger May 26, 2010. PISCATAWAY — Drivers will face a detour around a ramp from Route 287 north to Easton Avenue in Piscataway for the next four weeks for an ongoing road improvement project, state officials said.
County Executive letter: Don't abandon two bus routes, including Liberty State Park shuttle
The Jersey Journal May 26, 2010. The 305 route, which transports people to different parts of the park, is being eliminated by NJ transit at the end of this month. Route 305 is a shuttle serving Liberty State Park visitors from the Light Rail station just outside the park's confines. This bus service is the only mass transit option into the park. Hundreds of seniors and a large number of families rely on the 305 in order to visit the park on weekends. It is now slated to cease operation June 1.
U.S. Sens. Lautenberg, Menendez propose $125M in aid to reverse NJ Transit fare hikes
The Star-Ledger May 25, 2010. TRENTON — Since the start of last year, 84 percent of public transit systems in America have either hiked fares, slashed service or are considering one of the two. Saying that mass transit has become more expensive and less accessible, New Jersey Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez today joined a half-dozen Democratic colleagues to propose $2 billion in emergency assistance — including $125 million for NJ Transit — to reverse mass transit service cuts and fare hikes across America.
Middlesex County to expand community shuttle program to Cranbury, Plainsboro
mycentraljersey.com May 24, 2010. MIDDLESEX COUNTY — Residents in the southern part of Middlesex County have a new public bus service providing connections between Jamesburg, Plainsboro and the Princeton Junction Rail Station in West Windsor Township.
***NJTPA Mention***
Two bus routes to be cut
NJ Herald 5/20/10. NEWARK -- Two regional bus routes, one of which begins in the heart of Sussex County, will be cut by NJ Transit at the end of the last work day of May. "It's tough on us," said Sussex County Freeholder Sue Zellman, who also sits on the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. "But it's also tough on a lot of other counties."
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