In The News

NJ tourists, spending surpass pre-pandemic levels 5/17/24, Njbiz.com

MVC changes disclosure on credit card surcharge that affects 4.5M drivers a year in N.J. 5/17/24, NJ.com

Less than 1% of companies would pay this proposed fee to help NJ Transit, report says NJ.com, 5/16/2024 (PAYWALL)

Philadelphia or New York? Lehigh Valley may have to pick single destination for train service. Mass Transit, 5/16/2024

New Flyer awarded contract from NJ Transit for up to 1,300 clean diesel buses Mass Transit, 5/16/2024

Check out the new batch of funny highway signs in New Jersey. Which is your favorite? NorthJersey.com, 5/15/2024

NJ Transit will refund old unused tickets after backlash from customers NJ.com, 5/15/2024 (PAYWALL)

Two heavily-traveled bridges in Middlesex and Somerset counties to be replaced MyCentralJersey.com, 5/15/2024

If you’re struck by a car on an electric scooter, insurance won’t cover you, high court rules NJ.com, 5/14/2024

Jersey hates NYC’s congestion pricing. But we just made $100K off the plan. NJ.com, 5/14/2024

Improvements planned for busy Bergen County intersection ahead of 2026 World Cup games NorthJersey.com, 5/13/2024

Commuters will see 3 huge arches for the new Portal Bridge floating up the river this winter NJ.com, 5/13/2024 (PAYWALL) 

NJ Transit is on the hook for $88M to help rehab 2 East River tunnels. This is why. NJ.com, 5/12/2024 (PAYWALL)

Hudson County OKs measure to evaluate ‘pedestrian protection’ for 14th St. Viaduct Hudson County View, 5/10/2024 - Hudson County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $23,920 environmental engineering contract with French and Parrello Associates for pedestrian protection for the 14th Street Viaduct.

Port Authority sees cargo increase at local ports following Baltimore Bridge collapse News12 New Jersey, 5/10/2024 - The Port Authority is taking in about 10% more cargo since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore County, Maryland in March. This is not as much as the COVID surge a few years ago, which was about a 30% jump. Still, the ship crash puts under scrutiny how you get those packages, an industry set to boom in the coming years.

NJ Bus Companies Could Face New Rules If They Plan To Cut Routes Patch.com, 5/9/2024 - Over the past few years, four private bus companies have ended or discontinued bus routes in the Garden State: A&C, DeCamp, Coach USA and TransDev. Advocates say the news came as a shock to many riders, who were caught unaware and left in the lurch as they scrambled to find new ways to get to work or other important destinations. That shouldn’t be the case, several state lawmakers say.

Truck traffic at issue in Route 202 warehouse plan in Hunterdon MyCentralJersey.com, 5/10/2024 -  The Township Committee is considering a study of traffic in the entire 37.65-square-mile municipality bisected by two major highways.

NJ Gov. Murphy: We can get seniors a big tax break and plug NJ Transit's $1B hole Gothamist, 5/9/2024 - Gov. Phil Murphy says he’s confident that he and lawmakers can work out their issues in budget talks — advancing a "landmark" tax relief program for seniors and putting in place the corporate tax he envisions closing NJ Transit's looming budget hole.

Academy Express bus company, paying $20.5M fraud settlement, seeks NJ Transit contract NorthJersey.com, 5/8/2024 - The Hoboken-based bus company that is still paying off a historic settlement with the state office of the attorney general is up for another contract with NJ Transit, the public transportation agency it was accused of defrauding.

NJ Transit consulting team is looking to transform the agency. And cut $600M NorthJersey.com, 5/7/2024 - The state is paying North Highland $6.7 million to conduct the study, which the company launched in January. It is expected to deliver “quick wins” in June, with a feasibility study report in late October or November.

Bipartisan bill tasks FAA with ensuring safer takeoffs, flights and landings NJ Spotlight News, 5/7/2024 - The bill requires a study about expanding access for “lower cost passenger carriers at capacity constrained” airports, specifically Newark Liberty International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, and it establishes a federal center near Atlantic City as an aviation and aerospace hub.

NJ Transit one-way tickets will expire after 30 days starting this summer NorthJersey.com, 5/7/2024 - New Jersey Transit will be implementing a new policy regarding one-way tickets and Flexpass effective July 1, according to an announcement from the company. Here are the details of the updated policy.

Number of track outages grossly underestimated for Portal Bridge replacement project NorthJersey.com, 5/7/2024 - Construction of the $2.3 billion Portal North Bridge remains on time and on budget despite a vast underestimate of how many track outages and staff would be required, according to Amtrak’s inspector general.

Dozens of groups urge lawmakers to kill $10.7B Turnpike project, fund NJ Transit NJ.com, 5/7/2024 (PAYWALL) - More than two dozen organizations sent a letter to state leaders asking them to support Gov. Phil Murphy's proposed corporate transit fee and end a proposed $10.7 billion New Jersey Turnpike widening project and use that money instead of raising fares 15% this summer.

Contract to build first Gateway rail tunnel coming this year, planners say NJ.com, 5/7/2024 (PAYWALL) - The first contact to build half of the $16 billion Gateway rail tunnels is expected to be awarded either this summer of fall, said officials of the commission overseeing its construction.

The deadline to get a Real ID is fast approaching. What you need to do to get one. NJ.com, 5/6/2024 (PAYWALL) - Only one in seven New Jersey drivers have opted for the more secure Real ID Driver's license and ID cards that in close to one year will be the only license accepted as identification for domestic air travel.

Battery electric trucks in the U.S. Northeast: electric utilities and planning for tomorrow 5/17/24, Theicct.org - More than 20,000 trucks travel the network of roads in the U.S. Northeast corridor every day, many delivering goods from the harbors of New York, New Jersey, and Boston to factories and consumers throughout the country. Several signs now point to these trucks beginning the electric transition. 

‘Stroads’ Aren’t Streets. They Aren’t Roads. And They Don’t Work. 5/16/2024, Spritzlerreport - Wherever Charles Marohn travels in America, he finds a similar type of road, lined with strip malls, fast-food joints, gas stations, car dealers and dying malls.


Marohn calls these arterial roads “stroads”—a mix of a neighborhood street, where people want to live and shop, and a road, which is designed to move traffic quickly between two places. Stroads are trying to do two things at once, he says, and failing at both.

Arizona’s Culdesac: A Car-Free Paradise or Part of the Problem? Strong Towns, April 30, 2024 - There’s a new housing development in Tempe, Arizona, that’s getting a lot of attention for something it excludes. Culdesac offers more than 700 apartments — and zero parking spaces. Its developers say they’re striving to make Culdesac Tempe “the best place to live car-free in the U.S.” It’s a great goal, but is it a realistic one

Why Some Cities Want to Combine Transit Agencies Governing.com, May 10, 2024 - Chicago and San Francisco are looking to consolidate the transit agencies in their respective cities, proposals backed by state lawmakers. Advocates say such reforms could improve service for riders and make it easier for politicians to address funding issues.

To Expand Transit on the Cheap, Cities Explore Infill Stations CityLab Transportation, May 8, 2024 - Infill stations are an increasingly popular solution in cities whose rail transit systems were originally designed to shuttle suburban commuters to and from downtown. At a time when laying new tracks can be prohibitively expensive, they’re an affordable way to make the most of infrastructure that’s already in place.