Regional News Roundup
A comprehensive roundup of transportation-related news – from daily, weekly and online media outlets – compiled and posted every few days.
Through May 14, 2012
**NJTPA Mention**
Hunterdon County Freeholder, Matthew Holt, elected NJTPA chairman
Hunterdon County Democrat, 5/14/12. Hunterdon County Freeholder Matthew Holt was elected Chairman of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority at a recent Board of Trustees meeting today.
**NJTPA Mention**
Bus Line from Princeton to New Hospital Launches
Planet Princeton, 5/14/12. The 655 NJ Transit bus that connects Princeton and Plainsboro to the new University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro made its inaugural run this morning.
**NJTPA Mention**
Municipal Transportation Issues To Be Discussed At Monmouth University
Long Branch Patch, 5/14/12. Municipal transportation issues will be the hot topic during Tuesday night's Transportation Summit at Monmouth University.
**NJTPA Mention**
Poor Pedestrians More Likely To Be Struck by Cars
Transportation Nation, 5/14/12. In all of Newark, roughly five hundred pedestrians are struck by cars each year. It’s one of just two dozen cities across the country singled out by the federal government as a pedestrian safety focus city.
Editorial: Time re-route bike route in Kinnelon
Suburban Trends, 5/14/12. We agree wholeheartedly with the Kinnelon residents concerning the portion of the supposed bike route that includes a particularly dangerous section of Fayson Lakes Road.
NJ Transit may add train cars and buses to accommodate Rangers-Devils playoff series
Star-Ledger, 5/14/12. NJ Transit will be closely watching the number of people taking trains and buses into New York for the opening game of the Devils-Rangers Eastern Conference finals tomorrow, and may “increase capacity,” a spokesman said today.
Poor Pedestrians More Likely To Be Struck by Cars
Transportation Nation, 5/14/12. While a grad student at Rutgers, Daniel Kravetz starting sifting through data for several counties in Northern New Jersey. “And I started to notice that all the roads that were most likely to have a lot of intersections with high crash counts, were in communities where the population was either highly African American or highly Latino,” he says. So he dug a little deeper. And found what he calls “a statistically significant relationship” between low income neighborhoods and high pedestrian crash totals. That correlation shows up everywhere. “The higher the income level, the lower the likelihood for crashes to occur in an area,” Kravetz says. “And that was found in almost any study that analyzed that relationship.”
Tolls rise unchecked as Port Authority ignores its own policy tying hikes to inflation
The Record, 5/13/12. If the Port Authority had followed its own rules, last year’s controversial toll hikes — which pushed the cost of crossing the Hudson River to $12 — wouldn’t have happened. That’s because the agency’s board of commissioners adopted a little-noticed resolution in 2008 stating that, from that point forward, tolls would rise at the same rate as inflation and only in $1 increments.
Need revenue? Tap those commuters
The Record, 5/13/12. Politicians may be reluctant to increase taxes on a middle class reeling from recession, but they have been more than willing to squeeze more money out of New Jersey's commuters.
***NJTPA Mention***
Freeholders push county college to implement project labor agreements
Hudson Reporter, 5/13/12. After passing a resolution in March that would require the Hudson County Community College to implement Project Labor Agreements for ongoing and future construction projects that would require inclusion of union labor and other provisions, the Hudson County Freeholders at the April 24 caucus threatened to withhold funding for capital improvements at the school. ... The county is seeking federal grants through the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority for funding to repave locations on JFK Boulevard, between 60th and 62nd Street and 70th and 72nd street in Guttenberg and West New York.
Cyclists may get more access to NJ Transit trains under proposal now before agency's board
Asbury Park Press, 5/13/12. Cyclists could have access to more of NJ Transit's rail system, under a revised bike policy that could be acted on next month in an attempt to end confusion among riders and crews about when and where bikes are permitted on trains.
Middlesex high schoolers win contest, which drives home the value of safety behind wheel
Star-Ledger, 5/13/12. Diego Lajra and David Jorge usually eat their lunches while driving.But when they decided to create an audio entry for Middlesex County’s "Don’t Drive Dangerously" contest, they thought about it and realized that eating while driving is just as dangerous as talking on a cell phone or texting.
For the Gipper: Ronald Reagan may soon have a highway in N.J.
Star-Ledger, 5/13/12. The nearly 100 highways and bridges in New Jersey dedicated to honor groups or deceased individuals who have left a lasting legacy in the state bear a lot of different names. There’s Interstate 287, known for its entire length as the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway; the Sept. 11 Memorial Bridge on Route 70, honoring victims from Monmouth and Ocean counties who were killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks; the Thomas A. Edison Bridge, named in honor of the state’s greatest inventor, on Route 9. Only one former president — Warren Harding — has received such as an accolade in New Jersey, with a 4-mile section of Route 48 in Salem County named in his honor, according to the state Department of Transportation. But under a bill introduced earlier this year by Republican legislators in the Democratic-controlled Assembly, President Ronald Reagan, the nation’s 40th president, would be the second.
N.J. to contribute to proposed Amtrak tunnel
Phila. Inquirer, 5/13/12. The Christie administration, which killed a trans-Hudson rail tunnel because of fears of cost overruns, will pay its “fair share” of a proposed Amtrak tunnel project linking New Jersey and New York City, Christie’s transportation chief said Friday.
City to present its rail yard plan; City asks NJT to release their version to public
Hudson Reporter, 5/13/12. The city and its planners are currently putting the finishing touches on their version of the New Jersey Transit Redevelopment plan, a major step in a 5-year process intended to utilize a 52-acre lot in the Southwest portion of the city near the Hoboken Terminal and rail yards. The plan is being prepared by Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC, (WRT). Mayor Dawn Zimmer said the plan will likely be presented to the City Council and the public within the next month.
Lane closures loom as resurfacing of Route 120 in East Rutherford and Carlstadt begins Monday
The Record, 5/12/12. A two-mile section of Route 120 from Route 3 to Berry’s Creek in East Rutherford and Carlstadt will be the focus of a road resurfacing project that begins Monday, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Northern NJ highway among the nation's most traveled bicycling routes
The Republic, 5/12/12. WOODLAND PARK, N.J. — Hundreds of spandex-clad New Yorkers, their colorful jerseys representing tribal affiliation — NY Velocity, Team Lipstick, Asphalt Green — roll into Fort Lee each weekend when the weather warms. They join throngs of New Jersey cyclists all pedaling toward the same destination: 9W, the U.S. highway that is among the nation's most traveled cycling routes.
Cars of the future will be computers on wheels
USA TODAY, 5/11/12. HANOVER, Germany – A handful of people have seen the car of the near-future, and it looks suspiciously like a lunar land rover. Or a plane. Or a driverless vehicle. Take your choice.
Commuters skeptical about idea to bypass Port Authority's bus terminal
Star-Ledger, 5/11/12. Each morning, Karl Zielaznicki boards a bus in Matawan and joins the commuter cavalcade in a 61-minute procession along America’s most-congested state, through the nation’s busiest tunnel and into the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. That’s the easy part.
Road Warrior: Deaths push Fort Lee to take jaywalking seriously
The Record, 5/11/12. With three pedestrians killed so far this year and 74 pedestrian crashes last year, you’d think Fort Lee’s top cop wouldn’t have to publicly explain why members of his force are ticketing scores of jaywalkers.
Hackensack train station's building will be rebuilt
Hackensack Chronicle, 5/11/12. City officials announced that the Anderson Street train station would soon be rebuilt, more than three years after a fire destroyed the historic building.
Improvements planned at Strickland Rd. & Route 9
Tri-Town News, 5/10/12. HOWELL — Municipal officials have announced that the state Department of Transportation will enhance the intersection of Strickland Road and Route 9 with new signs, signals, crosswalks and altered lanes.
Multi-million dollar contract awarded for long-planned expansion of New York's Penn Station
Star-Ledger, 5/10/12. NEW YORK — A Queens company was awarded a $147.7 million contract to construct the first phase of an expansion of New York's Penn Station that will improve access to train platforms for Amtrak, NJ Transit and Long Island Railroad commuters by 2016.
N.J. transportation boss suggests buses pick up passengers on N.Y. streets, skip Port Authority
Associated Press, 5/10/12. New Jersey Transit bus passengers might be able to avoid the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. New Jersey Transportation Commissioner Jim Simpson wants NJ Transit to explore picking up passengers on the streets of Manhattan and bypassing the congested terminal.
Official wants NJT to pick up at NYC bus stops
mycentraljersey.com, 5/10/12. NEWARK — NJ Transit riders could hop on their commuter bus at a Manhattan stop and avoid the busy, overcrowded Port Authority Bus Terminal, if state Transportation Commissioner James Simpson has his way. Simpson suggested the idea as a way to handle the demand for more bus service, while bypassing an already bursting at the seams Port Authority Bus Terminal. “We know the physical conditions with the Port Authority Bus Terminal. We’re looking for a smarter solution, rather than having people walk to an overcrowded bus terminal,” said Simpson.
NJ Transit gets acceptable grade for first time since creation of satisfaction 'Scorecard'
Star-Ledger, 5/10/12. Finally, a year after the nation’s third-largest public transit agency unveiled the program, NJ Transit has a report card worthy of being displayed on the refrigerator door.
Survey says: NJ Transit commuters happier
Daily Record, 5/10/12. NJ Transit riders are more satisfied with the agency now than they were three months ago, giving it the highest marks since the quarterly Scorecard survey started last year. On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the top score, riders gave the overall system a 5.8 – up from last quarter’s 5.1. The agency had set a satisfaction ranking goal of 6 for the quarter. That doesn’t mean officials have declared “mission accomplished” or the Scorecard initiative over, however.
West Milford's La Rue Road expected to be resurfaced this summer
Suburban Trends, 5/10/12. A heap of grant money and leftover capital funding should get La Rue Road a new surface later this year.
Westwood awards road co-op contract
Pascack Valley Community Life, 5/10/12. On behalf of the Pascack Valley Cooperative Pricing Program, the Westwood Council awarded a $2.8 million contract to resurface roads in 2012.
Mathews Avenue closed to traffic in Riverdale for roadwork
Suburban Trends, 5/10/12. Motorists traveling northbound on Route 23 won't be able to turn right on Mathews Avenue for a while.
County: No parking ban on our streets
Ocean Star, 5/10/12. POINT PLEASANT BEACH — The Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders will not endorse the recently adopted municipal ordinance dealing with the implementation of a pilot parking program in district 4 — and now, the program has hit yet another speed bump in the form of a lawsuit filed against it by two boardwalk businesses.
Monmouth Park traffic control to cost local towns
Atlanticville, 5/10/12. Local officials say the change in management at Monmouth Park racetrack in Oceanport will have significant budgetary and traffic impacts for their municipalities.
N.J. revives Adopt-A-Highway program
Greater Media/Sentinel, 5/10/12. Less than six months after commemorating the opening of a Coca-Cola distribution facility in South Brunswick, representatives of Gov. Chris Christie’s administration visited the site again on May 2 to announce the revival of New Jersey Adopt-A-Highway program. New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson kicked off the launch of the volunteer program, which provides opportunities for businesses and organizations to financially sponsor litter removal along the state’s highways. He described its revival as the newest component of the Christie administration’s Clean Up NJ initiative. “When [Christie] gave me this job, I realized how dirty the state had become,” Simpson said. “We’re serious about bringing the garden back in the Garden State.”
Manalapan resolves to seek DOT review of speed limit
News Transcript, 5/9/12. MANALAPAN — The Township Committee will send a formal request to the state Department of Transportation (DOT) and ask the agency to review the speed limit on business Route 33 in Manalapan.
Can Weeding, Flood Fix Come With 287 Project?
Morristown Patch, 5/9/12. Sure, Interstate 287 can use a facelift, but it's not the only thing about that area of roadway in need of repair. That contention, from Council Vice President Rebecca Feldman, came Tuesday night when the matter of a noise waiver for an upcoming repaving project from the state Department of Transportation was discussed.
NJ Transit Survey Finds Positive Signs For Agency
NJTV, 5/9/12. NJ Transit announced the results of the agency’s “Scorecard” survey and officials were trumpeting the generally high scores. This is the third survey report issued by NJ Transit and officials say the numbers show improvement in customer sentiment about everything from on time scheduling to how the agency handles service disruptions to fares on trains and buses.
NJ DOT commissioner proposes bypassing Manhattan bus terminal for some routes
The Record, 5/9/12. New Jersey Transportation Commissioner Jim Simpson on Wednesday suggested a pilot program that would allow some NJ Transit buses that serve Manhattan to bypass the Port Authority Bus Terminal, picking up North Jersey-bound passengers directly from the streets of New York.
NJ Transit considers allowing bicycle passengers at all train stations
The Record, 5/9/12. A bicyclist at Garfield’s Plauderville station can get on an NJ Transit train with her bike, but if she’s riding to Hoboken, she won’t be able to get off. That's just one conundrum cyclists find themselves in as the result of NJ Transit's bicycle policy, which prohibits riders from getting on or off a train with a bike at stations with low platforms.
N.J. revives Adopt-A-Highway program
Sentinel, 5/10/12. Less than six months after commemorating the opening of a Coca-Cola distribution facility in South Brunswick, representatives of Gov. Chris Christie’s administration visited the site again on May 2 to announce the revival of New Jersey Adopt-A-Highway program.
Lawmakers seek transportation bill compromise
Asbury Park Press, 5/9/12. WASHINGTON — Sen. Robert Menendez called Tuesday for lawmakers charged with coming up with a deal on legislation to fund the nation’s transportation programs to work together and stay away from politically charged issues that would kill the bill.
Stafford Township officials frustrated with delays in East Road intersection project
Press of Atlantic City, 5/8/12. Stafford Township officials say they have no more time to waste on a 10-year-old project to fix the intersection of Route 72, East Road and Doc Cramer Boulevard.
***NJTPA Mention***
Development plan aims to take advantage of Hackensack transit access
NJBiz.com, 5/8/12. In a separate undertaking from Hackensack's recently unveiled Main Street rehabilitation plan, a group of New Jersey Institute of Technology graduate students have mapped out potential growth areas that focus on the city's three downtown transit hubs.
New Amtrak station to relieve rush-hour crowds at Penn Station in first phase of project
The Record, 5/8/12. The time it takes New Jersey’s rail commuters to exit Penn Station will be cut in half as a result of a long-stalled construction project that will finally begin later this year, officials said Tuesday. That is one outcome of the $270 million first phase of a plan to turn a two-block Beaux Arts post office on Manhattan’s west side into a new Amtrak station, relieving pressure on its cramped neighbor across the street, Penn Station.
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