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 May 13, 2008:
Bill would open rail corridor to private train service
Friday May 9, 2008 Daily Record. WASHINGTON -- A bill introduced in the House on Thursday seeks to explicitly allow private companies to compete to provide train service in the Northeast Corridor for the first time.
Legislation would allow competition on Northeast Corridor train tracks
05/09/2008 Star Ledger blog. A bill introduced in the House Thursday would allow private companies to compete to provide train service in the Northeast Corridor for the first time, according to a report in the Courier Post.
NJ Transit does us a disservice Friday May 9, 2008 Daily Record.
To the Editor: It is atrocious how the local train service will essentially be cut from the Morris line effective next week unless one can get to one of the few stations that serve Midtown Direct.
Is support melting for 'snow bill' in Trenton?
Friday May 9, 2008 Bergen Record. Frantic e-mails advised me this week that the state Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee had "killed the snow bill," as one reader put it, "after hearing from trucker guys."
At Rail Hub, Bird Will Still Soar, but With a Bit Less Polish
Published: May 8, 2008 NY Times. They have not clipped the wings of the birdlike structure that is to be the aesthetic centerpiece of the World Trade Center transportation hub and PATH terminal, but Port Authority officials now plan to shrink it as they search for ways to keep the project within a $2.5 billion budget.
Bridge work on North Bridge Street in Bridgewater
05/08/2008 Warren Reporter blog. The New Jersey Department of Transportation, on Friday, May 9 will begin the reconstruction of the North Bridge Street bridge decks over Route 287 in Bridgewater.
Bill would give towns power to place traffic signs
5/8/08 Brunswick Sentinel. A New Jersey assemblyman is crafting legislation that would relieve local municipalities from needing state approval to place street signs.
More talk of possible toll hikes from NJ governor
Thursday May 8, 2008 TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- A Republican state senator Thursday called on Gov. Jon S. Corzine to drop talk of potential toll increases after the governor reiterated he would soon unveil a new plan.
Transit systems travel 'green' track
Thursday May 8, 2008 USA Today. NEW YORK -- This year, the surging current of the East River will help provide power to a nearby subway station.
Hazmat accidents more common on roads
Thursday May 8, 2008 Bergen Record. A tanker truck motoring down a New Jersey highway can carry just about any dangerous chemicals, toxic waste or other hazardous materials as long as the company meets federal requirements.
Area resident seeks turn signal at Route 33-Millhurst Road
5/8/08 Examiner. A Manalapan resident is asking for action to be taken at a Route 33 intersection that is often choked with traffic.
Andrews targets neglected roads, rail
Wednesday May 7, 2008 Bergen Record. RUTHERFORD – With a busy Route 17 as his backdrop, Rep. Rob Andrews on Tuesday charged that U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, his opponent in the June Democratic primary, has failed to secure federal funding.
Council restricts parking on residential streets; Ordinance comes in wake of complaints from residents over cars parking on their streets.
5/7/08 Woodbridge Sentinel. Woodbridge Township officials, looking for ways to eliminate parking on residential streets in and around the Town Hall parking lot, have formed the Downtown Permit Parking Ordinance to do just that.
Clearing the air
Tuesday May 6, 2008 Bergen Record. Tightening of ozone standards is a step in the right direction.
Bills require drivers to steer clear of lights
Tuesday May 6, 2008 Courier News. Two legislative committees Monday approved bills that would require drivers to slow down and try to move to the left, away from the breakdown lane, as they approached police.
Key NJ senators say toll road agency should boost tolls
Tuesday May 6, 2008 TRENTON, N.J. (AP) Two key lawmakers on Tuesday said the New Jersey Turnpike Authority should invoke its own power to increase tolls 45 percent to widen toll roads and fix bridges on them.
Jersey transportation chief: Gas tax break a bad idea
Tuesday May 6, 2008 TRENTON -- The state's transportation chief on Monday said a state or federal gas tax break would jeopardize funding for critical bridge and roadway projects.
Shifting gears: Corzine gives nod to gas-tax holiday
Monday May 5, 2008 Bergen Record/AP. Gov. Corzine this morning said he supports a federal gas tax holiday this summer.
Gas-tax cut may be filling drivers up with false hope
Sunday May 4, 2008 Bergen Record. NEW YORK — Sure, a gas-tax holiday seems like a good idea, at first.
New Hudson rail tunnel would be a boon
05/04/2008 Star Ledger. As New Jersey Transit's Midtown Direct service began operations in June of 1996, real estate professionals said one-seat service into Manhattan would boost home values for properties near stations on the Morris and Essex line.
P.A. nominee has N.Y. political ties
05/03/2008 Star Ledger. New York Gov. David Paterson has nominated a former top official of a politically connected seaport company to be executive director of the Port Authority, just a week after the agency allowed the firm to use dredging funds to pay off $2.6 million in back rent for its waterfront operations. Chris Ward, who formerly worked at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, is to re join the agency later this month in the $286,702-a-year post and will be responsible for the day-to-day operations.
The following links were posted May 2, 2008:
Oceanport finds success selling street signs
Friday May 2, 2008 Asbury Park Press. The borough on April 26 made a little extra money when it conducted a sale of its old street signs. Borough workers recently installed new state Department-of-Transportation-compliant signs
Thompson Avenue bridge repairs begin in Bridgewater
Friday May 2, 2008 Courier News. A $1.4 million project to reconstruct the Thompson Avenue bridge deck over Route 22 in Bridgewater is under way, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Feds give Morristown Airport $90K for runway study
Friday May 2, 2008 Daily Record. HANOVER TWP. -- The Morristown Municipal Airport will be given a federal grant to study its runways.
Legislator keeps up toll booth crusade. Corzine yet to take position on I-78 plan.
05/01/2008 Express Times/Ledger. A key state lawmaker said Wednesday he will intensify efforts to add tolls to Interstates 78 and 80, stressing the plan would simply mean new tollbooths at the Pennsylvania border and not hit motorists all across the state.
Codey: No tolls will go on interstate highways
Thursday May 1, 2008 Asbury Park Press. Plans to put tolls on Interstates 78 and 80 won't get far, Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, said Wednesday. "It's not going to happen," Codey said
The other commute
Thursday May 1, 2008 Bergen Record. WITH THE brouhaha over congestion pricing in Manhattan receding, Governor Corzine and the Legislature can turn their attention back to more relevant matters -- such as traffic congestion
Corzine Weighs Options on Toll Increases
Published: April 30, 2008 NY Times. NEWARK- After spending much of the past 18 months creating a plan to reduce New Jersey's debt and finance transportation improvements by drastically raising highway tolls, Gov. Jon S. Corzine is apparently back to Milepost 1.
Plan floated to more than double existing tolls
Wednesday Apr 30, 2008 Asbury Park Press. As one key lawmaker floated a proposal to more than double existing tolls and add charges on Interstates 78 and 80 to fund transportation projects
New tunnel under Hudson threatened
Wednesday Apr 30, 2008 Daily Record/AP TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- More talk but still no answers Wednesday from lawmakers on solving the New Jersey's looming transportation financial crisis that could threaten plans to build a new tunnel
Rutgers center to assess U.S. bridges
04/30/2008 Star Ledger. Researchers at Rutgers University could play a role in determining how bridges will be designed, built and maintained in the future.
Rutgers gets $25.5M to study bridge safety, engineering
Wednesday Apr 30, 2008 Home News Tribune. The Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation, also known as CAIT, has been awarded a five-year contract worth up to $25.5 million
Highway chief: No toll increase, no money for projects
Wednesday Apr 30, 2008 Asbury Park Press. The state transportation commissioner is expected to warn lawmakers today that New Jersey will have no money for highway, bridge or rail improvements in three years
N.J. must match federal transportation grants to qualify
Wednesday Apr 30, 2008 Bergen Record. Federal officials won't help pay for bridge repairs and rail expansion - such as a second rail tunnel to New York City - if New Jersey can't come up with the cash for the match
City Council okays bicycle path signs
04/30/2008 Independent Press. SUMMIT -- Brown and white destination and share the road signs will help define bicycle routes throughout the city. Common Council adopted a resolution at the Tuesday, April 22, meeting. The city will soon have designated bicycle routes
Corzine reviews options to boost transit trust fund
04/30/2008 Star Ledger. Gov. Jon Corzine yesterday said he is considering both scaled-down toll hikes and a higher gasoline tax as a way to bolster state transportation funding, but insisted that no final decisions have been made.
Workshop tonight on southwest Hoboken traffic
04/29/2008 Jersey Journal. HOBOKEN - Residents concerned about how development in the city's southwest corner will affect pedestrian, driver and bicyclist safety are invited to a community workshop tonight.
Corzine: NJ cannot afford a gas tax break
Tuesday Apr 29, 2008 Asbury Park Press. New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine says budget woes mean the state cannot afford a gas tax break to check rising gas prices.
Summer may toll the end of cheaper gas
Tuesday Apr 29, 2008 Bergen Record. New Jersey motorists may end up paying higher tolls and possibly a steeper gas tax, but will have to wait until the summer to find out exactly how much and how soon.
County poised to replace Millstone Township bridge
Tuesday Apr 29, 2008 Asbury Park Press. Bonnie and Martin Krzywicki have been waiting for years. Now, the time has almost arrived. This summer, the $1.2 million replacement of the bridge carrying Perrineville Road
***NJTPA Mention Below***
N.J. could lose millions for roads
Monday Apr 28, 2008 Bergen Record New Jersey taxpayers could have to pay back millions to the federal government for transportation projects that have languished more than 10 years
***NJTPA Mention Below***
What's next?
Monday Apr 28, 2008 Bergen Record. Federal officials will meet with the state Department of Transportation and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority at the beginning of May to discuss capital planning.
D.C. tries bicycle sharing program
Monday Apr 28, 2008 Bergen Record/AP. WASHINGTON AP More Washingtonians could be pedaling to meetings on Capitol Hill and other appointments when the city launches the nation's first European-style bike-sharing service next month.
Metuchen gets $245,000 state grant to upgrade stretch of Grove Ave.
Monday Apr 28, 2008 Courier News. The borough has received a grant of $245,000 from the state Department of Transportation to resurface a portion of Grove Avenue.
***NJTPA Mention Below***
No parking
Saturday Apr 26, 2008 Bergen Record. MOTORISTS WHO have grown accustomed to dodging packs of roaring 18-wheelers barreling down some of the most trafficked highways in the nation will find little consolation
The following links were posted April 30, 2008:
***NJTPA Mention Below***
Editorial: No free rides
Saturday Apr 26, 2008 Bergen Record. Motorists who have grown accustomed to dodging packs of roaring 18-wheelers barreling down some of the most trafficked highways in the nation will find little consolation in the results of a new study conducted by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.
Construction timetable set for realignment
04/25/2008 Warren Reporter. NETCONG -- The heavily-traveled Route 46/Main Street intersection is scheduled to receive a complete overhaul starting next March. Mayor Joseph Nametko announced during Borough Council's April 10 regular meeting that the state Department of Transportation has received the OK to move ahead with the reconstruction of the intersection after receiving approval from the Department of Environmental Protection to complete different drainage improvements as part of the project.
Lakeland drivers set strike deadline
Friday, April 25, 2008 NJ Herald. A strike that would shut all bus service to Sussex County could come in early May. Contract negotiations between Lakeland Bus Lines and unionized drivers and mechanics have broken down, said John McHale, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local No. 1614.
Road, rail work spells jobs, taxes
04/24/2008 Star Ledger. The money New Jersey plans to spend over the next decade on highway, rail and bridge projects will create 26,800 jobs a year and generate more than $1.5 billion in state and local tax revenue, a Rutgers University study found. The study was commissioned by the state Department of Transportation and conducted by researchers at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers.
Report: Corzine plan would add 27K jobs
Thursday Apr 24, 2008 TRENTON (AP) -- A new study predicts Gov. Jon S. Corzine's transportation improvement plan would create 27,000 new jobs annually . . .
Morris to take lead in Sussex Tpk. repair work
Thursday Apr 24, 2008 Daily Record. RANDOLPH -- Morris County will become the lead agency on the long-delayed Sussex Turnpike repair project, following the approval Wednesday of a resolution by the Morris freeholders . . .
Long-awaited bridge replacement project set to begin in township
Thursday Apr 24, 2008 Asbury Park Press. MILLSTONE TOWNSHIP -- Bonnie and Martin Krzywicki have been waiting for years. Now, the time has almost arrived. This summer, the $1.2 million replacement of a bridge carrying Perrineville Road . . .
Out-of-state drivers flock to N.J. for gas
Thursday Apr 24, 2008 Bergen Record. High gasoline prices are driving motorists from North Jersey and beyond to bargain hunt before fueling up in the Garden State.
Brick to test red-light camera
Thursday Apr 24, 2008 Asbury Park Press.BRICK --The township is considering installing red-light cameras at several intersections in an effort to reduce traffic accidents, Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis said.
Zipcar service offered at Morristown Train Station
04/23/2008 Star Ledger. Courtesy of Zipcar NJ Transit and Zipcar have launched a partnership this week to enable rail commuters to access car-sharing services at Morristown Station and four other locations.
End bridge probe before work starts
Thursday Apr 24, 2008 Asbury Park Press. The state Department of Transportation recently announced plans to demolish sidewalks on the northbound side of the Highlands-Sea Bright drawbridge by June 1 so traffic can be diverted . . .
Secaucus Junction to get parking
Thursday Apr 24, 2008 Bergen Record. Plans for two large parking facilities at the Secaucus Junction rail station rolled forward Wednesday as the state Meadowlands Commission gave preliminary approval for a 4,280-space garage . . .
Farmingdale moves to solve parking woes
Wednesday Apr 23, 2008 Asbury Park Press. When Heather Harms of Manchester started working at Able Medical Transportation on Main Street four months ago, co-workers told her to park along one of the nearby roadways.
Caboose rides planned
Wednesday Apr 23, 2008 Daily Record. All aboard! On special Sundays throughout the Whippany Railway Museum's 2008 season, it will offer trips on some of its collection of antique, restored cabooses.
Thompson Ave. work begins on May 2
Wednesday, Apr 23, 2008 Courier News. Drivers and pedestrians who use the Thompson Avenue overpass that crosses over Route 22 will endure several months of lane closures and detours starting May 2, when deck work begins.
Soaring gas prices cramping drivers' budgets
Wednesday Apr 23, 2008 Asbury Park Press. Ouch! The bad news on the fuel-front continued Tuesday as gas and oil prices pushed further into record high territory, with retail gas reaching a national average of $3.51 for the first time . . .
White House: Boost gas mileage by 2015
Wednesday Apr 23, 2008 Bergen Record. WASHINGTON — The next generation of new cars and trucks will need to meet a fleet average of 31.6 miles per gallon by 2015, the Bush administration proposed Tuesday.
DOT promises pothole repairs after N.J. Senate president complains
04/22/2008 Star Ledger. Senate President Richard Codey said he's tired of seeing drivers swerve to avoid hitting potholes when he's driving on Route 280. After months of witnessing several near-misses, he sent a letter Monday to Department of Transportation Commissioner Kris Kolluri asking for the "deplorable road surface conditions" to be repaired."
Proposal would set new fuel standards
Tuesday Apr 22, 2008 WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government on Tuesday plans to release a proposal to raise fuel efficiency standards for new cars and trucks, putting the nation's fleet on track to reach 35 miles per gallon . . .
Bike buying tips from the experts
Tuesday Apr 22, 2008 Bergen Record. Listen, John and Jane Q. Paramus, perhaps you love your SUV, your fried food and your "American Idol" in HD, but just stop for a second and take a look at gas prices and your bank account.
NJDOT starts I-80 work today
04/21/2008 Express Times Blog. Starting today the New Jersey Department of Transportation will resurface a nearly five-mile stretch of Interstate 80 in Knowlton, Blairstown and Hope townships in Warren County.
Port Authority Plans a Web Site to Help Offset Pollution
Published: April 21, 2008 NY Times. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will announce plans on Monday to become the first tolling agency in the country to set up a Web site where drivers and airline passengers can buy credits to offset the carbon emissions created by the trips they take.
Independent truckers daunted by increasing costs and freight rates
Monday Apr 21, 2008 Asbury Park Press. Trucker Robert Griffith is on the road three weeks out of four, pulling oversize loads like crane booms, railroad ties and air conditioning ducts.
N.J. not alone in quest to add toll booths
Sunday Apr 20, 2008 Bergen Record/AP TRENTON — It's not a popular idea, but cash-strapped states like New Jersey are increasingly looking at putting tolls on free interstates.
Parkway lanes in Toms River undergoing construction this week
Sunday Apr 20, 2008 Asbury Park Press. The southbound left lanes of the Garden State Parkway will be undergoing significant construction during the overnight hours this week.
http://www.northjersey.com/opinion/letters/Letters_for_Sunday_April_20_2008.html
Letters for Sunday, April 20, 2008 Bergen Record.
Highway shoulders aren't truck stops Regarding "Give truckers a break" (Page A-1, April 17): How about giving taxpayers a break?
A political road that drivers don't take
Sunday Apr 20, 2008 Bergen Record. You would think that everybody who complains about the ever-rising price of gasoline would have hyperventilated with joy last week when John McCain suggested a 100-day "summer holiday"
The following links were posted April 22, 2008:
NJ Transit breaking its own ridership records
Friday Apr 18, 2008 Asbury Park Press. NJ Transit keeps breaking its own records for moving people, with the most recent ones set in the second quarter of fiscal year 2008.
NJ Transit probes latest door incidents
Friday Apr 18, 2008 Asbury Park Press. NJ Transit officials have hired a consultant to look at the "root cause" of five incidents in which doors on moving trains carrying passengers opened suddenly.
PATH foot traffic is no walk in the park
Friday Apr 18, 2008 Bergen Record. Vin Macri and thousands of other New Jersey commuters thought they'd left stop-and-go traffic on the highways Monday when they boarded PATH trains to Manhattan.
Emergency paving approved for Parkway
Friday Apr 18, 2008 Asbury Park Press. New Jersey Turnpike Authority commissioners approved emergency paving for a short section of the Garden State Parkway near Toms River.
Pelosi calls for national road improvements
Friday Apr 18, 2008 Bergen Record/AP NEW YORK, N.Y. -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on the federal government Friday to develop a capital plan that would improve the nation's deteriorating transportation system.
5-mile Route 80 resurfacing project begins Monday
Friday Apr 18, 2008 Daily Record. A five-mile resurfacing project along the western reaches of Route 80 begins Monday, state officials announced today, and is expected to create overnight lane closures for the next six months.
Brick to test cameras to catch drivers who run red lights
Friday Apr 18, 2008 Asbury Park Press. The township is considering installing red light cameras at several intersections in an effort to reduce traffic accidents, Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis said.
Got a used bike? Someone in Africa may be able to use it
04/18/2008 Suburban News. CRANFORD -- Pedals for Progress (P4P), in its continuing effort to recycle bicycles properly, is staging a used bicycle collection in conjunction with the Cranford Rotary Club. Anyone with an adult or child's bicycle in repairable condition is urged to donate the bike to this cause.
***NJTPA Mention Below***
Give truckers a break
Thursday Apr 17, 2008 Bergen Record. Sleepy truck drivers, a lack of parking spots for big rigs and a projected 90 percent increase in truck traffic have state officials recommending new and expanded rest areas.
Hopes grow for Route 1 widening.
Brunswick Sentinel. 4/17/08 SOUTH BRUNSWICK -- The township has been receiving some encouraging news recently regarding the widening of Route 1.
Pallone calls for DOT inquiry over Rt. 36 bridge project
The Hub. 4/17/08 New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6) has entered the Route 36 Highlands Bridge controversy by calling for a comprehensive investigation by the N.J. Department of Transportation (DOT) in connection with the alleged forgery of certain documents relating to the bridge.
Allentown gets temporary bridge.
The Examiner 4/17/08 ALLENTOWN -- In response to local residents' concerns, Monmouth County will install a temporary bridge over Doctor's Creek during the construction of a new bridge and dam downtown.
Thursday Letters to the Press
Thursday Apr 17, 2008 Asbury Park Press. It was finally sunny and warm, so my husband and I went for a bicycle ride.
HUNTERDON CO.: Highway towns seek scenic designation for I-78
Thursday, Apr 17, 2008 Courier News. Highway towns will hold a roundtable discussion next week on getting a scenic byway designation from the state.
Fair Haven looks to reconfigure downtown parking
The Hub. 4/17/08 FAIR HAVEN -- Plans to consolidate parking in the downtown district were discussed during the April 14 Borough Council meeting.
Revamp planned on Routes 35, 36
Thursday Apr 17, 2008 Asbury Park Press. What's the best defense to keep from being an accident victim on the busy, congested Route 35 and 36 corridors in Eatontown until improvement projects materialize?
Transport service adds new bus
Thursday, Apr 17, 2008 Courier News. A new bus has been added to the fleet of the Edison Senior Citizen Transportation Service to accommodate the growing number of senior citizens in the township.
State has spent $7.3M on stalled toll hike plan
Wednesday Apr 16, 2008 Asbury Park Press. The state has spent $7.3 million so far on the governor's stalled plan to increase highway tolls and may soon spend more.
Petition: Traffic threatens Middletown historic district
Bayshore Independent 4/16/08. The character of Middletown's historic district is at risk due to the county's plans to install a traffic signal and reconfigure the roadway that runs through the area, according to group of local preservationists.
Citing Budget Concerns, Port Authority Plans for More Modest Hub at Trade Center Site
April 16, 2008 NY Times. Concerned that the permanent World Trade Center transportation hub cannot be built as designed within the budgeted amount, the Port Authority has begun preparing plans for a more modest alternative.
Diesel prices burn truckers and customers
Wednesday Apr 16, 2008 Asbury Park Press. Like many business owners, Joseph Mercadante of North American Linen is feeling the pain of rising diesel fuel prices.
Weigh station woes, tunnel turmoil
04/15/2008 Express Times. I want to comment on two different transportation issues that have recently been featured in The Express-Times. First, this newspaper and the Newark Star-Ledger both ran articles about the fact that the new truck weigh stations on Interstate 78 in Warren County are almost never open.
EDITORIAL; How Not to Develop New Jersey
Anyone who drives around New Jersey should realize that the last thing the state needs is a return to the unregulated home-building boom that left it marred by scattershot housing and clogged highways. April 15, 2008 -- Opinion NY Times.
N.J. to steer drivers away from trouble
Tuesday Apr 15, 2008 Asbury Park Press. WOODBRIDGE -- The inside of the state's new Traffic Management Center looks like the Counterterrorism Unit set of the Fox-TV show "24" -- dim lighting, lots of computers surrounding operators, a massive Jumbotron-sized video screen on the front wall and people on a mission.
New toll roads make a lot of sense
Monday, Apr 14, 2008 Courier News. As strongly opposed as this page has been to Gov. Jon S. Corzine's massive toll hike plan, and as wary as it is, in general, of new taxes, it must be said that there is something reasonable and almost alluring . . .
Commuter vans being pulled from the road
04/14/2008 Jersey Journal Blog. It's commuter chaos in the Jersey City Heights this morning, as commuter vans are being pulled over at a random checkpoint and most are being taken out of service for various violations.
Palisades stairway will ease trip to ferry
Sunday Apr 13, 2008 Bergen Record. For any old fool who retains the heart of a child and the legs of a mountain goat, the Bergen Palisades represent more than a natural masterpiece and a breathtaking view of Manhattan.
Corzine touts $42B roads plan as economic stimulus
Sunday Apr 13, 2008 Asbury Park Press. Gov. Corzine has an idea in mind to lift the state from the economic doldrums: a massive statewide initiative to repair aging roads, bridges and mass transit that would create thousands of new jobs.
Corzine's toll plan draws attention in other states
Sunday Apr 13, 2008 Asbury Park Press. Transportation and other government officials across the country are keeping a close eye on Gov. Corzine's plan to raise tolls to fund transportation and pay off state debt.