truck lanes

Senate leaders are discussing with the Corzine administration a private toll concession to manage truck and bus lanes on the New Jersey Turnpike. Richard Cody, president of the senate and Raymond Lesniak chair of an economic committee are both reported by Joe Donahue in the Star-Ledger as saying they are looking at a partial toll concession - either for truck and bus lanes or for premium service lanes for cars.

Three Florida agencies have agreed on a cost sharing plan for the $600m Connector roadways in the Ybor City area between the I-4 and the Selmon Crosstown Expressway in Tampa. The Tampa Hillsborough (Toll) Expressway Authority will contribute $45m to construction costs and Florida's Turnpike Enterprise $80m, while the Florida DOT will put in $475m.

by Patrick J McCue

In fairness to Congressman Young, I would like to present a somewhat different view of the I-4 truck lanes story from your report.

A couple of years ago when he was chairman of the House Transportation Committee Rep Don Young (GOP, Alaska) agreed to do a book launching ceremony, a publicity 'do,' in one of the House office buildings on Capitol Hill for a Reason Foundation report that I'd written with Robert Poole on toll truckways. The appearance of a committee chairman ensured a solid crowd of about fifty or so - congressional staffers, lobbyists, policy geeks, and the odd hack.