New Jersey Turnpike

The board of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority voted unanimously today to raise tolls around 40% immediately and another 50% in 2012. A similar 50% toll hike now was voted today by the South Jersey Transportation Authority, operator of the Atlantic City Expressway.
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Toll increases on the New Jersey Turnpike are being trimmed slightly in response to criticism, according to Turnpike officials but they will still be substantial under revised proposals released today. Car tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike will be increased on an average trip from $1.20 to $1.70 (+50c) rather than to $1.80 (+60c) as announced September 4. Truck tolls also will be increased slightly less on the Turnpike than proposed a month ago.
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The New Jersey Turnpike Authority board in a 3-page letter to Governor Jon Corzine says it cannot meet debt service obligations next year, nor fund capital projects without a substantial toll increase. They propose an increase in Turnpike car tolls of 60c in 2009, and 90c in 2012, and of 15c and 25c on the Garden State Parkway. The decision is unanimous and supported by the the Authority chairman Kris Kolluri who is also Corzine's secretary of transportation.
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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.
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Michael LaPolla, 51, executive director is leaving the New Jersey Turnpike for an undisclosed job in the private sector. LaPolla says he's most proud of the job he did in "fixing E-ZPass." He also presided over the Turnpike Authority's takeover of the Garden State Parkway and managed to administer the Turnpike without scandal or fuss for almost exactly six years.
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Dennis J Enright, the prominent apologist for state toll authorities in the debate on concessions vs public tolling is being paid $200k by the New Jersey Turnpike. Enright said this at a meeting of the New Jersey Turnpike Commission when a commissioner, Clive Cummins questioned the fees being paid for refinancing $400m of auction rate bonds.
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The New York Times reports this morning that "Just off the New Jersey Turnpike, America - and more specifically New Jersey - lives and eats."

That's an intro to a gorgeous set of photographs of intriguing indigenous Jersey eateries just off the Pike.

Sylvia Kapuscinski is the photographer.  read more »

Governor Jon Corzine will tour the state speaking in all 21 counties over the next few weeks on behalf of his proposal to monetize the New Jersey Turnpike. The first of what are being called "Governor Corzine's Financial Restructuring and Debt Reduction Town Hall Meetings" is set for Jan 12 in Livingston in Essex Co, with others following at two or three days intervals in Hackensack Bergen Co, Randolph in Morris Co, and Middle Twp in Cape May.
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A lawyer for the New Jersey Turnpike, William B Ziff managed to provoke some wild headlines today: "NJ ADDS INSULT TO INJURY: SUES TRAGIC CRASH KIN" and "NJ Turnpike officials sue crash victims".

"Disgraceful and obscene" and "the most outrageous thing I have seen in a long time" were comments from lawyers of those sued.
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A lot about the New Jersey Turnpike makes no sense. The "Exits" for a start. You do exit the Turnpike from an Exit, it's true. But to get onto the Turnpike you have to enter via an Exit also. TOLLROADSnews researches indicate that approximately an equal number of motorists enter the New Jersey Turnpike via Exits as exit via them.
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New Jersey transportation commissioner Kris Kolluri said today that the key to unlocking the value of the state's tollroads is a realistic and predictable future toll rate regime free of political interference. 805 words  read more »

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority is moving ahead with detailed engineering on its largest widening project in two decades - taking 56km (35mi) of mostly 3+3 roadway to 3+3+3+3 lanes which the Turnpike calls "dual-dual" roadway.  read more »

A TV drama aficionado writes: "The Sopranos Season Six Part Two. The visceral, thumping bass beat kicks in, Tony takes his ticket for the New Jersey Turnpike and we are off and running for the second half of the final season of the Sopranos, the finest television drama ever written."

The Sopranos explain their use of the Turnpike as the opening stage for the series with these words from Jeffrey Page of the Bergen Record:  read more »

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine is confirming that he gave $15k to Rocco Riccio after his aides persuaded him to resign from a position he had just been given at the New Jersey Turnpike, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. Riccio is the brother-in-law of the Governor's former girlfriend and high state union official Carla Katz. Riccio met the governor through Katz.
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Mid-February the Director of the Office of Public Finance in New Jersey, Nancy Feldman received a 15 page proposal from a major financial group offering to raise around $30 billion from the New Jersey Turnpike (and its subsidiary Garden State Parkway) based on the state retaining the business, and being in control. 2347 words  read more »

Reacting to constant politicking over what is planned for the future of the state's beloved Turnpike, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine said his planned "monetization" does not involve either sale or lease. However he said that the state has amassed over $30b in debt and has "staggering" unfunded pension and healthcare liabilities.
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Governor Jon Corzine speaking to reporters today seemed to hint at plans to establish a new public authority to run the New Jersey Turnpike. He is quoted as saying his plan would be "entirely different" from the longterm lease concession proposed by Gov Rendell in Pennsylvania. It would be "a new public benefit corporation... as opposed to privatization," he is reported as saying.

Details would come out in "about two weeks" which is June 5 or so. 301 words  read more »