- NJ Environmental Groups File Court Brief Supporting MTA Congestion Pricing Program
- MTA Shares Results Of Its Latest Crackdown On Toll Scofflaws
- RITBA Waives An E-ZPass Fee To Help Mitigate Providence Traffic Emergency Impacts
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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NJ Environmental Groups File Court Brief Supporting MTA Congestion Pricing Program
NJ Spotlight News reports, Empower NJ, a coalition of 34 state groups that support conversion to clean energy sources, last week filed an amicus brief that opposes the relief sought by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) in a lawsuit aimed at halting implementation of MTA’s congestion pricing program pending completion of a full-scale environmental impact study. The groups outlined vigorous support for the program in a filing that “lists benefits New Jerseyans would gain from congestion pricing, including ‘breathing cleaner air whenever they walk and wherever they work . . . better and faster commutes, faster travel and easier parking once they get there, and for many drivers, these benefits will outweigh paying a toll.’” The brief also “points to a $10.7 billion New Jersey Turnpike extension plan near the Holland Tunnel, noting Murphy did not require it to pass the same rigorous examination” despite its potential environmental consequences. Murphy opposes the congestion pricing plan on the grounds that it requires his constituents to pay for MTA facility and service improvements. His office offered no comment on the Empower NJ brief. (TRN inserted a link in quoted text.)
Congestion Pricing Environmental Protection Policies Procedures And Initiatives Issues of Law Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New Jersey New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) New York New York CityMTA Shares Results Of Its Latest Crackdown On Toll Scofflaws
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced Friday at the end of a three-day enforcement crackdown that its police officers had “interdicted [i.e., seized] 44 vehicles registered to persistent toll violators at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. . . . The scofflaws accounted for approximately $922,500 in unpaid tolls and fees.” MTA chair and CEO Janno Lieber told reporters at a press event, “Our message is simple. If you cover your license plate or use fake plates, you will pay the price. If you’re a repeat offender, your car is going to be seized and you could get arrested. This is about fundamental fairness. It’s not right when drivers in Mercedes and Porsches come onto our bridges and through tunnels and skip out on thousands of dollars in tolls.” MTA Bridges and Tunnels vice president and COO Richard Hildebrand said data shows officers “have only gotten better over time at catching scofflaws.” The total number of apprehensions in 2022 was exceeded by summertime this year. According to MTA’s news release, between January 1 and December 13, 2023, officers “intercepted 2,705 vehicles” — a 50 percent year-on-year increase — and issued 2,933 summonses for license plate obstruction. MTA Bridges and Tunnels has also had success recovering unpaid tolls through the state’s vehicle registration suspension program.
NorthJersey.com and Daily News (New York) report on the crackdown and the MTA press event, which coincided with the preparations for the start of MTA congestion pricing in Manhattan. North Jersey notes that MTA did not immediately respond to questions about the performance of Conduent, the toll system customer service vendor it shares with other New York State agencies.
AET (All-Electronic Tolling) Congestion Pricing Crime Beat ETC Systems Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New Jersey New York New York City ScofflawsRITBA Waives An E-ZPass Fee To Help Mitigate Providence Traffic Emergency Impacts
What’s Up Newp reports on the Friday announcement by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) that it will waive the $10.00 transponder fee it normally charges new E-ZPass account holders through January 5, 2024. RITBA Executive Director Lori Caron Silveira said the action is part of an effort to mitigate the impact of last week’s emergency closure of all westbound lanes on RIDOT’s Washington Bridge in metro Providence due to the discovery of critical structural flaws. The consequent traffic diversion is forcing more motorists to detour onto RITBA spans. Silveira commented, “We are working with every level of government to mitigate the impacts of the situation at the Washington Bridge. There are numerous legal, operational and practical hurdles to changing tolling policies. The most critical is that waiving the [Pell Bridge] toll would actually cause congestion – not alleviate it – and we do not want to add to the challenges that Rhode Islanders are facing. We can waive the transponder fee . . . and we are glad we can help out in this way.”
In a related move, RITBA announced Wednesday it will extend Rhode Island E-Z Pass Customer Service Center operating hours over three days this month.
E-ZPass ETC Systems Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Rhode Island Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) Toll Exemption, Discount And Equity ProgramsThese are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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