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2024 New York State Road And Bridge Maintenance, By The Numbers

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) touted the state’s annual accomplishments in highway and bridge maintenance in a fact-filled New Year’s Eve news release.

Highlights, as noted by Rockland Daily, include:

  • NYSDOT filled more than 1.2 million potholes and maintained 1,802 bridges.
  • The New York Thruway Authority invested $321 million to improve 441 lane miles and another $159 million in 18 bridges.
  • The governor’s $33 billion, five-year State Capital Plan appropriates $500 million for local roads.

One of the Thruway facilities that received attention was the Warners Road Bridge near Syracuse, which reopened to traffic last week following replacement of the original 70-year-old span. According to The Citizen, the new structure has wider lanes and higher clearance, as well as pedestrian fencing.

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting Starts Sunday

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Transport Topics previews the agenda of the Transportation Research Board’s 104th annual meeting, which runs from this Sunday, January 5, through next Thursday, January 9, at the Washington, DC, convention center. Highlights cited in the article include a January 6 afternoon session entitled “U.S. Department of Transportation: Beyond the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Lasting Legacy in a Time of Transition,” during which senior USDOT leaders including deputy secretary Polly Trottenberg will discuss IIJA implementation.

An overview of the event schedule is posted on the meeting website. The entire program is  now available for browsing and searching online. Registration will remain open throughout the event. The Chair’s Plenary Session will take place Wednesday afternoon, January 8.

Pennsylvania Turnpike’s New Era Of Toll Collection Begins Sunday Morning

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The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) is ready to implement the first phase of a landmark toll collection system transformation at 12:01 AM this Sunday morning, January 5. At that hour, PTC will start the fully electronic, open-road tolling (ORT) of its network east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension. (The same system is due for launch on the commission’s western segments in January 2027.)

In a detailed news release issued yesterday, PTC acclaimed the benefits of ORT for drivers and nearby communities, explained the workings of the new collection system, and encouraged customers to prepare for changes brought about by the new system.

The release also addresses toll structure changes that will coincide with the ORT launch. On Sunday, PTC will introduce a consistent per-mile rate schedule and axle- and height-based automated vehicle classification (AVC). “Both changes,” it explains in a briefing document, “increase predictability and consistency for our customers.”

An annual toll hike will also take effect on Sunday morning. However, given the toll structure changes, PTC notes that nearly half of all passenger car trips will involve lower toll charges starting Sunday. “About 84% of E-ZPass and 74% of Toll By Plate trips will see a toll cut or an increase of under $1 in 2025 and about 70% of commercial vehicles will see an increase of $5 or less. The standardization of rates and the move to AVC will not result in additional revenues for the PA Turnpike beyond [2025’s 5 percent rate hike], and the toll schedule keeps the PA Turnpike’s rates at mid-range among tolling agencies across the country.” Complete toll schedules for 2025 and prior years can be downloaded from the PTC website.

“The launch of Open Road Tolling is perhaps the most significant change since the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940 as ‘America’s First Superhighway’ and continues our legacy as a national leader in transportation,” commented PennDOT secretary and PTC chair Mike Carroll. Commission CEO Mark Compton noted, “For the past 15-years our team has been working tirelessly to make ORT a reality to further meet customers’ expectations for safe, convenient, and seamless travel.”

In The Philadelphia Inquirer, the turnpike’s chief operating officer, Craig Shuey, discusses the significance of the ORT launch and rate structure changes. He also notes that the system transition will allow PTC To start obsolete tollbooth demolition and ramp rehabilitation projects later this year.

President Biden Prohibits US Steel’s Acquisition By Nippon Steel

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BNN Bloomberg reports, this morning, President Joe Biden issued an order blocking the proposed sale of United States Steel Corporation (US Steel) to Japan-based Nippon Steel Corporation, “killing a high-profile deal that sparked a political firestorm and tensions between the US and Japan.” In an accompanying statement, the president commented, “A strong domestically owned and operated steel industry represents an essential national security priority and is critical for resilient supply chains. That is because steel powers our country: our infrastructure, our auto industry, and our defense industrial base. Without domestic steel production and domestic steel workers, our nation is less strong and less secure.”

The proposed deal, which originated in 2023, was referred to the White House for scrutiny after an interagency panel tasked with reviewing foreign investments in US companies and properties was unable to reach a decision on the transaction’s national security implications. President Biden’s decision to block the sale is considered a victory for United Steelworkers union leadership.

The order leaves the future of financially challenged US Steel in doubt. However, both that company and Nippon Steel “have signaled that they may challenge the legal grounds of any [sale] block, raising the prospect that the matter will remain in dispute. President-elect Donald Trump has also pledged to block the transaction.”

Can MTA Start Congestion Pricing On Sunday? Friday Federal Court Hearing Should Provide The Answer.

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CBS News New York reports, the legal muddle over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s ability to start collecting congestion pricing tolls this Sunday, January 5, could be resolved in federal court tomorrow. That’s when US District Court Judge Leo Gordon is scheduled to hold a hearing on an eleventh-hour motion for a temporary restraining order filed by lawyers for New Jersey.

On Monday, Judge Gordon issued an opinion that denied New Jersey’s request for a preliminary injunction based on alleged defects in the program’s environmental approval. However, he also directed New York and federal officials to elaborate on some aspects of the program’s impact on New Jersey communities. Both MTA and New Jersey “declared victory, with the MTA saying it was planning on going forward Sunday morning. But New Jersey lawmakers read the ruling differently. [Tomorrow’s] hearing is to clear up the confusion.”

The New York Times filed separate reports on Judge Gordon’s Monday ruling and New Jersey’s last-ditch, New Year’s Eve attempt to block the start of tolling.