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New Jersey Poll Reveals Voter Support For $10 Billion Widening Program

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According to the results of a recent opinion survey, 58 percent of New Jersey voters agreed that the section of the state turnpike leading to the Holland Tunnel should be expanded. Just 24 percent of respondents said they oppose the work, while 18 percent said they don’t have an opinion or declined to answer. Widening the highway is a major objective of the controversial $10 million-plus Newark Bay Hudson County Extension Improvements Program under development by the turnpike authority (NJTA).

The Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey, a major business advocacy organization, sponsored the survey, which was conducted by the Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) poll. According to the FDU news release announcing the results, “Unlike most issues in New Jersey, there is little in the way of partisan divides on these transportation issues, with broad agreement across party and regional lines. ‘Transportation is one of the few non-partisan issues in New Jersey,’” commented Dan Cassino, the poll director and a professor of government and politics.

Respondents were also asked about the state’s use of Transportation Trust Fund revenue to cover NJ TRANSIT operating expenses. By an overwhelming margin (66 percent), they said they favor using the fund exclusively to pay for infrastructure and equipment.

Biden Administration Races To Spend Transportation And Environmental Program Funds

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Associated Press reports, “Biden administration officials are working against the clock doling out billions in grants and taking other steps to try to preserve at least some of the outgoing president’s legacy before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.” Part of their effort involves spending funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) before the Trump administration gets an opportunity to claw back the money. For example, on Friday, USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg “announced over $3.4 billion in grants for projects designed to improve passenger rail service, help U.S. ports, reduce highway deaths and support domestic manufacturing of sustainable transportation materials.” (TRN inserted a link in quoted text.)

President-elect Trump has been particularly outspoken about his intention to end the Green New Deal and rescind Inflation Reduction Act funding for clean energy and climate adaptation programs launched by President Biden.

Virginia DOT Tests App That Finds Available Park-And-Ride Space For Commuters

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FFXnow reports on Virginia DOT’s test of a mobile phone app that uses “smart crowdsourcing technology” to help commuters locate unoccupied parking spaces at park-and-ride lots in real time. The department is making ParkZen available to drivers who use six Northern Virginia lots from this month until January as part of an initial evaluation.

In a VDOT news release, Amy McElwain, a VDOT strategic innovations program manager, notes, “Commuters have told us that not knowing whether parking is available at commuter lots is a deterrent to using transit, carpools, vanpools, and slugging. We know that taking the guesswork out of parking makes it easier for commuters to get out of their single-occupant vehicles. However, the challenge has always been finding the resources to install and maintain reliable counting technology.”

ParkZen saves the state from having to install counting equipment because it relies on anonymized data collected from app users. ParkZen can be downloaded for free for both Apple and Android devices, and its Louisiana-based developer is offering “top users” the chance to receive a $50 Amazon gift card for participating in the VDOT test.

TRB Schedules Webinar On Intermodal Passenger Transportation Facility Developments

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The Transportation Research Board will host a Wednesday afternoon, November 20, webinar on developments in the planning and construction of intermodal passenger transportation facilities. Presenters, including representatives of major engineering firms, will “summarize key trends and considerations for planning, constructing, operating, and serving airports, rail and bus stations, transit centers, mobility hubs, and water transportation facilities,” and discuss existing and planned examples of intermodal facilities. Key research findings in TCRP Research Report 250 / ACRP Research Report 275 / NCHRP Research Report 1129: Intermodal Passenger Facility Planning and Decision-Making for Seamless Travel will also be presented.

There is no fee to attend the webinar but online registration is required.

Kapsch Champions Satellite Tolling Solution For India

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Satellite tolling is “an efficient and effective way” to address the global problems of traffic congestion and traffic-based pollution, according to a Kapsch TrafficCom news release that notes the company is deeply involved in promoting the technology in India.

A system that employs GPS, Galileo, and other global satellite data is currently under development by India’s ministry of road transport and highways. Its proposed solution has the advantages of “flexibility, low operational costs, and rapid scalability” combined with “highly accurate, infrastructure-light tolling adaptable to different environments, from urban centers to national toll networks.” The choice of a satellite system is ideal for a geographically diverse country like India with a vast and growing highway network.

Kapsch has successfully implemented satellite tolling in Norway and Bulgaria. Its platform “is data protection-compliant and offers exceptional data privacy protections, ensuring only necessary geolocation data is collected and stored.” The limited need for physical infrastructure means Kapsch’s installations are also environmentally sustainable.

Kapsch executive vice president Carolin Treichl comments, “In Bulgaria, we achieved the first go-live within 11 months and are now managing 16,000km of road. Our solution doesn’t just calculate distance-based charges. It empowers cities and nations to manage congestion, reduce pollution, and replace declining fuel tax revenues with a fair road user charge.”