- Court Decision Upholds DRJTBC Use Of Project Labor Agreement
- Without Tolls, Foley Beach Bridge Traffic Jumps 44 Percent
- Florida Governor Declares Severe Storm System Emergency
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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Court Decision Upholds DRJTBC Use Of Project Labor Agreement
New Jersey Monitor reports, the bistate Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) “can issue project labor agreements, and that authority is not curtailed by bidding laws in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, New Jersey’s Supreme Court [ruled yesterday].” The decision reversed a state appellate court ruling that Pennsylvania law prohibited the commission from entering into a project labor agreement (PLA) for the Scudder Falls Bridge project. The PLA “required that at least 75% of contractors and subcontractors be hired from a list of more than 30 local unions.” A contractor, George Harms Construction, objected because it had a collective bargaining agreement with a union that wasn’t on the list. The dispute led to the filing of a 2016 lawsuit in which Harms claimed the PLA effectively precluded it from bidding for the bridge contract. The litigation outlasted the project itself. The bridge was completed in 2022.
In a news release welcoming the decision, DRJTBC stated, “Pennsylvania and New Jersey rely on the Commission to oversee, maintain, and operate 20 toll and toll-supported bridges along the freshwater portion of the Delaware River separating the two states. The Commission serves a critical public function, and [the August 1] decision appropriately recognizes that the two states entrusted the Commission with the broad discretion necessary to fulfill its bi-state transportation mission.”
NJ.com also covers this story.
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) Economic & Social Considerations Affecting Transportation Issues of Law New Jersey Pennsylvania Transportation And Infrastructure Workforce IssuesWithout Tolls, Foley Beach Bridge Traffic Jumps 44 Percent
The Bama Buzz reports, Alabama DOT says summer traffic on the Foley Beach Express Bridge is up 44 percent compared to last year when the span was still tolled. ALDOT removed the toll just before the 2024 Memorial Day weekend, when it acquired the facility from Baldwin County Bridge Company (BCBC). Data show that 257,000 more vehicles have opted for the now-free express route to the beach versus the slower route via Highway 59, where volume has waned. That said, ALDOT is adding a third lane in each direction to Highway 59, in addition to building a new Intracoastal Waterway Bridge on SR 161.
Alabama Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) American Roads LLC Baldwin County AL Beach Express (Baldwin County (AL) Bridge Co.)Florida Governor Declares Severe Storm System Emergency
Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has declared a state of emergency in most Florida counties to prepare for the potential landfall of a developing severe weather system, Tallahassee Democrat reports. His executive order was issued last night. “In a Thursday afternoon advisory, the National Hurricane Center said there’s a 70% chance that a well-defined tropical wave — designated Invest 97L — could develop into a tropical depression in the week near Florida or over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.” In addition to other transportation-related specifics, the executive order allows FDOT to waive toll collections on Florida’s Turnpike and other public highways, if necessary for emergency response or to facilitate evacuations. (TRN inserted a link in quoted text.)
Naples Daily News provides an afternoon update on the storm’s development and possible path. It is expected to make landfall in Florida this weekend.
ETC Systems Florida Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts)These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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