Updated: Could breaking ground on the Nation's Largest Transit Project end up breaking the bank?

by: Jason Springer

Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 03:15:00 PM EDT

On June 8th the Governor, along with state and federal officials, broke ground on a new Mass Transit Tunnel under the Hudson River. From the Governor's weekly statehouse email:

Currently, 10 NJ Transit rail lines use one tunnel to enter Manhattan. The groundbreaking ceremony in North Bergen kicks off the construction of a second way in and out of New York City. Once completed, the new tunnel will double commuter rail capacity on New Jersey Transit from 23 trains to 48 during peak rush hours, increase the number of direct rail lines into New York City from North Jersey and create 44,000 permanent jobs as a result of increased economic mobility in the region.

"It will create thousands of jobs for hardworking families across the region, promote better mobility and provide enormous environmental benefits,'' said the Governor, after handing the shovel he used to break ground to one of the tunnel construction workers standing nearby.

The project has long been championed by the Governor and Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez. Financed with funds from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and federal stimulus dollars made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Barack Obama, the $8.7 billion project is expected to be finished in 2017.

How NJ Transit became the latest casualty of AIG

by: Jason Springer

Fri Nov 21, 2008 at 10:04:05 AM EST

NJ Transit's executive director, Richard Sarles, also joined the leaders of nearly a dozen national transportation agencies educating Congress about an outgrowth of the failure of mega-insurer AIG.

About $150 million to $200 million worth of NJ Transit's trains, buses, light rail cars and maintenance garages were financed through a "lease-buyback" program that involved banks putting up the cash and NJT paying it back through a Triple-A rated insurer, which was AIG

The root of the problem is deals made before 2003 in which agencies like NJ Transit turned buses, rail cars or stations over to for-profit banks, then leased them back in re turn for up-front payments.

Banks liked the deals because they profited from the lease payments and from the ability to reduce their tax bills by taking credit for the depreciation of the equip ment and buildings. For public agencies, the deals meant extra funds and less expensive equipment.

But the Internal Revenue Service ruled in 2005 that the deals violated tax rules. It gave the banks and other investors until the end of this year to pay back most of the tax breaks or face penalties.

That made the long-term leases a bad bargain for the investors. But now the collapse of the financial markets has given them a way to get their cash back quickly.

Public hearing and vote on toll hikes Friday

by: Jason Springer

Thu Oct 09, 2008 at 11:30:44 AM EDT

Now, we're on round 2 and apparently everyone should be happy about this increase:

New Jersey Turnpike Authority commissioners are scheduled to vote Friday just hours after a special public hearing on a revised plan to raise tolls on the Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway.

Under the revised plan, turnpike and parkway tolls would increase this year and in 2012, raising $8.25 billion. The authority originally proposed three toll increases during 15 years that would have raised $11 billion.

The money would widen the tolls roads and partially fund an added rail tunnel into New York City.

Looking at the NJ Transit page, they aren't even studying plans to have extended rail service south of Ocean County.  I'm not saying put a train station in each town, but a regional approach could be beneficial in the long term to cut down on cars on the roads.  You already have a Cherry Hill train station that goes east to Atlantic City or west to Philadelphia, but no chance to leave the car at home and go North. Part of the reason you have to keep widening the toll roads is because you don't give people another option besides using them.  I don't think anyone is surprised by the toll increases, but the process we have all been subject to has been absolutely pathetic.

Google Transit Comes to NJ

by: Juan Melli

Wed Mar 12, 2008 at 10:39:04 AM EDT

Here's the result for a trip from Newark to Jersey City:

This particular route gives two options - one connecting through Secaucus and another straight to Hoboken. Since it only includes NJ Transit trains, it doesn't tell you about the Path train.

I played around with a few other routes, but I couldn't get anything from Atlantic City to work, so the system might not be complete yet. Oh, and if you try to find a train into New York, it tells you to walk across the Hudson.

News Round-up and Open Thread for Tuesday, May 15, 2007

by: Sharon GR

Tue May 15, 2007 at 09:00:28 AM EDT

• Sen. Frank Lautenberg met up with Rep. Jim Saxton outside of Ft. Dix yesterday to demand better gun laws and background checks on military base visitors, while the Assembly Homeland Security Committee fretted about security at the base. Good police work was lauded as the best way to stop "homegrown terrorism."
  
• NJ Transit has secured almost half of the money for the second commuter rail tunnel to NYC; the next step is to get Federal money. The project is awaiting an environmental impact statement right now.
  
• The penalty for gas price gouging is probably going to increase, the first such increase in nearly seventy years. Gas currently averages $2.88/gal. in Our Fair State.
  
• Treasurer Bradley Abelow is to appear today before the Assembly Budget Committee to give the state's revenue predictions. Revenue was assumed to increase $1.1 billion this year, now we'll see the latest numbers.
  
• U.S. Attorney Chris Christie insists his office had nothing to do with robocalls made in Camden's city elections May 8th. The Philly Inquirer attributed the calls to the prosecutor's office, without confirmation.
  
• A U.N. Inspector states he was denied access to a Monmouth County jail where he was to inspect conditions for immigrant detainees; the jail says the inspector did not follow set stipulations for the visit. Detainees, who are usually awaiting hearings on deportation issues, have complained of inadequate food and medical care at the facility. The ACLU-NJ is issuing a report on conditions there this week.
  
• Beachgoers at Surf City shouldn't worry about being blown up any more. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed their clean-up, removing all the WW I era munitions that were dumped with dredged sand on the beach. Over 1,000 pieces were found.
  
• Local farmers are worried about the lack of bees. Smaller farmers around Our Fair State are more likely to have problems with a honeybee population decline. Scientists still don't know the cause.
  
• Flags are being flown at half staff today in honor of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Vincenzo Romeo of Lodi, who was killed in Iraq last week.

News Round-up and Open Thread for Thursday, April 19

by: Sharon GR

Thu Apr 19, 2007 at 09:52:41 AM EDT

• Three victims of Monday's shootings were from New Jersey: Matthew La Porte, 20, of Dumont, Julia Pryde, 23, of Middletown and Michael Pohle, 23, of Raritan Township. Our thoughts go out to their families at this difficult time. Flags in Our Fair State are to be flown at half-staff tomorrow in honor of the victims.
• Monica Yant Kinney has a discussion of how Our Fair State's gun laws differ from VA's and other states.
• Acting Gov. Codey has asked Bush to declare New Jersey a federal disaster area in the wake of continuing flooding. Many roads and bridges are still closed, and the Passaic is still running high and flooding homes. The IRS is giving us a break: Taxpayers affected by the storm have until April 26th to file.
• NJ Transit fares will be going up on June 1. The fare hike is needed to offset a $60 million deficit. Rates are going up almost 10% and the morning "peak" period will be shortened by 30 minutes.
• The State Commission of Investigation yesterday decried the state of our Charity Care system for the low-income and uninsured. The SCI investigated for a year and found no third-party accountability, fraud, and chronic underfunding. Acting Governor Codey says the state will review the SCI recommendations in order to overhaul the system.
• State Senator Paul Sarlo (LD 36) is running unopposed, now that a judge has disqualified some signatures on opponent Republican Michael Guarino's petition.
• The United States Conference of Mayors, led by Trenton mayor Doug Palmer, lauded S1115, a new energy bill which specifically includes language to help cities with their own energy efficiency plans. More information on the bill here.
• Records of state funds going to West New York during Albio Sires' tenure as Assembly Speaker and mayor were subpoenaed by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Sires has not been subpoenaed and has denied any wrongdoing.
• Governor Jon Corzine is still on a ventilator due to intense pain from his broken ribs, and will probably remain on one for days. Required reading when he's able: the editorial in today's Times of Trenton, Slow Down, Buckle Up. However, some are defending the state trooper who was driving.
• Former Governor James McGreevey is working for Kean University in Union and is teaching law and ethics in the Executive MBA program. I'm sure he has a lot to say on the matter.

News Round-up and Open Thread for Tuesday, April 3, 2007

by: Sharon GR

Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 08:23:34 AM EDT

• NJ Transit has selected Richard Sarles to be its new Executive Director. Sarles is expected to continue to focus on the Hudson river tunnel and increasing ridership of public transportation.
• State Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa Jackson and other officials praised yesterday's Federal Supreme Court decision that the Clean Air Act gives the EPA the authority to regulate car emissions. State Attorney General Stuart Rabner: "We're pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld our view that the federal government has the authority to regulate greenhouse gases and must examine the scientific evidence of a link between those gases and climate change."
• The new Department of Homeland Security chemical plant security laws likely won't pre-empt Our Fair State's stricter laws, the department said yesterday. Sen. Lautenberg says they're playing with words: "They won't give us a guarantee that they'll stand with New Jersey's current laws... We're not willing to accept word that (the Bush administration doesn't) plan to pre-empt states. That's nonsense."
• In response to Steve Lonegan's letter, the State Ethics Advisory Panel  has agreed to consider investigating whether or not Gov. Corzine's gifts to Carla Katz constituted a conflict of interest. The panel isn't required to respond to public complaints and was very clear that they may decide not to investigate.
• Everybody's talking about Corzine's endorsement of Hillary. Everyone. However, the APP decided supporting her is an "about-face" for Corzine because once, four months ago, he said that she'd do an outstanding job but she might have a hard time getting elected.  Huh?
• The 69-year-old Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn may have to close its doors without a quick infusion of cash. They're frantically applying for grants and loans as well as appealing to alumni and fans.
• Go Rutgers! Go Rutgers! Go Rutgers! Yay!

Open Thread: What's on your minds today, Blue Jersey?

Do the Loco-Motion

by: Steven Hart

Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 12:14:59 PM EST

The coalition had managed to stall the planned link for a few years. Then a Montclair councilwoman had the genius idea of inviting a Nation of Islam minister to come speak on the issue.

News Round-up and Open Thread for Tuesday, January 23, 2007

by: Sharon GR

Tue Jan 23, 2007 at 09:33:40 AM EST

• The Senate passed a bill to create a commission to study town mergers and a bill to eliminate (at least partially) pensions for elected officials convicted of corruption charges. Action on the proposed 20% propTax cut and the 4% cap on propTax increases stalled. Voting on the comptroller bill also stalled when, according to Senate Pres. Codey, the Republicans refused to vote for it. Sen. Barbara Buono also refused support because it had been too watered down.
• The pot calling the kettle: also in the Star-Ledger article, Sen. Sharpe James, who held the office of mayor of Newark for six of his seven years serving in the Senate, will re-introduce a bill to ban the holding of two elected offices at once.
• A compromise is being proposed so that Atlantic City could ban smoking in casinos but allow up to 25% of the gambling floor to be designated a smoking section, enclosed and with separate ventilation. Councilman Bruce Ward pointed out that there will still have to be people who have to work in the smoking sections.
• The mayor and two councilmen of Logan Twp. left the Republican party and became Democrats due to dissatisfaction with their local party leaders. Apparently the move was a surprise to Gloucester County Dem officials.
• In an effort to improve science education in high schools, tests on specific sciences will be added to the high school graduation requirement, starting with biology in 2008.
• The Corporation for Enterprise Development, an economic development research group, has given Our Fair State a grade of B for quality of life and work for 2006. We ranked high in education, personal income and job quality, but lower in pay growth, income distribution, and the number of people moving away.
• But starting this year, you can get divorced quickly! Irreconcilable differences divorces can be completed in six months, according to a new law signed by Gov. Corzine yesterday. The AP reports that "It was supported by the New Jersey Bar Association and opposed by the New Jersey Catholic Conference." No kidding!
• You're on candid camera: new buses which NJ Transit plans to purchase will come equipped with security cameras. Big Brother is always watching.

Open Thread: What's on your mind today, Blue Jersey?

News Round-up and Open Thread for Tuesday, December 12

by: Sharon GR

Tue Dec 12, 2006 at 07:38:54 AM EST

• Gov. Corzine has said he would quickly sign into law the bill passed yesterday to approve six pilot programs for needle exchange.
• Negotiations and rallies continue in Trenton over pension reforms and property-tax bills. According to Dick Codey, there may not be votes on all the bills by the end of the year.
• A bill to repeal the sales tax on gyms, plastic surgery and parking lots was approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations committee. Repealing the law will cost the state upwards of $72 million.
• At the opening of yesterday's State Senate session, Rev. Vincent Fields of Absecon chose to condemn equal marriage: "We curse the spirit that would come to bring about same-sex marriage." Sen. Loretta Weinberg called the comment inappropriate: "Usually, if you're going to lobby members you have to wear a lobbyist badge."
• Multi-level train cars made their first appearance on NJ Transit routes yesterday. More will be added over the winter, making it easier to carry more people on the Northeast Corridor Line.
• Control of operations at Port Newark and other US ports will shift to insurance company AIG under a deal agreed upon yesterday. The port operations were to be shifted to Dubai Ports World but a huge public backlash about security caused the company to agree to sell their American operations.
• Scallions were exonerated yesterday by the FDA as a cause of the recent E. coli outbreak. Taco Bells in Our Fair State are expected to re-open today.

Open Thread: What's on your mind, Blue Jersey?

News Round-up and Open Thread for Tuesday, July 17

by: Sharon GR

Tue Jul 18, 2006 at 09:24:40 AM EDT

• The top news story this morning is that it's hot. Very hot. Be careful, it's really hot. Stay-inside hot. Killer hot. Swim-to-Delaware hot?
• Using a new funding formula, Essex will recieve $1.4 million and Hudson $2.2 million, equalling almost one third of Our Fair State's Federal Homeland Security grant money. The new math takes into account the risk of an attack as well as the financial and human costs.
• The state reached a settlement yesterday with Children's Rights Inc., an advocacy group which sued to force reforms in the child welfare system and threatened to seek a federal takeover of DYFS. The settlement, which includes benchmark goals for improvement of the system over the next six years, will be presented in federal court today.
• Businesses are rather happy about the new state budget. Even with a temporary surcharge on the corporate business tax, the overall amount of business taxes is reduced, and the sales tax hike is only expected to have a moderate impact.
• Bogota mayor Steve Lonegan questioned AG Zulima Farber's motives in requesting a copy of a letter he sent to McDonald's, requesting the removal of a Spanish-language billboard; Lonegan asked if it was a "politically-inspired intimidation tactic." (Yes- you read that right- Lonegan accused someone else of playing politics with this situation.) The Attorney General's Office states that they plan no action, just to monitor the situation firsthand.
• In the wake of the "Big Dig" colapse incident, NJ transportation officials inspected both the Rt. 29 tunnel in Trenton and the Rt. 18 bridge area in New Brunswick and found "no deficiencies." The Atlantic City Expressway extention tunnels also recently underwent an inspection with the same results.
• A plan to save the state $3.4 million in auto re-inspections by allowing some minor defects was panned yesterday by AAA Auto Club and car mechanics, who said the plan would make our crowded roads more dangerous. Under the plan, problems such as cracked windshields or broken wipers would not fail but drivers would be advised that they should be fixed.
• NJ Transit opened its new light rail in Newark yesterday, connecting the Broad Street station to Newark Penn Station.
• Money Magazine ranked five cities in Our Fair State among the top 100 places to live (with populations greater thant 50,000): Parsippany-Troy Hills, #17; Edison, #28; Wayne, #32; Cherry Hill, #47; and Middletown, #50. New Brunswick was ranked second on a list of cities with the most singles.

News Round-up for Thursday, May 11

by: Sharon GR

Thu May 11, 2006 at 08:56:52 AM EDT

• At the Governor's Transportation Conference in Trenton, Gov. Corzine announced yesterday that the groundbreaking for a railroad tunnel to lead from North Jersey to Manhattan should begin in 2009. NJ Transit and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the state DOT presented funding plans and schedules for the project.

• The proposed hospital "bed tax" was completely shot down by Sen. Wayne Bryant, chairman of the state budget committee. Corzine spokesman Anthony Coley then reminded the senator that right now we should be looking for more ways to close the revenue gap, not fewer, and requested the lawmakers come up with some alternitives.

News Round-up for Thursday, May 4

by: Sharon GR

Thu May 04, 2006 at 08:38:51 AM EDT

• In an effort to rely less on one-shot budget tricks, the Corzine administration has dropped its appeal of an August Superior Court decision which blocked the state from adding $150 million from debt refinancing to the general fund. Chalk one up for fiscal responsibility!
• Ridership may be up on NJ Transit, but rates look to be headed for an increase. Under proposed funding levels, rates may rise about 7% next spring. Gov. Corzine has said he would work to avoid the fare increases. The last fare increase was in July 2005, and the possible increase would match the rate of inflation for the last two years.
• Avian flu worries: the Governor and his cabinet went through a drill yesterday to test their readiness to deal with an avian flu pandemic in Our Fair State. The test showed weaknesses in responses, even in the departments with the most prior preparation. This test was done on the day the White House reported that due to the nature of the disease, local governments would do most of the work in the event of an outbreak, and two days after a mild form of the disease was found in a Camden bird market.
• The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing today on six bills regarding corruption. Attorney General Zulima Farber and the Director of Criminal Justice Gregory Paw will also discuss plans for reorganizing the Department of Criminal Justice. The agenda for this meeting is here. Don't forget to contact your senators with your opinions on these bills (and, well, on anything else they can or should do.)
• The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association yesterday voted to set up a plan to begin testing high school athletes for steroids at the state tournament level. If found with the banned substances, students would be suspended from school for one year and lose all athletic awards they've recieved. If approved, the plan could go into effect as early as next fall.
• New Jersey Leads the Nation Yet Again: Last year, Gov. Codey spearheaded an initiative that school students across the state wouldn't have access to soda, junk food and candy on school grounds by Sept. '07. The nation has followed with a watered-down version of our policy: the largest beverage distributors will stop selling sugary sodas to high schools, and only sell juice, milk and water to elementary and middle schools.
• Remember that missing Anthrax? Well, they found it, mislabeled, among other samples. Still waiting for news on the terrorist who planted it in the first place.

News Roundup

by: Juan Melli

Wed May 03, 2006 at 09:46:59 AM EDT

News Round-up

by: Sharon GR

Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 10:51:55 AM EST

• The State Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee started picking through the Medicaid budget yesterday in search of savings. The Committee proposed a new office of oversight for Medicaid spending, which is currently split between the Department of Health and Senior Services and the Department of Human Services.


• Governor Corzine stated yesterday that he wouldn't consider privatizing the Turnpike to assist the failing Transportation Trust Fund. He stated his current choice will be to (sigh) borrow more money and refinance the existing debtload instead. The Governor said that this would not be the only facet of his plan but nothing else has been stated yet.
• Controversey is swirling around Governor Corzine's pick for state treasurer. Bradley Abelow has been accused by businessmen who say they were victims of a short-selling scheme by the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp., where Abelow was a board trustee. Abelow has stated that "lawsuits against DTCC "have been largely dismissed or withdrawn and have nothing to do with me personally or my service on the corporation board.""
• Lawyers are arguing that Our Fair State's new rules for pay-to-play restrictions are confusing. At a hearing yesterday for the Election Law Enforcement Commission, Dover Twp. (Ocean) attorney Garry Mundy testified about ill-defined terms, questionable timeframes for permissable donations, and whether local ordanances supersede or enhance the state's ban, among other issues.
• Acting Environmental Commissioner Lisa Jackson is requesting public hearings on safety of the Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission. There are concerns with corrosion of liners at the site, vulnerablity to aircraft attacks, and monotoring and management of aging equipment. Excelon submitted an application for renewal of the power plant's licence last summer; if renewed in 2009, the plant will remain licenced until 2029.
• U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings makes her first visit to Our Fair State today. She will be speaking at Fairleigh Dickinson University then visiting the acclaimed Robert Treat Academy Charter School in Newark. She is not expected to visit any public schools where Children have been Left Behind.
• NJ Transit is reviewing just how many people will use a proposed Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex rail line. Let's hope they have better luck predicting ridership there than they did on the RiverLine.
• The Star-Ledger editorial weighs in on the port deal with UAE-owned Dubai Ports World. Bush's defense of his position on this deal? "Trust us."
• Have you heard the Sen. Menendez podcast interview? You can subscribe to BlueJersey's podcast so you never miss one!

NJ Transit at a crossroads

by: DrewTheRat

Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 09:22:00 PM EST

If God had intended us to fly, he would never have given us the railroads
Michael Flanders

The business section of this Sunday's Times of Trenton had an article by Michael Lavitt about the NJ Transit's current crossroads. Unfortunately, it's not on NJ.com - don't know why.

It builds on some of the issues Lavitt raised in this article questioning whether Amtrak should remain in control of the Northeast Corrider, framing the debate with a story about a 60-year-old power line that shut down the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast and Raritan Valley Lines and inconvenienced 10,000 morning commuters. He notes that:

The stretch of railroad between Washington and Boston is the only significant right-of-way that Amtrak owns and operates. And there are some who question whether the current Amtrak, headed by a board of Bush cronies who Congress refused to confirm, starved for capital funds and struggling with huge operating losses, should continue to own or control the busiest stretch of railroad in the country.