Citizens Against Tolls

Citizens Against Tolls ^ | 2.7.02 | Ray Neveil

[Coleus]

Lots of news to report! First, Washington, DC based nomoretolls.org (Kevin McKeown) has filed a case in lower federal courts on the basis that toll booths violate the clean air act while operators of toll booths violate the civil rights of toll payers by requiring an unnecessary increase in the period of time a toxic emitting vehicle is needlessly operated resulting in increased pollution.

The case had now reached the U.S.Supreme Court where it has been assigned Docket No. 01-1421!. Citizens Against Tolls plans to file an Amicus Curiae (Friend of Court) brief in support of this case. The brief asks for an immediate end to tolls to eliminate the serious and alarming air hazard to motorists, toll collectors and residents in the surrounding areas.

The brief can be seen by accessing supremecourtUS.Gov , clicking on Docket and entering 01-1421

In addition, two professors from The College of Staten Island and Kutztown University have prepared a paper which indicates that 22,000 tons of pollutants are emitted at only the 11 Parkway toll plazas which exceeds by far the allowable EPA Standards. The study indicates that E-ZPass will do little to reduce these emissions. In addition it has been found that The Parkway has exceeded ozone standards in 10 of the last 11 years! They also plan to file an Amicus Curiae brief.

Further discussions will soon be underway with the American Lung Association who is vitally interested in this effort and may also file a brief.

Other news - Members of CAT's core group met with Assemblymen Carroll and Merkt in Morristown on April 3 and with Assemblymen Sarlo and Johnson in Wood-Ridge on April 5 and gave them a presentation on the elimination of tolls. They were surprised at some of the costs and problems associated with toll collecting and especially with the E-ZPass debt that continues to build!

Your core group personally absorbs the costs of these visits and does not use any of CAT's lean funds. The cost of filing the above mentioned brief will be about $400 in addition to our current State Income tax bill of $240. (Federal tax is $0!). To help with these expenses we appeal to you for help. If each member on our address list were to contribute $20 we would have enough funds to cover many of the expenses that we have. This is your chance to make a difference if you want to get rid of tolls! To those of you who answered our recent appeal - thanks you very much for your help!

Contributions should be sent to CAT, P.O.Box 497, Manasquan, NJ, 08736. Our books are open to anyone who would like to see where the money goes!

For those of you who like more details, the 22,000 tons of emittants are as follows: 15,000 tons of carbon Monoxide, 408 tons of hydrocarbons and 300 tons of nitrous oxide!

We appeal to you for HELP! Ray Neveil for your core group

[Coleus]

Register with the YahooGroups on the bottom of the webpage and stay informed, you get an e mail maybe once a month, that's all.

There is no need for tolls in NJ or elsewhere. Toll roads are unsafe and cause many accidents and deaths, there was just one on the NJ Turnpike last week. We lose millions of federal aid every year. Let's end tolls once and for all in NJ and and the rest of the country.

[NovemberCharlie]

I have no complaints about the tollway in Houston.

[Coleus]

`

[muawiyah]

Tolls or Trolls?

I misread this one coming in - and sure, nobody likes Trolls.

[jude24]

I have no complaints about the tolls in WNY. Those who use the services pay for them.

As for the inconvenience of the toll, I minimized that by getting an EZ-Pass for my car. It's great, especially with all the toll roads in the Buffalo area.

[Coleus]

We have a lot of problems in New Jersey, first and foremost were the lies associated with the politicians when the toll roads were built in the 1950's. They sold revenue bonds to build the roadways and used tolls to pay off the bondholders, once the bonds were paid off the tolls were supposed to come down. They never did, 40 years later!!

In NJ where patronage, kickbacks and Mafia-like thinking goes on, the assemblymen and State Senators use the Parkway Authority as a patronage and job mill, which now costs over $100 million a year to run. And dole out road-repair contracts to the union bosses and contributors.

Traffic is unbearable, during rush hour and all weekend long while trying to get to the shore. The Parkway was built so that the residents could go down the shore quickly, well it is not quick.

In the article listed above, you see how much pollution is created by the stop-and-go traffic at each toll plaza. We lose hours and days of our lives waiting in line at tolls while commuting to work every day.

Many deaths have been attributed to the toll plazas as happened in the state of CT, which took down their tollbooths because of so many deaths. People switching lanes, looking for change, etc..there are many causes. The parkway and turnpike authorities have the power to bond thus taking away the power of the people. Even the legislature has no control over the bonding issues since it's an independent authority.

The parkway built a palatial office building with marble floors and expensive artwork. In addition, an arts center was built in the middle of nowhere, without voter approval, and where you have to pay tolls to get there. Why a toll authority is in the concert business is beyond me, only in New Jersey I guess.

Tolls are no good for New Jersey Residents.

[Coleus]

We have EZ pass too in NJ--a private corporation which now has access to our personal information. Also, now Big Brother knows where you are going since the transponder records everywhere you go while on the toll roads, they can even calculate if you are speeding or not!! I don't like it. We pay taxes for the upkeep of roads. EZ-Pass constantly make mistakes sending $25.00 fines made-up infractions.

[JoeSixPack1]

Tell me where your plan replaces the maintenance costs of these roads, bridges, tunnels, or thruways? Tax money is a bad answer.

[lepton]

Tell me where your plan replaces the maintenance costs of these roads, bridges, tunnels, or thruways? Tax money is a bad answer.

I wonder if NJ can account for where the money from tolls go. I recall a study on the bridges and tunnels into NYC a few years ago, where the Authority could only account for about ten cents on the dollar that was being taken in.

[Coleus]

First you cut the staff, that's where most of the money goes: salaries, benefits, pensions, sick days, medical, short and long term disability. After you get rid of the tolls, you will now recieve federal aid to take care of the roads. Then there is extra revenue by renting land to the gas stations and restaurants along the way, rentals for fiber optic cables along the toll plazas, etc. Go to the website for more ideas, www.endtolls.com

The parkway accounts for only 3% of all roads in NJ, I don't think 3% of more roads will cost much more. Your comment sounds like one a democrat would make.

[Cagey]

In NJ where patronage, kickbacks and Mafia-like thinking goes on, the assemblymen and State Senators use the Parkway Authority as a patronage and job mill, which now costs over $100 million a year to run. And dole out road-repair contracts to the union bosses and contributors.

And therein lies the highest hurdle we have to face. I'm surprised to find comments on this thread saying tolls are okay because the users of the roads should pay and EZ pass is a good idea. EZ Pass has been a nightmare in NJ and is ready to crumble under it's own weight.

Thanks for the ping, Coleus.

[lepton]

Your comment sounds like one a democrat would make.

Huh? I said the NY Bridge and Tunnels Authority (or whatever it's called) was a corrupt organization that causes 90% of the take to disappear. What exactly are you looking at?

[JoeSixPack1]

'...you will now recieve federal aid to take care of the roads.
Your comment sounds like one a democrat would make.

Your words, read 'em.

[JoeSixPack1]

I have no doubt that the agencies in charge of collection are corrupt. But that does not necessitate the burden being placed on the tax payer relieving the driver from road use maintenance cost.

In the trucking game you pay for every mile through a quarterly statement declaring the amount of miles traveled in each state. Toll roads, being as such, collect your road use tax as you use the road and these miles are not double taxed then on your quarterly statement. When cars purchase gas, state road use tax is part of the per gallon price. The proper thing then would be not to tax the fuel that is burned using a toll road. But don't hold your breath.

[lepton]

The point being that if you were to calculate what would need to be replaced, you would say take the $4.50 bridge toll, reduce it to 45c, then take out the costs of running the collection system...and you would end up with a rather miniscule difference. NY doesnt' use all of its fuel tax funds on road repair, and likely NJ is the same. Even what they can account for gets skimmed for other things.

[dead]

The roads are built. There is no reason for tolls, other than doling out political patronage jobs and fattening the unions.

As to maintenance, that money can come out the same funds that fix the potholes on Routes 80, 287, 280, 78, etc. The money comes from gasoline taxes, so those using the roads pay for them.

The NJ tolls increase aggravation, accidents and air pollution, strictly so the unions and the corrupt politicians of both parties can fatten their bank accounts.

[JoeSixPack1]

Corruption is a major problem, no argument there whatsoever. But to say the tolls should be abolished because the smog level is too high is a good giggle. I was trying to bring the economic side to this post. All points made by every poster here should be part of the fix.

But as far where the money comes from is a big concern.

Dead mentioned ROUTES, well there are state routes, city routes, and federal routes, there are also INTERSTATES (limited access) which is not to be confused with routes(open access), state or fed.

Gas tax is how the roads are paid for and maintained. Toll roads do not receive any of that gas tax. But if you care to increase your gas taxes and eliminate toll booths, well, this is still the USA. Your State, City and local municipality have that option. I am NOT a fan of toll booths, but I am a fan of paying for what you use. And while my federal gas taxes are used throughout the nation to maintain INTERSTATE highways and Federal routes, as well as local city streets including sidewalks and curbing and illumination, I don't think I care to support the NJ Turnpike (which I do already because it is designated an Interstate Hwy, 95) or that you should support the Florida Turnpike (Not designated an Interstate hwy). They have tolls to do that and it works, also for each bridge and tunnel with an Interstate assigned number.

And concerning congestion at the toll booth, maybe NJ has too many drivers and not enough room, they are the most populace state per square mile of land compared to the other 49.

[lepton]

And concerning congestion at the toll booth, maybe NJ has too many drivers and not enough room,

The Garden State Parkway, for example has some toll booths within 2 miles of each other - occassionally the line for one set of booths backs up through the other.

Yes, the number of cars going through and sitting idling DO have a pollutant effect though yes, the attack is likely merely a tactic for being rid of the things. In NY, one set of toll gates on 87 that I'm aware of produced sufficient pollution that one could tell when one was driving past it on parallel roads more than a mile away. The air quality in the area improved quite significantly when the toll gate was removed.

As for the Federal payments: part of what they're talking about is the withheld funds because of pollution levels. No, I don't think you should be paying for roads outside your state, except to the extent of the Interstate Highway is kept up, bt what you're talking about in funds is largely the Federal government giving back the funds collected within the state, for the state - a proccess of collection and blackmail that I find repugnant.

[dead]

I am NOT a fan of toll booths, but I am a fan of paying for what you use… I don't think I care to support the NJ Turnpike.

But you have no complaint when I buy gas (and pay taxes) to maintain the roads that you ride for free?

I ask you to address the point – why should people who drive on the GSP or the NJ Turnpike pay more for the right than users of Route 80, Route 287, Route 78, any county road, or the street in your hometown?

The amount of gasoline you buy is, by far, the best barometer of how much wear and tear you put on roads in the state. That’s why gasoline taxes make sense, and GSP riders pay the same gasoline taxes as anybody else. Why should anybody have to pay additional taxes on top of that? Because they use roads you don’t?

And concerning congestion at the toll booth, maybe NJ has too many drivers and not enough room, they are the most populace state per square mile of land compared to the other 49.

And erecting barriers to the free movement of cars relieves that congestion in just what way?

(BTW, I am not a regular user of either road. I commute on toll-free Route 17, but the tolls are still an abomination and do nothing but support our ever-growing corrupt state government.)

[-YYZ-]

I'm not a huge fan of toll roads, as I believe more than enough is collected by way of gas taxes (esp. here in Canada) to pay for all the roads we drive on.

We have a toll road here locally that has no toll booths (407 ETR, Toronto area). All tolls are collected electronically, either by way of a transponder in your car, or by capturing your plate number as you enter and exit, and using the motor vehicle registry for billing purposes. It's a pretty slick system, but the toll rate is high (and rising), out of province/country cars aren't billed, and I have doubts about the correctness of the government involvement with their billing (by looking up plate owners for them electronically). It is a privately-owned toll road now, BTW.

As to the safety issue, I had the same thought on my last trip on the "Cobequid Pass" - a toll road which is part of the Trans Canada Highway built to bypass part of the old TCH across Nova Scotia. Anyway, the tolls are roughly in the middle of this section of the highway. The speed limit is posted 110 km/h (approx 70 mph), so after half an hour to 45 minutes of cruising along at speeds up to 80, you have to slow and come to a stop in the middle of this road. They've taken a number of steps to alert drivers - flashing light, rumble strips, reduced speed limits, etc - starting 4 or 5 km ahead, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time until someone plows at full speed into a vehicle at stopped at the toll booth, if it hasn't happened already.

[Coleus]

That's what happened in CT, a tanker smashed into a toll booth incinerating everybody. There is no need for tolls.

End Tolls.com

[Coleus]

Here is the latest news, is anyone going to the conservative conference this Saturday?

1. CAT held a news conference at the State House in Trenton on Wednesday, April 17th at which time Dr. Jonathan K. Peters, Asst. Professor of Finance at the College of Staten Island gave a talk on his study of the harmful effects of pollution at the 11 across-the-road Parkway toll barriers. Pollutants total 15.5 THOUSAND TONS of carbon monoxide, 408 TONS of hydrocarbons and 300 TONS of Nitrous oxide. (Pollutants at ramp tolls are additive!) Dr. Jonathan K. Kramer, Professor of Finance at Kutztown Univ. co-authored the study.

It is estimated that these pollutants add $12.7 million dollars to the societal costs of collecting tolls which total's $60.7 million!

Individuals most at risk from these pollutants are toll collectors, motorists and residents in nearby areas! It was emphasized that the data presented was all on the conservative side!

In additon Kevin McKeown of Washington D.C. based NoMoreTolls also talked about the extreme harmful effects of toll collecting.In addition Joe DeGraw, Vice President of Citizens Against Tolls talked briefly about our Supreme Court filing as a Friend of the Court in support of Docket 01-1421 which is seeking to end tolls.

Media representatives from CH12, AP & Gannett and 101.5 were in attendance to cover the conference.

2. CAT secretary John Millett alongwith Bret Schundler will talk at a meeting of the New Jersey Conservatives at the Clarion Hotel, 2055 St. Hwy. 27 in Edison (732 287-3500) on Saturday, April 20th, starting at 9:00 A.M. For more info contact New Jersey Conservative Newtork

3. We have just paid our NJ Income Tax bill of $240 (Minimum tax even though we have little funds!) (Federal tax is $0!). In addition we will have expenses of at least $400 to file a Friend of the Court brief. Several of you have sent in a contribution in the past two weeks to this important civic effort, for which we would like to express our thanks. If you have not yet made a contribution we could really use you help! Checks may be mailed to

Citizens Against Tolls, Inc.
P.O.Box 497
Manasquan, NJ, 08736!

Your core group has spent countless hours on this effort on your behalf so your monetary support would be most helpful! Keep up your letter writing to newspapers and legislators! Ray Neveil

[Cagey]

Thanks, Coleus. I'm bookmarking this thread and I'll send a donation to the group in NJ.

[dead]

Thanks for the update! Bump!

[Coleus]

Thanks, Ray and John do a lot of work and need the financial backing for literature, bumper stickers, etc.

[Coleus]

The move to eliminate tolls is gathering steam and with your help we will accomplish our goal! Important developments will be unveiled in the next few weeks! You can help us now by simply writing 2 letters from the comforts of you PC room as follows:

1. At a meeting last week of a group called "Congestion Busters Task Force" it was revealed that in a new AAA member poll, 69% favored removal of Parkway tolls! They are now asking for input from the public as to how to relieve congestion and the removal of tolls is certainly high on the list. Send a brief comment supporting this action, or any other congestion busters you may have to:

Congestion Busters Task Force cbtf@dot.state.nj.us The deadline for receiving replies is May 17th so take a moment now to reply - let's get this figure up to 99%!

2. As we mentioned in a release last week Citizens Against Tolls has filed a Friends of the Court brief in support of Washington, DC based NoMoreTolls case to eliminate tolls. You can really help here by writing a brief letter supporting the elimination of tolls and stating why you think it is important. Principal among the reasons is the fatalities that toll booths cause - there have been 3 toll booth fatalities in NJ alone this year!. Letters should be written to either or both:

Re:U.S. Supreme Court Case #01-1421 - McKeown v. The Delaware Bridge Authority, et al.

Justice Antonin Scalia (Born in Trenton!)
or Justice David H. Souter (His jurisdiction is the 3rd Circuit which includes NJ)

Letters may be addressed as Dear Justice Scalia
Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

Supreme Court of the United States
1 First Street, NE
Washington, DC, 20543-0001

This is your chance to help provide input to show the Justices how serious this problem is - PLEASE Write!

[firewalk]

Bump & will do!

[Freemeorkillme]

BUMP, sent, petitioned!

[tomkat]

petition signed ...

[Coleus]

Citizens Against Tolls

You can scroll on down to the bottom and register on the yahoo groups distribution list. Also, please sign the petition, send in a modest contribution, order bumper stickers, etc. Thanks for your help.

At the Assembly Transportation Committee meeting on Monday, May 13th it was announced that the plan to fund E-ZPass by fining violators is not working! (Surprise, Suprise!!) They didn't have the courage to announce that Citizens Against Tolls has a plan to eliminate tolls (E-ZPass) but instead continue to pour money into a failed system (ANYTHING TO KEEP THE PARTY GOING!).

(Witness the new toll booths in Ocean County along with glamorous rest area buildings that are used 3 hours a day!)

They are also concerned about how to pay for the E-ZPass debt - NOW they are thinking of this after E-ZPass has been under development since 1992! Everyone was too embarrassed to ask where the $300 million for the Atlantic City tunnel, the $500 million for the Auto Inspection System, the initial $300 million for E-ZPass and the $90 million for the collapse of the Rt. 80 bridge in Parsippany came from! All this as a result of (Ed) gross mismanagement! (Ed Gross was the former head of the E-ZPass plan!) He offered little explanation of how the State got into this mess nor did the committee really press him - he's laughing all the way to the bank with a lucrative pension and probably a fat separation payment!

How the authorities get away with all of this reckless spending and management is beyond belief however the pressure to remove tolls is now building up fast - witness the increasing number of letters to the editors - 4 in the Star Ledger today alone!

The bottom line is that your support is really needed at this crucial point in time. Write to newspapers expressing your strong desire to eliminate tolls NOW Before any additional funds are expended and before there are anymore fatalities! Also write to the following who are now getting testy because they can't understand why they are getting so many letters - they are apparently living in some isolated location and out of touch with the wishes of the public so your continued letters will help get them back to reality.

The addresses are:

Chairperson of the Senate Transportation Committee
Assemblyman John Wisniewski
3145 Bordentown Ave.
Parlin, NJ, 08859

Chairperson of the Senate Transportation Committee
Senator Andrew Ciesla
852 Hwy. 70
Brick, NJ, 08724

A final note - there have been 3 fatalities caused by toll booths so far this year - will one of us be next? By ending tolls we can get rid of the costly,toll collecting nightmare!

Again, your core group of 5 individuals has put in countless hours on this effort and has traveled to Committee hearings, so please help by writing and of course we desperately need your contribution

Citizens Against Tolls
P.O.Box 497
Manasquan, NJ, 08736

Thanks in advance,
Ray Neveil

[Coleus]

Hundreds of E-ZPass defects uncovered

Manufacturer cites faulty installation
Friday, May 10, 2002
BY JOE MALINCONICO
Star-Ledger Staff

E-ZPass equipment was installed improperly at more than 330 tollbooths on the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike, according to a recent inspection report.

The report, compiled last month by the company that makes the electronic toll equipment, says that defects persist at about 250 of the lanes, even though state officials knew about many of the problems more than two years ago, shortly after E-ZPass began operation.

But state highway officials allowed the construction to continue and had the contractors fix some, but not all, of the flaws, according to the report.

Officials said they are unsure how many of the millions of E-ZPass errors that have plagued New Jersey motorists since 2000 were caused by faulty installation.

"There were differences of opinion about whether these things could be causing bad reads on the tags or not," said Lewis Thurston III, former executive director of the New Jersey Highway Authority, which operates the Parkway. "It was never fully resolved."

"It's not that astounding to say that if this high-tech equipment is not installed right, it's not going to work properly," said Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee that has been holding hearings on the troubled E-ZPass program.

New Jersey Department of Transportation officials declined to comment on the report, saying they were waiting for Veridian Engineering, a Buffalo, N.Y., firm, to conduct independent tests to pinpoint the technical problems with E-ZPass and to resolve the finger-pointing among the various contractors involved in the project.

Mark IV IVHS Inc., the company that built the E-ZPass antennas and tags for all the major electronic toll systems on the East Coast, including Massachusetts and Delaware, also manufactured the equipment used in New Jersey.

Mark IV's equipment was installed at the Parkway and Turnpike toll plazas by Railroad Construction/RCC Electric, under the supervision of the state's main E-ZPass contractor, which underwent many corporate changes and is now WorldCom Inc.

"They told us what to install and where to install it, and we followed their directions," said Al Daloisio, president of Paterson-based Railroad Construction.

Mark IV has conducted a comprehensive survey of every electronic toll lane on the Parkway and Turnpike, outlining the installation anomalies, tollbooth by tollbooth. The report does not lay blame for any of the findings.

Among the failings listed in the survey were antennas put in at the wrong heights or angles, faulty wire connections, missing antennas, omitted cables and modems plugged into the wrong slots. Mark IV officials would not elaborate on their report.

"I think this was a case of the contractor trying to do things cheaper," said Assemblyman Anthony Impreveduto (D-Hudson), a member of the Transportation Committee, criticizing the government officials and firms responsible for the installation of Mark IV's equipment.

In dozens of cases, the structures of the tollbooths themselves prevented the equipment from being installed in the way that Mark IV said conformed with its specifications, according to the report.

For example, the manufacturer says the antennas at tollbooths work best at a minimum height of 14 feet 6 inches. But many New Jersey tollbooths, mostly on the Parkway, have canopies that are a few inches lower than that.

State officials decided to go ahead and allow the E-ZPass antennas to be installed at the lower heights, rather than raise the tollbooth canopies, according to letters written by the general contractor.

A similar problem arose involving the width of the tollbooths.

Mark IV's specifications call for the lanes to be 12 feet wide. But in about 60 instances, the report shows the lanes were about 2 feet wider than that, increasing the chances that the antennas would not pick up the signals from E-ZPass customers' transponders as their vehicles passed through.

Back in March 2000, representatives of the general contractor, then known as MFS Technologies, a subsidiary of WorldCom, acknowledged some of the flaws and said some of them would be corrected, like the lack of cables to synchronize the toll data flowing from various highway lanes.

But Mark IV's 2002 survey showed that 20 Parkway tollbooths still lacked the synchronization cables. State highway officials who are well-versed in the E-ZPass technology said the lack of those cables likely would produce E-ZPass errors.

The E-ZPass system has been plagued by bogus violations. At a legislative hearing in March, WorldCom officials provided a report that showed an average of a million mistakes a month.

WorldCom construction director, Michael Hagarty, discussed the antenna problems involving the height, angle and tollbooth width in a Feb. 6, 2002, letter to the Turnpike Authority. Hagarty pointed out that state officials had signed off on the deviations from the equipment's specifications.

Hagarty also maintained that installing the antennas at the lower height was not causing bogus violations or other E-ZPass errors. He said his company had done a 30-day study at eight Parkway lanes where antennas were lower than 14 feet 6 inches. The study determined there were no problems particular to those lanes, Hagarty said in his letter.

In response to questions about the report on the installation problems, WorldCom spokesman Tim Guillen said that over the last four months, the company has "paid Mark IV to keep a team of technicians working on both the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike to improve and tune its equipment."

"We have demonstrated our willingness to see the contract through to completion and this report is an example of our efforts to achieve final performance under the contract," Guillen added.

"Mark IV certified each one of the lanes when the equipment was installed and commissioned, and except for a handful of lanes, the equipment provided was installed as specified by Mark IV."

Several E-ZPass customers said they were not surprised by the Mark IV report's findings that equipment was installed improperly.

For example, Raymond Luther of Randolph said he noticed he was more likely to get erroneous violation notices when he drove through the middle of tollbooths, rather than through the far left.

Rafael Fajardo of Elizabeth said he was more likely to get bogus penalties whenever he went through the Passaic exit on the Parkway.

"It's such a big headache," said Fajardo, who estimates he gets 30 to 60 false violations per month. "Sometimes, I just feel like taking all the letters and throwing them in the garbage."

EZ Pass Defects Uncovered

[Coleus]

Agency didn't check E-ZPass plan
Tuesday, May 14, 2002

By DANIEL SFORZA
Staff Writer

The state Economic Development Authority did not review the E-ZPass financing plan before it issued $300 million in bonds to finance the project, now nearly $500 million in debt, officials testified Monday.

EDA Executive Director Caren Franzini told lawmakers that the EDA instead relied on assurances from the toll road operators, the E-ZPass contractor, the state Department of Transportation, and the state treasurer.

"From a pure financing, not implementation, standpoint it did make sense," Franzini said. "We were doing this on behalf of the toll roads. ... It's their obligation to make sure this works for them."

But the financing plan never worked as expected.

It relied heavily on $25 fines to be paid by toll cheats, but that revenue never materialized as anticipated, partly because the system for catching cheats didn't work properly. A financial report from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority placed the amount owed on the system at $470 million.

The state Assembly Transportation Committee has been investigating the failed E-ZPass contract for months. Lawmakers are looking for a responsible party and a way to pay the debt. They hope to install safeguards to prevent similar problems in the future.

"E-ZPass is a crime that has been perpetrated on the state," said Assemblywoman Linda Stender, D-Union. "The more questions we ask, the less we know about who is responsible."

Committee Chairman John Wisniewski, D-Middlesex, said the toll roads will have to find the money by either raising tolls or putting off road projects.

"If this is going to get paid, tolls may go up, projects may not get done," he said. "That's not what we bargained for."

Governor McGreevey said earlier this year that tolls would not be raised to cover the E-ZPass debt, which means the money will likely be siphoned from road projects. The five regional toll agencies that are responsible for the deficit arethe Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the operators of the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway, the Atlantic City Expressway, and Delaware highways.

Franzini said the EDA was asked to handle the E-ZPass financing by former state treasurers Brian Clymer and James DiEleuterio Jr. Neither returned calls Monday.

Clymer preceded DiEleuterio, who took office on July 1, 1997. The bonds were issued in 1998.

"This is not something that the EDA asked for," Franzini said. "We were asked to do the financing. We were asked by the treasurer's office to do the financing."

E-ZPass contractor MFS Network Technologies chose the Toronto financial firm Newcourt Capital to find private investors for the project. The bonds were issued with both fixed rate and variable rate interest schedules in two groups of $150 million.

The original investors were John Hancock Life Insurance Co., Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Co., American General Corp., and Commerzbank AG. The bonds have since been resold and are held by about a dozen large firms, Franzini said.

Newcourt has changed hands, as well. It was taken over in 1999 by CIT Group, which was subsequently taken over by Tyco International in 2001.

Stender said the private placement of the bonds, rather than a public offering, may have helped obscure the shaky financing.

"It was a very good way to escape scrutiny, to place them privately," Stender said.

Assemblyman Alex DeCroce, R-Parsippany, played down the significance of Monday's testimony.

"We're not in default," he said to his fellow committee members. "You're going to scare the hell out of the public. Right now, everything is working well. We shouldn't look for an accident to happen."

Wisniewski, head of the largely Democratic committee, responded: "The problem here is the accident has already happened. The troubling aspect is the money has to come from somewhere. If it's not from a toll increase, it's going to come from a reallocation of resources."

[Coleus]

Breaking a promise at high speed
Thursday, October 31, 2002

The other day I was driving up the Parkway when I felt the call of nature. I decided to stop at one of those rest areas in that are in the medians. To get to it, I had to cross three lanes of traffic. That meant playing demolition derby with a bunch of SUVs all doing 90 miles an hour or so.

I made it over to the exit, but not before I nearly took another exit, the final one. A crazed driver on a cell phone nearly nailed me.

The McGreevey administration can't do much about the unfortunate placement of those rest area entrances. But the experience I just described is similar to the game of bumper cars we all must play at the many toll plazas along the otherwise-pleasant Parkway. And Gov. James E. McGreevey could do something about those. He could keep his campaign promise to get rid of them in seven years.

Instead, we're getting high- speed E-ZPass. At a press conference in Trenton yesterday, McGreevey announced that four Parkway toll plazas will be converted to high-speed E-ZPass over the next three years. This, he said, will eliminate a lot of "unnecessary swerving."

Perhaps. But what about all of the necessary swerving? That experience I just described will be repeated at every toll plaza as drivers make -- or fail to make -- all those split-second decisions about which toll lane to enter. Why not just get rid of the tolls?

Here's what McGreevey said during the campaign last year: "Seven years is a responsible and realistic goal. It provides enough time for the incremental pay-down of the debt."

Here's what he said yesterday: "Again, we had targeted to utilize the monies from the cost savings of the merger of the Highway Authority and the Turnpike Authority to dedicate to toll removal. Today, by virtue of the half-a-billion-dollar debt within the E-ZPass system, the entirety of the cost savings will be dedicated to addressing the E- ZPass deficit."

He went on to say that the E- ZPass debt is larger now than it seemed last year during the campaign. Perhaps, but it was well known during the campaign last year that E-ZPass was a disaster. In fact, that was one of McGree vey's prime criticisms of the outgoing Republican administration. The deficit is no surprise to anyone.

The question is: Are we going to get in deeper? And the answer is: yes.

McGreevey and his transportation commissioner, Jamie Fox, put the cost of this first high-speed E- ZPass project, which also includes a couple of plazas on the Turnpike and the Atlantic City Expressway, at $45 million. The remaining seven Parkway plazas could be converted at about $10 million each, they said.

Realistically, this project could end up costing $200 million, which is the figure Republican Bret Schundler was using as his reason for opposing high-speed E-ZPass in the debates last year.

"Vote for me and we tear down the Parkway tolls," Schundler said at the time. "Vote for my opponent and we get high-speed E-ZPass." The implication was McGreevey wouldn't keep his promise. That seems to be the case.

"I don't think there are any public promises he's made that he hasn't broken," said Schundler when I called him. "He said he was not going to increase taxes, and he increased the business taxes. He said he would do something about property taxes and car insurance, and he hasn't. The way you judge the way someone is successful is whether they kept promises they made to the public."

Not really. The way you judge them is by whether they can get away with breaking their promises. And if this all works perfectly, drivers will accept high-speed E-ZPass -- especially if the number of tollbooths is drastically reduced. But if this administration screws this up anywhere near as bad as the prior one did, it's a great campaign issue in 2005.

If I were the governor, I'd keep the promise and get rid of the tolls. Here's how: New Jersey has one of the lowest gas tax rates in the country. It has to go up if we want to keep building roads. Next year the transportation trust fund goes broke.

If I were the governor, I'd pair a gas tax increase of about 10 cents with the elimination of the Parkway tolls. For once, people would think they were getting something in return for a tax hike.

But what about all of those people who don't use the Parkway? You know, all those people who write to this paper saying they commute on other roads so they shouldn't have to pay for the Parkway?

I'd make an exception for them. For all these years, I've been paying for their roads while also risking my life at Parkway toll plazas. So I wouldn't raise their gas tax a dime.

I'd raise it a dollar.

Paul Mulshine is a Star-Ledger columnist. He may be reached at pmulshine@starledger.com.

[Coleus]

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Citizens Against the Newark Arena
Stop The Debt
United Taxpayers of New Jersey
End Tolls in New Jersey
Bret Schundler

[OldFriend]

From what I can recall, Jerry Cardinale was the first politician to call for ENDING the Parkway tolls. Years and years ago. He got lots and lots of attention from 101.5 at the time.

[Alberta's Child]

Good post.

I'm an engineer who works on many transportation projects in the New York region, and I've advocated the removal of the Parkway tolls whenever dooing so doesn't conflict with the interests of one of my clients.

I am considering an innovative look at toll roads in general, for the purpose of publishing a study in an industry journal. I'd be interested to know if there are any advocacy groups on either side of this issue who might serve as a source of some good data that would support my basic premise (which is too complicated to explain right here) supporting my position on removing at least the GSP tolls in New Jersey.

[grasshopper2]

I received two fines in the mail both showing a photo of my car. The first one, I think, was because I accidentally drove into an ez pass lane. It's very confusing at the approaches to the toll booths. I had my 35 cents in my hand bu thtere was no basket, so I drove through. (What else could I do) I ended up paying $25 dollars.

The second time, I know we paid the toll yet I got a fine in the mail with photo. My husband wanted to fight it, but I decided to send in the $25 to avoid the hassle.

[Exit148]

Perhaps the brains behind the EZpass system could have added a "just-in-case" electronic basket for situations like yours. The approaches to the tolls all seem to be on curved areas, and altho I know which lane to be in for the tolls I frequent, I still have to be watchful for those who don't, and are criss-crossing across the plazas to find their lane. It's a da*med dangerous place to be!

If they can't get rid of the tolls, then get rid of the barriers, and do the NJTurnpike thingy with just an entrance pick-up-ticket, and an empty-your-wallet exit.

[Coleus]

It's a big fiasco created by the RINO republicans in our state legislature. A no-bid contract for $500 million. They are worthless and no better than democrats. And believe me, there is a lot of fraud going on. I know of trucking companies who have to hire employees just to go over the EZ Pass bills because there are so many charges.

[Coleus]

"Brains"?????

End tolls now, vote for Schundler in 2005!!!

Go Bret Go.

http://www.endtolls.com
http://www.schundler.org

[Coleus]

Yes, I remember his commercials with the bulldozers. They were Great!! It's too bad he lost steam and stopped his campaign against the tolls. I hope the people in his district complain to him about how bad the toll plazas are.

[Coleus]

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?level_3_id=35&page=5512545

On Parkway, E-Z comes and E-Z likely to stay
Monday, November 04, 2002

Herald News

High-speed E-ZPass is coming to New Jersey but don't slow down just yet. Gov. James E. McGreevey announced that seven toll plazas would get the overhead equipment over the next three years. It should help keep the flow of traffic moving, plus finally making it clear to motorists where the E-ZPass lanes are. The flip side to McGreevey's announcement is that the state would not invest $45 million in this limited project if the tolls on the Garden State Parkway were slated to be eliminated.

High-speed E-ZPass isn't new. Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia and Illinois already have it. To implement it systemwide on the Parkway would cost $125 million. McGreevey's phase-in makes sense. Not just because of the investment, but because of the state's history of not only reinventing the wheel - with Parsons and E-ZPass - but of putting a Firestone radial ATX on the rim. While other states have introduced E-ZPass with limited glitches, New Jersey has been plagued by transponders that incorrectly charged drivers and a confusing, haphazard approach to marking and placing E-ZPass booths.

High-speed E-ZPass eliminates some of the confusion. E-ZPass lanes are grouped together and the old booths and barriers are removed. A cash booth handles 800 cars per hour; high-speed E-ZPass handles 2,000 cars per hour.

When announcing the project in Trenton on Wednesday, McGreevey said, "High-speed E-ZPass is another way we are going to keep New Jersey moving. This technology will allow New Jersey drivers to spend more time at home with their families and less time in their cars."

The governor's optimism bypasses a not-so-quick fix of the E-ZPass system's financial sinkhole. It is in debt to the tune of $469 million and, according to the governor, needs existing tolls to become solvent. The bottom line to drivers is that the tolls - albeit electronic or cash - are here to stay.

Opponents of the plan are concerned about a possible increase in accidents as cars speed up and tollbooths disappear. That should not become an issue. Drivers are more prone to cause accidents as they shift from lane to lane looking for the E-ZPass lanes or deciding at the last minute to shift lanes than they will be from simply driving straight ahead. The whole point of E-ZPass is to speed up traffic. Time will tell whether the selected use of the new system will have an impact on commuting for drivers using the Parkway system for long distances.

Not all stretches of roadway are suited to the new technology. Since it is dependent on a straight stretch of roadway, some of the existing toll barriers on the Parkway can't be converted.

Three plazas will be operable by the end of next year; the remaining four in 2005. Given the fact that the technology already is in use in other states, the timetable seems lengthy. However, New Jersey motorists are accustomed to delays and cost overruns. If the seven plazas are completed on time, that will be a success in itself.

However, at some point New Jerseyans should take this administration to task for not keeping its pledge to eliminate Parkway tolls. If the current tolls are needed only to eliminate the existing E-ZPass debt, why invest in a long-range high-speed system? No tollbooths and no E-ZPass would speed up traffic. If the new technology is designed to put a positive spin on the negative truth that the tolls will never be eliminated and that the revenue will go to pay for a system that will never turn a profit, than that needs to be said. It seems high-speed or slow, New Jersey drivers never stop paying.

5512545

[Freemeorkillme]

I second your NJ opinion and raise you a McGreedy promise!

[Freemeorkillme]

Your comment sounds like one a democrat would make.

I think Coleus is referring to JoeSixPack1's comment. While it seems innocent, these are the sorts of questions we've heard creep into the toll debates quietly planted by the left.

[Freemeorkillme]

The head of CAT was on Bob Grant's radio Talkshow 710 on the am last Thursday, I believe. Good exposure.

Let us count the days McG has to fulfil his promise then daydream about how NJerseyan might not be suffering this disservice had Schundler been elected. Naaaahhh, I'll just daydream about his future election to the office of governor.

[Coleus]

CAT officials have been extremely busy over the last few months and have had meetings with Senators Bennett and Codey and Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox regarding CAT's plan to eliminate tolls.

As a positive result of these sessions it has been agreed to form a group to look over the many details of CAT's plan. The group will consist of legislative representatives, members of the DOT, members from the Treasury Dept., representatives from the Governor's Office, an academic representative - primarily on the environment and CAT officials.

(In the Nov. 12th issue of the Star-Ledger, it was announced that Gary Taffett, Governor McGreevey's chief of staff is resigning due to the demands of the job (Annual salary, $138,500) and a possible replacement could be Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox!)

DOT's prinicipal concern was how to fund the estimated $45 million needed annually for Parkway capital improvements. CAT believes it has addressed this concern. Of course where did the money come from for the Atlantic City Tunnel ($300 million),motor vehicle inspection revamp ($500 million), the proposed Dept. of Motor Vehicle revamp ($200 million), the Rt 80 bridge collapse (cost unknown!) et al!

Also politicians cringe at the thought of raising the gas tax by one cent, which would return $45 million, but lets look at this in reverse - let's reduce the gas tax by say one cent and replace it with tolls on say Rt. 195 or Rt. 80! This would create quite a furor! Tolls are the most expensive way to collect a tax. (It costs the state about 5% to collect taxes while on the Parkway toll collection costs are almost 50%!)

In addition gas prices are highly elastic with the public not sounding a whimper as prices have increased by five or more cents over the past few weeks! A one cent dedicated tax would never be felt!

Incidentally a large portion of the motor vehicle license fees have been used for purposes unrelated to the motor vehicle dept. and yet it is planned to increase such fees to cover the cost of the revamp!

In addition, it was announced on Nov. 1st that the E-ZPass Administration center, 200 to 300 people, would be moved from Secaucus to Newark! Again, at what cost to move furniture, telephones, PC's, computer equipment, etc. all of which would not be necessary without tolls! (No one seems to know the exact number but it is somewhere between 200 and 300 plus supervision!)

Another little known E-ZPass expense is that for technicians who need trucks, garages, storage for parts, supervision, etc., etc., to maintain all of the sensors, surveillance cameras, flood lighting, etc., in addition to centralized computers and billing and collection functions! A large part of technicians time is required by the need for travel!

Another expense is the relocation of all toll lanes for hi-speed E-ZPass should it be installed. In addition new billboard type signs will be needed which need lighting, maintenance, etc. (This will be the fifth time for relocations of the 220 toll lanes in trying to get the right combination and we're sure it will not be the last!

It was also announced in a recent edition of the Star-Ledger that there were two firms that bid for the E-ZPass contract - ACS, the winner, and a subsidiary of Lockheed aircraft, the second highest bidder - ACS just bought out the subsidiary of Lockheed!
Two weeks before the last election ACS made a $50,000 contribution to the McGreevey campaign!

In short, the collection of tolls is a highly expensive proposition - a make work operation that would not be needed without tolls!

In closing, we wonder how many people are employed at the three story Parkway headquarters building, replete with the overhead of a cafeteria, parking areas, security, private offices and staffs for the many directors and executives, ad nauseum!!

Some legislators tell us that they don't get many complaints about tolls so here is your chance to complain - if you don't know who to write to, contact the Office of Legislative Services, toll free, on 1-800-792-8630 - this is your chance to be heard AND CAT needs your support in this vital mission!
Thanks for your continued support for eliminating tolls which inconviences motorists 1.6 million times daily!
From your CAT Officials.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We have received information that the phone line at the Office of Legislative Services is always busy and have been asked for their addresses:

Office of Legislative Services 1-800-792-8630 or 1-609-292-4840
Office of Public Information
State House Annex, P.O.Box 068 Trenton, NJ, 08625-0068

E mail address is: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us

The Senate Transportation Committee Chairperson is Senator Andrew Ciesla, 852 Highway 70, Brick, NJ, 08724

The Assembly Transportation Chairperson is Assemblyman John Wisniewski, Suite B, 3145 Bordentown Ave., Parlin, NJ, 08859

These are the individuals you should write to, to press for the elimination of Parkway tolls. In addition you should write or call your local legislators whose addresses can be obtained from the Office of Legislative Services.

For those in Senator Codey's district please also write to him as he says he gets no complaints about Parkway tolls! His address is: 449 Mt. Pleasant Ave., West Orange, NJ, 07052. (973 731 6770)

If you are one of the 1.6 million individuals who are inconvenienced daily by the paying of a toll take this opportunity to join the groundswell of those who want costly and hazardous tolls removed! CAT needs your help - they can't win this battle by themselves!

[Coleus]

End Tolls in NJ

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