NJ CONSORTIUM:NJ Turnpike to Start ET May 22

We had misread (TRnl#44 Nov/Dec 99 p1) the financial plan which called for toll increases “by Jan 1, 01” not “on Jan 1, 01.” Similarly, a second round of toll increases would be implemented “by” Jan 1, 03, not necessarily on that date.

The plan calls for cash toll increase of 20% and 17% for cars, 8% and 10% increases in ET tolls for cars in peak times and a 0% and 5% increase for ET for cars off-peak. Trucks will face a pair of 8% toll increases if equipped with a transponder and a pair of 13% increases in rates if they pay cash.

Gross would like to introduce peak/off-peak differentials for trucks, but says he won’t do it until the local trucking association accepts it is in their members interests. The proposed increases have the support of the NJ Motor Truck Association. In 1991 when tolls were doubled for cars and increased 70% for trucks in one hit the Association worked actively to get trucks to use alternate routes.

“Sam Cunningham (head of the Truck Assoc) has reminded me of the map they produced for their members showing alternate routes,” Gross says. The diversion of trucks to other routes was quite noticeable and generated complaints from motorists. He says the present rounds of toll increases were modeled for their impact and no statistically significant diversion was found.

The trucking lobby did however accept an earlier ‘Off-Peak Commercial Vehicle Volume Discount Program” which started Aug 1 98 and will be continued through May 22 when the new toll rates go into effect. Truck owners who established charge accounts have been eligible for discounts on a sliding scale for trips made out of peak periods (7:00 to 8:30am and 5:00 to 6:30pm.)

The program gained a 28% increase (Aug 98 to Dec 99) in trucking companies with charge accounts. Usage of charge accounts went up 10% and charge revenues rose by $6.6m. The discounts cost $3m on an extra 1.2m charge trips, a 10% increase. Cash toll trips rose only 0.5%. Overall truck use of the Turnpike increased 3.9%, a greater number than truck traffic generally. Total truck toll revenue grew by $7.3m.

Turnpike staff are working on an alternatives paper on possible successors to the program.

We asked Gross as spokesman for the Regional Consortium for implementing E-ZPass about the violation imaging problems. He said overall the system – in use at two Delaware plazas, on the Atlantic City Exwy and beginning on the Garden State Parkway – is producing 55% good pictures. He said the contractor MFS has to achieve 75%.

“They are working at it lane by lane, plaza by plaza. There may be timing problems or lighting, or the image is overexposed. I am focussed on it certainly, but I am not concerned about it. It is only an issue because the media chooses to make it an issue.”

On the collection of violation revenues Gross said there has not yet been a full cycle by which to start judging performance against forecasts: “We’ve only gone 6 1/2 months. It is too soon to judge that.” (Contact NJTA 732 247 0900)