New Jersey Turnpike

Steve Lonegan of the local branch of Americans for Prosperity sees it as his job to speak up for the people of his state who are facing higher and higher expenses supporting various government agencies. So when the New Jersey Turnpike raises tolls by 50% Lonegan is into it. And he's being quoted as saying the people of the state "will now face the highest tolls in the country.” 

The drop in traffic and revenues on northeast toll roads has made it into the Wall Street Journal and Business Week magazine. They picked up on the "negative" rating given to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority's bonds by Moody's  (reported earlier by TOLLROADSnews) and also the NJTA's latest Financial Summary for investors that the first three-quarters of the year saying traffic was down 1.1% and revenue down 1.2% on the same 3/4 of 2010.

Fitch Ratings have assigned an 'A' rating to $275m of new bonds being used for refinancing as well as the $7.72b in outstanding revenue bonds. And its outlook is 'stable' they say. Moody's are much less positive.

Two former toll collectors at the New Jersey Turnpike got sentenced to 364 days in county jail plus several years probation for working a racket with toll tickets.

John Filippine, 58, a longtime toll collector on the New Jersey Turnpike is pleading guilty to multiple counts of stealing toll money as part of a plea bargain. The bargain is that prosecutors will recommend Filippine for a year's jail, payment of $2,282 in restitution and a lifetime bar against employment by a state agency.

Thursday Filippine pled 'guilty' to third degree 'theft by unlawful taking' before a state judge in court in Mt Holly NJ.

Although only 40, Joe Orlando seems to have been at the New Jersey Turnpike forever. Now he has joined the "marketing/communications" firm Winning Strategies in Newark as a VP.

Glenn Huryan, 55 and William Fagan, 62 dismissed toll collectors on the New Jersey Turnpike have pled guilty to "theft by unlawful taking" in Camden in south Jersey. A third fired collector John Fillipine, 58 has charges pending.

Longtime executive director of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, Edward M ('Ed') Gross died this week (Jun 27) from a heart attack. He was 71. Gross was head of the Turnpike from October 1995 to February 2002. He was successful in many aspects of the job, maintaining a well managed state toll agency, pushing through necessary toll increases, initiating major improvements to the Turnpike.

The board of the New Jersey Turnpike voted today to end off-peak discounts for E-ZPass for car drivers with non-New Jersey accounts. So drivers with a Pennsylvania Turnpike, New York or Maryland E-ZPass and a PANYNJ account will pay full toll rates off-peak.

They're proposing to end off-peak discounts on car drivers with out-of-state transponders at the New Jersey Turnpike. It's a measure they hope will boost revenues by $16m/year. Adopted as a measure to help reduce congestion by moving some traffic out of peakhours the lower toll rates at present apply to cars using transponders from all over the interoperable E-ZPass group network of some 24 toll agencies.

The discounts apply weekdays outside of 7am to 9am and 4:30pm to 6:30pm.