Oct 9, 2008 3:57 pm US/Eastern
Corzine Expects Quick Vote On Toll Hikes
TRENTON (AP) ―
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Gov. Corzine expects a quick vote on toll hikes in N.J. (file)
CBS
Gov. Jon S. Corzine indicated Thursday that he is prepared to sign off on a scaled-down proposal to raise tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.
New Jersey Turnpike Authority commissioners plan to vote on the plan Friday after a special public hearing, but need Corzine's pre-approval to go ahead with the vote. He indicated that was likely.
"We're still having a few discussions, but I'm sure you'll be seeing something going to the board tomorrow and I will be signing off on it," Corzine said Thursday.
Corzine didn't go into specifics about the toll plan, but recently said he would reject a plan that included three toll increases over 15 years and would have raised a projected $11 billion.
Under the new version unveiled Tuesday, tolls on the Turnpike and Garden State Parkway would increase this year and again in 2012.
Drivers on the Turnpike would see tolls rise 50 cents per trip this year, to an average of $1.70, and 90 cents in 2012. Parkway drivers would see an average increase of 15 cents this year and 25 cents four years later. Ramp tolls would increase by 10 cents this year and 5 cents in 2012.
The revenue, about $8.25 billion, would be used to widen the Turnpike and Parkway and partially fund a new rail tunnel into New York City. Republican lawmakers are seeking to block funding the rail tunnel with toll increases.
On Thursday, 7th District Republican congressional candidate Leonard Lance challenged Turnpike Authority Chairman Kris Kolluri "to explain why toll revenues can be diverted for the new Trans-Hudson rail tunnel." Kolluri has said the tunnel is a legal and valid use of the funds.
The New Jersey Motor Truck Association also continued to oppose the plan.
"Our members want to remain on the Turnpike," the association said in a letter to Corzine. "If you look at the impact on one truck driver, the proposed toll increase does not appear so cumbersome. However, when you are operating a fleet of trucks, the increase has a considerable impact on their bottom line."
A Fairleigh Dickinson University-PublicMind Poll released Thursday showed the governor being dragged down by the Turnpike Authority's plan to increase tolls to pay for transportation improvements.
Corzine acknowledged that public opposition to the toll increases has been strenuous, but said the move is necessary and drew a parallel to the nation's current economic crisis.
"I can tell you that there are a lot of popular decisions that have been taken that have cost the economy about $2 trillion in the last six weeks," he said. "Because people failed to make difficult decisions, promised everything and didn't decide on how they were going to pay for it, and then it ends up costing far more. I'll have to leave it to the public to decide whether we're doing that or not."
The new toll plan offers off-peak discounts to E-ZPass customers, truckers, senior citizens and those who drive fuel-efficient cars. The cost of the discount program is $12.8 million a year, which Kolluri said will be funded through agency budget cuts.
It also sets up a priority list of construction programs. The widening of the turnpike between interchanges 6 and 9 and the widening of the parkway between interchanges 63 and 80 are among the projects that would be funded immediately after the increases are approved.
Corzine said once the plan is approved, the hikes would go into effect around the beginning of December. He estimated that 15,000 jobs would be created for each $1 billion spent on roadway projects.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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