The following are links to a selection of transportation-related articles published recently by newspapers in the northern New Jersey region. This page is updated on at least a bi-weekly basis. Please note that links on this page may expire or be unreliable due to changes made by host newspapers.
The following links were posted August 25, 2008:
Lawmaker: More money needed for senior transport
Sunday Aug 24, 2008 (AP) With gas prices up and casino revenues down, a program that relies on Atlantic City gambling profits to fund transportation to senior citizens and the disabled needs a cash boost.
Light rail is no flyweight in ability to serve
Sunday Aug 24, 2008 Bergen Record. RECENTLY, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line moved 65,000 passengers to the big summer concert in Liberty State Park. This one-day total shows the line's ability to move vast amounts of people.
Routes to hidden America
Sunday Aug 24, 2008 Bergen Record. Jill Schensul reports on her three-week road trip, plus lists "The Best" to be found on the road, and details on each historic highway.
Bicycle use grows in Central Jersey as price of filling the tank gets costly
Saturday Aug 23, 2008 Courier News. Joe Monzo has quite a commute...especially when he bikes to work.
State must chip in $1.5B to keep plan for tunnel on track
Saturday Aug 23, 2008 Gannett News Service. WASHINGTON -- New Jersey officials say a second passenger rail tunnel under the Hudson River would allow tens of thousands of commuters to use NJ Transit to get to work in Manhattan.
Linde to fuel Missouri's hydrogen refueling station
Saturday Aug 23, 2008 Courier News. Linde North America is providing the hydrogen for Missouri's first hydrogen vehicle refueling station, which opened a few days ago in Rolla.
When mule power ruled
Friday Aug 22, 2008 Daily Record. Five days. One hundred two miles. GPS technology? Nope. Welcome to the mid-1800s, when transportation of supplies to Northern New Jersey went something like this: Towpath vs. turnpike.
Fence on bridge can't wait
Friday Aug 22, 2008 Courier News. If you build it, they won't come. We're talking about the fence that's needed atop the Victory Bridge to stop jumpers from ending their lives.
***NJTPA Mention Below***
State OKs funding of local road projects
08/21/2008 Somerset Reporter. The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority has given a go-ahead to road and bridge projects in Somerset County. The agency approved on July 28 its Transportation Improvement Program, which authorizes federal funding for hundreds of road, bridge, rail and other transportation projects in Northern and Central New Jersey.
Parsippany puts red-light camera measure on hold
Thursday Aug 21, 2008 Daily Record. PARSIPPANY -- The Town Council postponed voting on an ordinance that would permit red-light cameras, pending state approval, following a public hearing Tuesday night.
Myers blasts Adler for failure to back MOM rail line
Thursday Aug 21, 2008 Asbury Park Press. State Sen. John Adler, D-Camden, voted against legislation eight years ago to add the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex rail line to a series of transportation projects in New Jersey.
Bridge tolls to Pa. going up
Thursday Aug 21, 2008 Gannett New Jersey. Tolls will rise Sept. 14 on the Delaware River Port Authority's four bridges from $3 to $4, and PATCO fares will jump 10 percent.
Morristown mayor backpedals, sort of
Thursday Aug 21, 2008 Daily Record. MORRISTOWN -- When Mayor Donald Cresitello questioned the notion of people biking to work, he probably had no idea those words would end up on a flyer and get him pedaling through town.
Speaking of the PATH, who's your nemesis?
08/21/2008 Hoboken Now. Yes, at least one Wall Street Journal columnist loves the PATH for its dirt cheap and reliable transport -- and so do we.
All together now: Support transport system
08/20/2008 Times of Trenton. Investing more money in mass transit is a no-brainer. In fact, remove the meteoric rise in energy costs, this year's substantial drop in vehicle miles driven and the recent rush to more environmentally sound mobility, and such long-term thinking would remain necessary.
E-ZPass tags on sale at select tollway rest stops
Wednesday Aug 20, 2008 Asbury Park Press. Ever get stuck waiting to pay a toll in the cash lane and wish you had E-ZPass? The answer could be at the next service area.
No quick fix to oil crisis
Tuesday Aug 19, 2008 Courier News. The United States uses 25 percent of the world's oil supply, but holds only 2.6 percent of the world's oil reserves. No matter how much we drill, we could never provide consumers with real relief.
***NJTPA Mention Below***
Road upgrades due across county
Monday Aug 18, 2008 Courier News. More than $150 million worth of improvements have been authorized for road and bridge projects through 2012 across Somerset County, according to a transportation group.
Road Warrior: Try these remedies for N.J. road agita
Sunday Aug 17, 2008 Bergen Record. There are few things worse than communicating with a cop or bureaucrat who unexpectedly hands you a document that says you can no longer do legally what you've been doing for years.
Should columnists wear safety helmets?
Friday Aug 15, 2008 Bergen Record. Who would expect that this column's support of bicycle helmets would produce a backlash from, of all people, cyclists?
High gas prices help curb American driving
Thursday Aug 14, 2008 (AP) As summer vacation season kicked in, Americans got out of their cars, driving 12.2 billion fewer miles in June than the same month a year earlier.
To commuters' dismay, Great Notch station may close
Wednesday Aug 13, 2008 Bergen Record. LITTLE FALLS - Some commuters and residents were both saddened and angered Tuesday by news that the 100-year-old Great Notch NJ Transit station may close in October.
Port Authority too easy
08/13/2008 Times of Trenton. With free E-ZPasses In the grand scheme of things, the loss of $1 million is chump change compared to the $825 million the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey raked in last year from tolls collected at its two tunnels and four bridges.
NJ Transit selling some of its train cars
Wednesday Aug 13, 2008 Bergen Record. The Comet I rail cars that have rumbled through Bergen County for decades may be “old and tired,” but high gas prices have turned the 1970s-era cars into cash cows for NJ Transit.
Transit adds 50 multi-level train cars as ridership rises
08/13/2008 Star Ledger. Faced with growing rail ridership as more and more motorists turn off their car engines and hop on trains, NJ Transit today added another 50 multi-level rail cars to its growing fleet.
The Perk Authority
Wednesday Aug 13, 2008 Bergen Record. TOLLS ARE expensive. And it doesn't matter whether you use a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey bridge or tunnel, there is no way to avoid paying the toll.
Act on transportation now
08/13/2008 Star Ledger. Two years ago, Gov. Jon Corzine and lawmakers took the usual Trenton way out when faced with a transportation funding crisis: They borrowed an additional $6.4 billion instead of raising the gas tax or other revenue to keep road, bridge and mass transit work going.
NJ transit trying to avoid fare hikes
Wednesday Aug 13, 2008 Bergen Record. NJ Transit hopes to save $6 million a year by offering early retirement packages this fall to as many as 70 employees.
Corzine's road remains rocky on transit plan
08/12/2008 Star Ledger. As he and other Northeastern governors commiserated yesterday on the obstacles to funding transportation infrastructure, Gov. Jon Corzine said he is "not taking anything off the table" as he develops a new plan to pay for the state's roads, bridges and mass transit.
The following links were posted August 11, 2008:
Port Authority workers, retirees get free E-ZPass
Mon Aug 11, 2008 (AP) Call it FREE-Z Pass. Nearly 7,600 Port Authority employees and retirees have free E-ZPass tags for all trips across Hudson River and Staten Island crossings.
By going up, state's take from gas tax bucks trend
Monday Aug 11, 2008 Gannett NJ. Although high gasoline prices have people driving less, New Jersey's gas tax revenue has slightly increased this year, bucking the national trend.
WHAT'S DRIVING OUR ROAD RAGE?
08/11/2008 Star Ledger. There's a better-than-even chance you hate Tom Vanderbilt. He's that guy who cruised past you in the traffic jam, despite the signs directing him to merge as you approached the work zone.
Tricked-out two-wheelers go from hobby to passion
8/11/08 Courier Post. CAMDEN — Eight years ago, Alfonso Torres found a beat-up 1957 Schwinn bike frame in an empty lot in North Camden.
County expands transit services
Sunday Aug 10, 2008 Courier News. The Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Somerset County Transportation Division are expanding county public transit service in response to public demand.
NYC bus plus: More A/C than many cities
Sunday Aug 10, 2008 (AP) The nation's largest mass transit system can boast a new distinction: A survey shows New York has cooler buses in summer than many U.S. cities.
There should be nothing automatic about toll hikes
Saturday Aug 9, 2008 Courier News. Keep your eye on your wallet. There's an idea bobbing around in the transportation toll universe that could put the bite on you like the one guy too many on a crowded subway.
Resurfacing project may cause delays along Rte. 78 in Somerset County
08/09/2008 Star Ledger. Work has begun on a resurfacing project along an 11-mile stretch of Route 78 in Somerset County. Motorists may encounter delays in the coming months, particularly in the area from Watchung to Bedminster, state officials said.
Moving Targets
Published: August 8, 2008 NY Times. IT seemed like a good idea at the time. Save gas money, be environmentally correct, lose weight — just by biking to work.
New Jersey offers new 511 phone system
Friday Aug 8, 2008 Asbury Park Press. Information about New Jersey traffic and travel became just a phone call away when Kris Kolluri, New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) commissioner, launched the state's new and improved 511 system.
I-78 resurfacing project begins today in Somerset County
Friday Aug 8, 2008 Courier News. The New Jersey Department of Transportation starts its resurfacing project today, in which 11 miles of Interstate 78 from west of Plainfield Avenue in Watchung to the I-287 interchange in Bedminster will be improved.
Rail-trail progress continues despite break in Lacey
Thursday Aug 7, 2008 Asbury Park Press. The Ocean County Board of Freeholders is looking ahead to the next phases of the Barnegat Branch Rail Trail in Waretown and Berkeley, skipping over Lacey for now.
Simmering at the End of the Line
Published: August 7, 2008 NY Times. THE temperature in the little park at First Avenue and First Street was 86 degrees one afternoon last week — maybe 87 in the sun. It was hot, but without the oppressiveness of the summer’s worst heat waves, which are gone for the moment.
O'Scanlon reduces time spent in traffic
Thursday Aug 7, 2008 Asbury Park Press. Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon said he noticed the traffic light at the intersection of routes 34 and 537 was not adjusting as traffic built up during the morning rush hour.
Bound Brook merchants brace for effects of Rt. 28 project
Thursday Aug 7, 2008 Courier News. Some people are concerned that a New Jersey Department of Transportation project to improve safety along Route 28 will instead make conditions more hazardous.
ROAD WARRIOR: For the worst and costliest highways, NJ is No. 1 Thursday
Aug 7, 2008 Bergen Record. David Hartgen laughed when I told him the governor and the Legislature had labored in the July heat to hold the state budget to the same $33 billion as last year.
Make Victory Bridge safe
Thursday Aug 7, 2008 Asbury Park Press. The rebuilt Victory Bridge between Perth Amboy and Sayreville has been open only five years, but already it's suicide central.
BrunsQuick shows how a city can act wisely
Thursday Aug 7, 2008 Asbury Park Press. An example of government responding to real need was provided by the recent introduction of the BrunsQuick Loop shuttle, which expands available transportation to underserved areas.
NJDOT to shift lanes on Route 28 in Bound Brook and Middlesex
Wednesday Aug 6, 2008 Courier News. Commissioner Kris Kolluri announced Wednesday that the New Jersey Department of Transportation will shift Route 28 traffic onto the newly completed westbound lanes of Route 28 over Green Brook.
***NJTPA Mention Below***
NJ Transit looks to cut noise from locomotives at local rail yards
Wednesday Aug 6, 2008 Daily Record. NJ Transit will spend $537,500 to install devices on some diesel locomotives that will reduce the time that the noisy engines idle at train yards including the one in Port Morris in Morris County.
***NJTPA Mention Below***
Train project to cut costs, pollution
Tuesday Aug 5, 2008 Bergen Record. The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority has allocated $537,500 to help retrofit a portion of NJ Transit's diesel locomotive fleet.
Shrewsbury Residents want sidewalk ban until town provides plan
Tuesday Aug 5, 2008 Asbury Park Press. A battle over the borough's plan to install sidewalks on neighborhood streets carried on when residents asked for a moratorium on sidewalks until the borough could provide a comprehensive plan.
Transportation agencies developing plans for drivers to pay for a less congested route
Tuesday Aug 5, 2008 USA Today. Already facing $4 a gallon at the pump, drivers in a growing number of states are being tempted to pay even more for a quicker ride home.
Despite objections, South Plainfield speed humps will remain in place
Tuesday Aug 5, 2008 Courier News. Three speed humps installed earlier this year as part of a repaving project on Metuchen Road will stay, after the borough attorney said this week they were not in conflict with a state statute.
***Two Links Below from NJbiz.com
The effects of high fuel prices (1)
The effects of high fuel prices (2).
NJbiz.com -- Two articles look at how the trucking industry has changed to deal with rising costs and changes in the real estate market – it appears that people already are looking to live closer to their jobs and/or transit.
The following links were posted August 4, 2008:
Report: State spends more per mile of road
Thursday Jul 31, 2008 Gannett. New Jersey for the seventh year in a row has the least cost-effective roads in the nation, according to a report released Wednesday by a Washington libertarian think tank.
Little progress made in bridge repairs across US
Published: July 31, 2008 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A year after the worst U.S. bridge collapse in a generation brought calls for immediate repairs to other spans, two of every three of the busiest problem bridges in each state -- carrying nearly 40 million vehicles a day -- have had no work beyond regular maintenance.
The senator's clean sweep
Thursday Jul 31, 2008 Asbury Park Press. Beer bottles. Fast-food wrappers. Linoleum flooring. A Soulja Boy CD. A pregnancy test that reads positive. Those were among the discarded objects state Senate President Richard J. Codey and legislative staffers picked up along the eastern end of Route 37 and tossed into large, black garbage bags Wednesday afternoon.
County public transit to grow
07/31/2008 Somerset Reporter. The Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Somerset County Transportation Division are expanding county public transit service in response to public demand.
Gas prices driving away toll revenue
Thursday Jul 31, 2008 USA Today. CHICAGO -- Record gas prices are prompting drivers to steer clear of some toll roads, bridges and tunnels, causing declines in the revenue that's used for repairs and maintenance.
State OKs four-way stop in Red Bank
Thursday Jul 31, 2008 Asbury Park Press. If you can't get a traffic light, settle for the four-way stop.
4X original repair bill
07/31/2008 Jersey Journal. A year after the deadly Minnesota bridge collapse, state officials have found that repairs to the aging Pulaski Skyway, a 3.5-mile span connecting Jersey City to Newark, would cost nearly $40 million this year, four times the original estimate.
Two wheels are better than four
Thursday Jul 31, 2008 Asbury Park Press. Mike Kruimer drives a Ford F-250 pickup and since March has filled the gas tank exactly twice. His most recent fill-up was for $89. How does he get by? He pedals his bicycle.
Program urges 25 mph on residential streets
July 31, North & South Brunswick Sentinel NORTH BRUNSWICK — A pedestrian-safety program called "Slow Down in Our Town" has officially been implemented in the township.
***NJTPA Mention Below***
$10B OK'd for transit projects
7/30/08 NJ Herald. The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority approved projects costing $10 billion in 13 counties on Monday, including a $70 million slice for Sussex County. But what was most telling was the project that was absent.
NJ's busiest bridges still need repairs
Wednesday Jul 30, 2008 (AP) Although New Jersey has dramatically increased spending for bridge repairs in recent years, it has fixed just one of its 20 busiest structurally deficient bridges in the year since the Minnesota bridge collapse.
Four bridges in Middlesex County on list of dangerous N.J. spans awaiting repairs
Wednesday Jul 30, 2008 Courier News. Four bridges in Middlesex County are among 19 of the 20 busiest structurally deficient bridges in the state that have yet to be fixed in the year since the deadly Minneapolis bridge collapse.
Bridges on the road to improvement
Wednesday Jul 30, 2008 Bergen Record. Scroll to the end of this story for a map listing bridge locations and details. Eight of 10 North Jersey bridges rated “intolerable” have been replaced or scheduled for repairs.
AC Expressway explores cashless tolls
Wednesday Jul 30, 2008 (AP) Officials are exploring cashless tolls for the Atlantic City Expressway.
Timing change eases wait for light at Routes 537, 34
Wednesday Jul 30, 2008 Asbury Park Press. Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon said he noticed the traffic light at the intersection of state Route 34 and Monmouth County Route 537 was not adjusting as traffic built up during the morning rush hour..
Residents have opposing views on road
July 30, The Independent. MIDDLETOWN — Before the July 21 Township Committee meeting got underway, Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger announced to the almost 30 residents sitting on the right side of Town Hall that no action would be taken on a road change at the meeting.
Schooley's Mtn. Rd. to get safety boost
Wednesday Jul 30, 2008 Daily Record. WASHINGTON TWP. -- County officials are hoping a coat of a gritty substance will make the big turn at Schooley's Mountain Road safer for motorists.
County presents option for bridge replacement
July 30, The Independent. MIDDLETOWN — Monmouth County Engineer Joseph Ettore came to the July 21 Township Committee meeting with a recommendation on the West Front Street bridge replacement process.
In 2007, fewer killed biking or walking
Wednesday Jul 30, 2008 Gannett. Fewer people statewide were killed while walking or biking in 2007 than in previous years, but a report issued Tuesday says the drop in fatalities is not the whole story.
New Jersey bike and pedestrian safety improves slightly
Wednesday Jul 30, 2008 Asbury Park Press. Crossing the street and riding your bike were a little safer statewide in 2007, but activists from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign caution that demand is outstripping cash to fund projects.
***NJTPA Mention Below***
Transit plan allots $10 billion
Tuesday Jul 29, 2008 Bergen Record. The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority on Monday approved its annual Transportation Improvement Program
***NJTPA Mention Below***
Funding approved for Morris transportation projects; Part of $1.5B will pay to pave Route 80, rebuild Netcong Circle at Rt. 46
7/29/08 Daily Record. Several area road, bridge and transit projects were officially funded Monday when the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority approved its annual Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
Englishtown opts out of intersection fix-up
July 30, The News Transcript. A representative of Englishtown recently sent Manalapan officials a letter that might cause a bump in the road for a road improvement project that previously had the approval of all parties involved for more than two years.
Fewer miles, less money
07/29/2008 Star Ledger. U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Pet ers yesterday announced that Americans drove nearly 10 billion fewer miles in May than they had during the same month in 2007, a decline of more than 3 percent. Good, right? Not entirely.
Report: Middlesex County most dangerous in N.J. for pedestrians, bicyclists
Tuesday Jul 29, 2008 Gannett. Middlesex County is the most dangerous place in the state to be a pedestrian or bicyclist, according to a report released Tuesday.
Plans will ease traffic tie-ups in Ramsey
Tuesday Jul 29, 2008 Bergen Record. RAMSEY - Bergen County is completing plans to unclog a main traffic artery in Ramsey. The roughly $300,000 project would widen West Main Street at North Central Avenue and install a traffic light.
A detour off the rail trail
Tuesday Jul 29, 2008 Asbury Park Press. The Ocean County Board of Freeholders is looking ahead to the next phases of the Barnegat Branch Rail Trail in Waretown and Berkeley, skipping over Lacey Township for now.
Portion of Montgomery road closed for rehab of rail crossing
Monday Jul 28, 2008 Courier News. A one-mile portion of Spring Hill Road has been temporarily closed in order to rehabilitate a CSX Railway railroad crossing, state Department of Transportation officials announced today.
Metuchen police take to bikes, foot patrols to save gas
Monday Jul 28, 2008 Gannett. Borough police officers are taking to cycling this summer... not as a sport, but as a conscious effort to conserve gas during their daily patrol. It is a part of conservation measures.
DOT needs to act quickly to make Victory Bridge safe
Monday Jul 28, 2008 Courier News. The rebuilt Victory Bridge between Perth Amboy and Sayreville has only been open five years, but already it's suicide central.
GOP majority may override mayoral veto of truck ordinances in S. Plainfield Monday
Jul 28, 2008 Courier News. The GOP could vote as soon as next week to override mayoral vetoes of two ordinances passed last week that would allow truck traffic to return to most of Hamilton Boulevard and all of Belmont Avenue.
Scooter sales soar
Sunday Jul 27, 2008 Bergen Record. Call it scooter-mania. Skyrocketing gas prices and the warm weather have triggered a buying frenzy of highly fuel-efficient scooters that has emptied most local dealers and increased sales.
Parkway bridge repair right on schedule
Sunday Jul 27, 2008 (AP) There's less than a year to go before a major bottleneck between New York City and the New Jersey shore gets alleviated.
For the Hard Core, Two Wheels Beat Four
Published: July 27, 2008 NY Times. It was 7:30 a.m. on a humid Monday, and David Muller, a doctor and a suburban bike commuter, was sweating his way to work.
The Changing Commute: Demand for Rides Soars
Published: July 27, 2008 NY Times. As commutes go, Spenceretta Billings had a killer: 45 miles one way, driving from her home in Easton, Pa., to Hillsborough.
Farmers market shuttle to be provided Wednesdays
07/27/2008 Bayonne Now. Bayonne residents unable to get to the farmers market in Journal Square on Wednesdays are no longer stranded. The city announced Friday that a shuttle bus service will function on Wednesdays in August.
Route 18 through New Brunswick getting wider for better traffic flow, less waiting Saturday Jul 26, 2008 Courier News. Come fall, motorists should have more room to roam Route 18 through the city. For most of the length of the state road coursing through New Brunswick, drivers will have double the number of lanes.
State starts upgrading I-78 in Watchung
Saturday Jul 26, 2008 Courier News. The New Jersey Department of Transportation is resurfacing Interstate 78 from Drift Road in Watchung to Route 124 in Berkeley Heights.
Road Warrior: Poor mileage reimbursement in N.J.
Saturday Jul 26, 2008 Bergen Record. By now, you’ve probably figured out who’s doing best in this age of $4-a-gallon gasoline.
High gas prices may better our lives
Friday Jul 25, 2008 Courier News. I probably should have satisfied the urge to make a westward road trip 20 years ago, when a gallon of gas cost a fraction of the $4.40 we shelled out on a recent weekend.
Has Katrina taught us anything?
Wednesday Jul 23, 2008 Bergen Record. Emergency planners have concluded the New York region is too jammed with people, and its roads and bridges are too clogged with traffic, for everyone to be evacuated
Be aware of foot and pedal power
08/04/2008 Gloucester Co. Times. Sometimes it seems that on our streets, anyone who wants to get someplace and is not surrounded by the steel cage of a car or truck might as well paint a bull's-eye on his or her back. Our nation's motor vehicle fleet may not be fuel efficient, but from beefy SUVs to the smallest compacts it affords more protection in collisions than bicycles, scooters or horrors your own two feet.
South Plainfield Democrats question legality of speed-hump installation
Mon Aug 4, 2008 Courier News. Democrats say three speed humps installed earlier this year as part of a repaving project on Metuchen Road might be illegal.
All-cashless tolls could convert E-ZPass holdouts
Sunday Aug 3, 2008 Daily Record. E-ZPass holdouts may soon face a formidable opponent in all-cashless tolling.
Heading to the Shore as Gas Prices Rise
Published: August 3, 2008 NY Times. DESPITE initial predictions that high gas prices could ruin the season at the Jersey Shore, beaches have been crowded this summer from Sandy Hook to Cape May.
Asphalt, fuel costs stall road projects
Sun Aug 3, 2008 Courier News. A number of Central Jersey communities are reprioritizing or carefully budgeting money for road projects in the wake of the soaring price of fuel and asphalt.
Lack of political will hurting N.J.
Sunday Aug 3, 2008 Daily Record. To the Editor: Your article respecting the deplorable state of New Jersey's bridges (and other transportation infrastructure) demonstrates, yet again, the irresponsibility of the present administration.
Some toll agencies eye automatic increases
Saturday Aug 2, 2008 (AP) It's the one thing guaranteed to follow a proposed toll hike: Commuter complaints.
Protect pedestrians, bicyclists by building safer roads
Saturday Aug 2, 2008 Courier News. The news was alarming but not all that surprising when a study released on Tuesday found that Middlesex County was the most dangerous place in New Jersey for pedestrians and bicyclists in 2007.
Bridging the gap: Safety competes for dollars
Friday Aug 1, 2008 Asbury Park Press. EDITOR'S NOTE: New Jersey is spending more for bridge repairs, but of its 20 busiest bridges in need of repair, only one in Passaic County has been repaired in the year since the deadline Minn. bridge collapse.
Denville construction to close lanes on Route 46, Franklin Road
Friday Aug 1, 2008 Daily Record. DENVILLE -- Construction of a pedestrian bridge will close lanes on Route 46 and Franklin Road starting Aug. 8, the state Department of Transportation announced on Thursday
N.J. tops the nation in per-mile spending on roads
Friday Aug 1, 2008 Asbury Park Press. EDITOR'S NOTE: New Jersey has the least cost-effective highway system in the nation, according to the libertarian Reason Foundation's ratings.
The following links were posted July 28, 2008:
Lawmaker proposes Jersey coastal evacuation plan
July 24, 2008 Associated Press
With hurricane season under way, a revised evacuation plan is set to be unveiled so residents along the Jersey shore know how to flee an impending storm.
DOT probes suicide prevention at Victory Bridge
July 24, 2008 Home News Tribune
PERTH AMBOY — Too many people have used the 110-foot-high Victory Bridge to jump to their deaths, said Dorothy Carty Daniel.
Towns can join new Revolutionary byway
July 24, 2008 The Hub
Monmouth County has invited 16 communities to participate in the development of a Revolutionary War scenic byway.
Boro loses bid for lower speed limit year-round
July 24, 2008 The Hub
SEA BRIGHT - The borough's request to decrease the speed limit on Ocean Avenue from 40 to 35 mph year-round has been denied by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT).
Grant for traffic plan approved
July 24, 2008 Asbury Park Press
TUCKERTON — The borough has been approved for a grant to develop a joint traffic circulation plan with Little Egg Harbor.
DOT: Route 206 bypass project on target
July 23, 2008 Courier News
HILLSBOROUGH — Plans remain on track for the long-awaited construction of the $110 million, 2.8-mile Route 206 bypass project, state Department of Transportation officials said this week.
Toll revenues, traffic down on Parkway, Turnpike
July 23, 2008 Asbury Park Press
WOODBRIDGE — Despite the start of the summer season, traffic and toll revenues took another nose dive on the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike, continuing a six-month trend.
Will global warming flood the Meadowlands?
July 23, 2008 Bergen Record
Global warming will cause billions of dollars in damage to New Jersey real estate, transportation and tourism, according to a national legislative group – and the state says it is trying to confront the looming crisis.
Court rules for Matawan in train station suit
July 23, 2008 The Independent
MATAWAN - It seems as if the legal maneuvering over the Aberdeen Matawan Train Station redevelopment has been settled, at least for now.
Spring Lake eyes road improvements
July 23, 2008 Asbury Park Press
SPRING LAKE — The Borough Council wants to spend $490,000 for various capital improvements around town and has introduced a measure to authorize the sale of $313,500 in bonds to make it a reality.
For economic well-being, drive at 55 mph
July 23, 2008 Bergen Record column
THREE DECADES ago, during an earlier energy crisis, Ronald Reagan strode into an Atlanta hotel for a political meeting. As he approached the auditorium, someone asked:
"Governor Reagan, as a conservative, don't you think the 55-miles-per-hour speed limit imposed by the government to save gas is a violation of our freedom?"
Intersection eyed for possible work
July 23, 2008 News Transcript
COLTS NECK - Responding to a request from Colts Neck officials, Monmouth County engineers have begun studying the traffic patterns and alignment of Crine Road, where it intersects Dutch Lane Road and Heulitt Road, to see what can be done to improve safety at the intersection
UPDATE: No way out in transit emergency
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 Bergen Record
A new national report highlighting the gaps in emergency evacuation plans in the New York City region and other urban areas should push Congress to provide more money for security-focused transportation projects, a North Jersey congressman said Tuesday.
Lanes will shift for rehabilitation work on Route 35 bridge into Point Beach
July 22, 2008 Asbury Park Press
BRIELLE — The state Department of Transportation announced that upcoming lane shifts will be made starting Wednesday as part of the rehabilitation of the Route 35 Manasquan River Bridge between Brielle and Point Pleasant Beach.
Poll: N.J. drivers admit texting, calling, speeding
July 22, 2008 Associated Press
NEWARK -- New Jersey drivers readily admit they break the law by speeding or by talking or texting on a hand-held device while behind the wheel, according to a poll released Tuesday.
Wanaque Ave. to undergo construction
July 21, 2008 Bergen Record
POMPTON LAKES — Wanaque Avenue, a commuter throughway between Route 287 and Route 202 and Hamburg Turnpike, will undergo three to four months of work to replace an old water main.
More riders to beaches, parks
July 21, 2008 Asbury Park Press
More people are ditching the car and taking NJ Transit trains and buses to the beach, Monmouth Park and Six Flags amusement park this summer.
Water taxi shuttles visitors to Sandy Hook during bridge work
July 19, 2008 Asbury Park Press
HIGHLANDS — The Highlands Business Partnership's water taxi has extended its service to Sandy Hook as one way to help beachgoers during the Route 36 Highlands-Sea Bright bridge project.
Counties conducting survey on Route 202 from Flemington to Somerville
July 19, 2008 Courier News
Residents, employees, business owners and visitors who travel the Route 202 corridor between Flemington and Somerville are invited to share their ideas in an online survey for the Route 202 Corridor Assessment and Multi-Modal Mobility Plan Study being conducted by Somerset and Hunterdon counties.
Stender calls for more investment in public transit
July 18, 2008 The Record Press
WESTFIELD -- Despite the critical condition of the Transportation Trust Fund, the state must find a way to increase funding for public transportation, Assemblywoman Linda Stender told members of the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition during a meeting Monday morning.
Bridge probe needed
July 18, 2008 Asbury Park Press editorial
The steel claws of construction equipment began ripping away part of the historic Highlands-Sea Bright bridge Monday, dashing the hopes of area residents who made an unsuccessful, last-ditch attempt to halt the project in court that same day.
NJ Transit: Fewer Sunday trains along Raritan Valley
July 18, 2008 Record Press
NJ Transit has announced plans to reduce Sunday morning service on the Raritan Valley Rail Line, effective as of next month, as part of an effort to direct limited resources to peak usage times.
Commuting to NYC is a breeze for this old club
July 18, 2008 Star-Ledger
The bar is gone, and you can forget about the cigars. The regular card games -- bridge, canasta, gin -- are history. But one thing hasn't changed -- the comfort.
P.A. offers easy card for riders
July 18, 2008 Star-Ledger
The Port Authority is offering PATH rail riders something drivers with E-ZPass have had for years: A way to travel without reaching into the wallet for cash.
Moving in, out in Hudson County
July 18, 2008 Jersey Journal
Hudson County is shrinking, according to population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau recently.
Town to apply for road repair grant
July 17, 2008 Asbury Park Press
LITTLE EGG HARBOR — With the Lexington Drive reconstruction project underway, township officials will apply to the state Department of Transportation to receive $112,000 of the $150,000 grant awarded for the project.
Teen drivers not as dangerous as you'd think
July 17, 2008 Bergen Record
Young drivers — long known for creating the most mayhem on New Jersey roads — are getting safer, data analyzed by The Record shows.
Getting around
July 17, 2008 Bergen Record
**NJTPA Mention**
Among the elements of New Jersey's extensive transportation system, according to the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority:
Shuttle service expanded between New and North Brunswick
July 17, 2008 North & South Brunswick Sentinel
NEW BRUNSWICK - An expanded shuttle service will add more stops and extended operating hours to residents traveling to, from and around the city of New Brunswick.