ASSEMBLY, No. 1714

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED MARCH 18, 1996

 

 

By Assemblymen IMPREVEDUTO and DORIA

 

 

An Act concerning the New Jersey Transit Corporation and supplementing P.L.1979, c.150 (C.27:25-1 et seq.)

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. Except as otherwise provided in section 2 of this act, each motorbus purchased by the corporation on or after the effective date of this act shall be an alternative fuel vehicle. The corporation shall assign the motorbuses purchased, to the maximum extent feasible, to routes in the northeastern part of the State, encompassing the cities of Elizabeth, Newark and Jersey City, in order to reduce the level of air pollution in that area.

    As used in this act, "alternative fuel vehicle" means a vehicle that has been certified to meet the ultra low emission vehicle standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency or which meets more stringent emission standards as established from time to time by that agency.

 

    2. The provisions of section 1 of this act shall not apply to the purchase of motorbuses which have been operated for more than 100 miles prior to purchase and are commonly referred to as "used vehicles."

 

    3. Each motorbus purchased by the corporation before the effective date of this act during the period of the current and two preceding fiscal years shall be modified by the corporation so that it may be operated as an alternative fuel vehicle.

 

    4. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill requires all newly manufactured buses purchased by the New Jersey Transit Corporation to be alternative fuel vehicles; that is, vehicles that have been certified to meet the ultra low emission vehicle standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency or more stringent standards as they are established in the future. These buses are to be assigned, to the maximum extent feasible, to routes in the cities of Elizabeth, Newark and Jersey City in the northeastern part of the State where air pollution problems are severe. The bill also requires buses purchased before the effective date of the bill during the period of the current and two preceding fiscal years to be retrofitted as alternative fuel vehicles. The goal of this legislation is that 30% of the State's bus fleet is to be composed of alternative fuel vehicles by 2010, thereby permitting the State, and particularly the northeastern part which has such serious air pollution problems, to comply with the provisions of the Clean Air Act. It is the intent of this bill that New Jersey Transit purchase the cleanest available vehicles for its bus fleet. Inasmuch as the emission requirements for particulate matter from diesel fuels are likely to become more stringent, this bill will also assist New Jersey in meeting future air pollution reduction requirements.

 

 

                             

 

Requires NJT to purchase alternative fuel vehicles.