SENATE, No. 380

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

 

 

By Senator McNAMARA

 

 

An Act concerning the collection of tolls on the Garden State Parkway and supplementing Title 27 of the Revised Statutes.

 

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

 

    1. The Legislature finds and declares, as a matter of public policy, that:

    a. Recent changes in the operations of the Garden State Parkway, including the installation of "Token Only" lanes in addition to "Exact Change" lanes and "Manual Change" lanes, have worsened existing traffic congestion at many of the Parkway toll barriers due to chronic shortages of tokens, confusing identification of and lack of standardization for "Token Only," "Exact Change" and "Manual Change" lanes, and the failure of the New Jersey Highway Authority to develop a more efficient means of processing the unprecedented numbers of motor vehicles traveling on the parkway.

    b. Since the authority is currently experiencing its highest traffic levels, and what is reportedly the longest traffic delays and most numerous traffic problems in its history, thereby contributing to New Jersey's unenviable record of offering its commuters the longest average commuting time in the nation, it is imperative that the authority take immediate steps to implement an Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) system to alleviate these conditions.

    c. The feasibility of using AVI systems has been studied by the authority, an AVI system has been installed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for buses entering the Lincoln Tunnel, and AVI systems are either under study or have been implemented in other states including California, Illinois, Texas and Louisiana to improve the flow of traffic through their toll roads and bridges.

    d. It is appropriate at this time for the Legislature to require the authority to take appropriate steps to immediately implement AVI lanes at all barrier tolls and ramp tolls, beginning with the toll lanes in those areas which experience the highest traffic volumes during peak commuter periods, in order to reduce as quickly as possible the traffic delays and hazardous driving conditions caused thereby.

 

    2. As used in this act:

    a. "Automatic Vehicle Identification" or "AVI" means an electronic identification system employing radio frequency transponder tags or cards to identify motor vehicles travelling through barrier tolls or ramp tolls thereby allowing motorists to pass through barrier tolls or ramp tolls without stopping and enabling a computerized toll collection system to debit a prepaid account, to send itemized toll bills or to charge to credit cards automatically.

    b. "New Jersey Highway Authority" or "authority" means the public body established under section 4 of P.L.1952, c.16 (C.27:12B-4) or its successor.

    c. "State agency" means any officers, department, board, commission, bureau, division, agency or instrumentality of the State.

 

    3. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the authority shall, within six months of the effective date of this act, implement an automatic vehicle identification system utilizing an automated system of toll collection for transit over or use of any toll road or project acquired or constructed by it.

 

    4. At each barrier toll or ramp toll, the authority shall reserve one or more AVI toll lanes for the use of motorists who participate in an AVI system established pursuant to section 3 of this act.

 

    5. The authority shall meet and consult with other regional transportation agencies to ensure that the AVI system adopted by the authority pursuant to section 3 of this act is compatible with the AVI systems of other regional transportation agencies as may be determined by the authority.

 

    6. It shall be the duty of the authority to arrange the placement of AVI lanes, "Token Only" lanes, "Exact Change" lanes, and "Manual Change" lanes so that the location of these lanes corresponds generally to the left lanes, middle lanes and right lanes, respectively, of the Garden State Parkway. The authority shall also be responsible for displaying signs at a sufficient distance from the toll plazas to give motorists proper notice of the general location of the various types of lanes. The authority shall also effect such other changes in the identification and placement of its toll lanes as it deems necessary to eliminate the traffic hazards and delays which currently exist due to the confusing identification of and absence of standardization with regard to these lanes.

 

    7. The authority shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of such employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes, in order to effectuate the purposes of this act.

 

    8. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill requires the New Jersey Highway Authority to implement an automatic vehicle identification (AVI) system on the Garden State Parkway within six months of the bill's effective date. The authority has tested the feasibility of several types of AVI systems for improving the traffic flow on the Garden State Parkway but has not as yet selected an AVI system for implementation. This bill would require the authority to take steps to immediately implement such a system due to the critical traffic congestion problems on the Garden State Parkway at this time.

    This bill requires the authority to coordinate its efforts with other regional transportation agencies in order to implement a compatible, region-wide AVI system.

    This bill also makes the authority responsible for standardizing the location of the various types of toll lanes so that the AVI lanes, "Token Only" lanes, "Exact Change" lanes and "Manual Change" lanes correspond generally to the left lanes, middle lanes and right lanes of the Garden State Parkway. In addition, the authority is required to provide as much advance notice as possible through the use of signs to inform motorists of the proper location of the various types of lanes.

    AVI systems have been installed at several major vehicular crossings in this region including the Lincoln Tunnel, the Goethals Bridge and the Verrazanno Narrows Bridge. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is currently using an AVI system at the Lincoln Tunnel for electronically billing bus companies.

    Several other states including California, Texas, Illinois and Louisiana have implemented AVI systems on their toll roads and bridges which have reportedly yielded substantial improvements in the flow of traffic.

 

 

 

Requires the New Jersey Highway Authority to implement an automatic vehicle identification system on the Garden State Parkway.