SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, Nos. 380 and 799

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED: FEBRUARY 22, 1996

 

      The Senate Transportation Committee favorably reports a Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill Nos. 380 and 799.

      This substitute bill requires the New Jersey Highway Authority, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the South Jersey Transportation Authority to enter into agreements with a vendor or vendors to implement an automatic vehicle identification (AVI) system on the Garden State Parkway, the New Jersey Turnpike and the Atlantic City Expressway, respectively, within one year of the bill's effective date. The authorities have tested the feasibility of several types of AVI equipment for improving the traffic flow on their respective toll roads but have not formally selected a common equipment vendor.

      This substitute bill also requires each authority to coordinate its efforts with the other toll road authorities in order to implement an AVI system which is complementary with, or the same as, the other AVI systems to be implemented by the other toll road authorities.

      AVI systems have been installed at several major vehicular crossings in this region including the Verrazanno Narrows Bridge and the Tappan Zee Bridge.

      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.

      The bill also requires the New Jersey Highway Authority to report to the Legislature within one year addressing lane configuration, including the feasibility of one-way tolls under the AVI system and progress on the implementation of the AVI system.