NATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, Nos. 380 and 799

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

ADOPTED FEBRUARY 22, 1996

Sponsored by Senators HAINES, McNAMARA, Ciesla,

Cardinale and Adler

An Act concerning the collection of tolls on certain projects of the State's toll road authorities and supplementing Title 27 of the Revised Statutes.

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

      1. As used in sections 2 through 6 of this act:

      "Automatic Vehicle Identification" or "AVI" means an electronic identification system employing radio frequency transponder tags or cards to identify motor vehicles traveling through toll barriers, thereby allowing motorists to pass through toll barriers 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.

      "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.

      2. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the authority shall, within one year of the effective date of this act, enter into an agreement with a vendor or vendors to implement an automatic vehicle identification system utilizing an automated system of toll collection for transit over or use of any toll road or highway project acquired or constructed by it.

      3. 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 2 of this act.

      4. Authorized representatives of the authority shall meet and consult with representatives of the other toll road authorities to ensure that the AVI system implemented by the authority pursuant to section 2 of this act is complementary with, or the same as, the AVI systems to be implemented by the other toll road authorities pursuant to sections 8 and 12 of this act.

      5. The authority shall within one year of the effective date of this act prepare a report to the Legislature, copies of which are to be submitted to the Senate Transportation Committee and the Assembly Transportation and Communications Committee, addressing lane configuration, including the feasibility of one-way tolls under the AVI system and progress on the implementation of the AVI system.

      6. 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.

      7. As used in sections 8 through 10 of this act:

      "Automatic Vehicle Identification" or "AVI" means an electronic identification system employing radio frequency transponder tags or cards to identify motor vehicles traveling through toll barriers, thereby allowing motorists to pass through toll barriers 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.

      "New Jersey Turnpike Authority" or "authority" means the public body established under section 3 of P.L.1948, c.454 (C.27:23-3) or its successor.

      8. Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the authority shall, within one year of the effective date of this act, enter into an agreement with a vendor or vendors to implement an automatic vehicle identification system utilizing an automated system of toll collection for transit over or use of any toll road or turnpike project acquired or constructed by it where the payment of tolls is permitted by law.

      9. Authorized representatives of the authority shall meet and consult with representatives of the other toll road authorities to ensure that the AVI system implemented by the authority pursuant to section 8 of this act is complementary with, or the same as, the AVI systems to be implemented by the other toll road authorities pursuant to sections 2 and 12 of this act.

      10. 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.

      11. As used in sections 12 through 14 of this act:

      "Automatic Vehicle Identification" or "AVI" means an electronic identification system employing radio frequency transponder tags or cards to identify motor vehicles traveling through toll barriers, thereby allowing motorists to pass through toll barriers 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.

      "South Jersey Transportation Authority" or "authority" means the public body established under section 4 of P.L.1991, c.252 (C.27:25A-4) or its successor.

      12. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the authority shall, within one year of the effective date of this act, enter into an agreement with a vendor or vendors to implement an automatic vehicle identification system utilizing an automated system of toll collection for transit over or use of any toll road or expressway project acquired or constructed by it.

      13. Authorized representatives of the authority shall meet and consult with representatives of the other toll road authorities to ensure that the AVI system implemented by the authority pursuant to section 12 of this act is complementary with, or the same as, the AVI systems to be implemented by the other toll road authorities pursuant to sections 2 and 8 of this act.

      14. 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.

      15. This act shall take effect immediately.

Requires toll road authorities to enter into agreements to implement complementary or the same automatic vehicle identification system for electronic collection of tolls.