Toll hikes and public anger / Were officials listening? Well ... maybe
Published: Sunday, October 05, 2008
In recent hearings on proposed state toll increases, the public was clearly angry. People vented about the high taxes and fees in New Jersey that are squeezing them. They accused public officials of not listening and contended the toll hikes are already a fait accompli."Do you really take what we say seriously?" asked one woman. "Do you really care what we say?"Well ... maybe.The New Jersey Turnpike Authority is scheduling another public hearing Oct. 10, and - at Corzine's request - is expected to scale down its proposed $11 billion toll-hike plan. He's also instructed the authority to pare its $480 million operating budget by freezing hiring and promotions and reducing the work force through attrition.These are welcome moves, not just because of public anger but because they make sense.
First of all, some of the proposed projects to be funded with the toll hikes don't seem all that critical. That's particularly true of much of the widening project between Somers Point and Toms River. Would this project be nice to do? Sure. Traffic is congested at certain times on certain summer weekends. But all of the projects to be funded by the proposed toll hikes must be considered in the context of the state's dire economic straits - and the fact that not one cent of the toll increases would go toward replenishing the state's soon-to-be-depleted Transportation Trust Fund. That impending crisis means another round of toll or tax hikes may well be coming in the near future.As currently crafted, the authority's proposal calls for three toll increases over 15 years: On the Garden State Parkway, the average 35-cent trip would go up by 15 cents next year, 25 cents in 2012 and 8 cents in 2023. The average $120 Turnpike trip would go from $120 to $1.80 next year, increase to $2.70 in 2012 and $3 in 2023. Plans to increase tolls on the Atlantic City Expressway 50 percent next year remain unchanged.While the apparent willingness of Corzine and transportation officials to consider scaling down plans is laudable, the public needs to be reasonable as well. Transportation improvements and maintenance are necessary for safety, for convenience and for a healthy economy. These improvements must be paid for, and user fees like tolls are a sensible way to pay. Some tolls haven't been raised in a decade.Now, just one more small thing ... This toll hike has the biggest impact on commuters. Commuters, for the most part, work during the day. A Tuesday night hearing on the toll hikes last month drew more than 100 people; a similar hearing at the Atlantic City Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on a Wednesday drew only a few (see photo below). The new Turnpike hearing is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, Oct. 10, at the Turnpike Authority's headquarters in Woodbridge. So we urge Turnpike officials not to take the public turnout to be a measure of public sentiment. For lobbyists and special interests, attending hearings is what they do for a living. For the public, these hearings are too often held when they have to make a living. More public agencies should consider that.
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