Bill Text: NJ A920 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires SJTA to provide a cash payment option at every toll plaza.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee [A920 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A920-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CHRIS A. BROWN
District 2 (Atlantic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires SJTA to provide a cash payment option at every toll plaza.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning toll payments and amending P.L.1991, c.252.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 19 of P.L.1991, c.252 (C.27:25A-19) is amended to read as follows:
19. a. The authority is authorized to fix, revise, charge and collect tolls, fares, passenger facility charges and other charges, including reduced fare or charge programs, for the use of each project and the different parts or sections thereof. At each location where the authority imposes a toll for the use of an expressway project, the authority shall provide a means by which the user may pay such a toll in cash. No toll shall be charged for the passage of any motorbus operated on motorbus regular route service, ambulance, first-aid or emergency-aid vehicle, vehicular fire-fighting apparatus, or other similar vehicle, operated for the benefit of the public by the State, or by any county or municipality or charitable or nonprofit corporation or organization, first-aid squad, emergency squad, or fire company of this State. The tolls, fares and charges shall be so fixed and adjusted as to effectuate the purposes of this act including assisting in the funding of projects and in any event to carry out and perform the terms and provisions of any contract with or for the benefit of holders of bonds or notes. The tolls, fares, and charges shall not be subject to supervision or regulation by any other commission, board, bureau or agency of the State or subdivision of the State. The use and disposition of tolls, fares, charges and revenues shall be subject to the provisions of any resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds or notes.
b. The authority is authorized to contract with any person, partnership, association, corporation or federal, State or local government entity or subdivision thereof desiring the use of any part of a project, including the right-of-way adjoining a paved portion, for operation or placing thereon telephone, telegraph, electric light or power lines, gas stations, garages, stores, hotels, or restaurants, or for any other purpose, and to fix the terms, conditions, rents and rates of charges for that use. For contracts related to an expressway project, the authority shall provide that a sufficient number of gas stations be established in the service areas along any project to permit reasonable competition by private business in the public interest. No contract shall be required, and no rent, fee or other charge of any kind shall be imposed, for the use and occupation, other than for freight railroad purposes, of the highway portion of any project for the installation, construction, use, operation, maintenance or repair, renewal, relocation or removal of tracks, pipes, mains, conduits, cables, wires, towers, holes or other equipment or appliances in, on, along, over or under any such project by any public utility as defined in R.S.27:7-1 which is subject to taxation pursuant to either P.L.1940, c.4 (C.54:30A-16 et seq.) or P.L.1940, c.5 (C.54:30A-49 et seq.), or pursuant to any other law imposing a tax for the privilege of using the public streets, highways, roads or other public places in the State.
(CF: P.L.1991, c.252, s.19)
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) to provide a cash payment option at all locations at which the authority imposes a toll on use of the Atlantic City Expressway. Currently, the SJTA has a toll plaza that only accepts payment through E-ZPass, the State's electronic toll collection monitoring system. This legislation would ensure that a driver who does not want to utilize the E-ZPass system would be able to pay cash at all SJTA toll plazas.
