Bill Text: NJ S597 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to reduce toll rates for commercial trucks.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee [S597 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S597-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator BILL BARONI
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to reduce toll rates for commercial trucks.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and supplementing P.L.1948, c.454 (c.27:23-1 et seq.1).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and determines that:
a. The increase in tolls for commercial trucks using the New Jersey Turnpike has caused substantial numbers of these trucks to switch to local highways to avoid paying higher tolls.
b. The increased commercial truck traffic on local highways, which are not designed for such traffic, increases the risk of traffic accidents between these trucks and passenger cars and increases the wear and tear on local highways.
c. The cost to public safety and the cost of excess wear and tear on local highways outweigh any financial benefit that the New Jersey Turnpike Authority may receive from such toll increases.
d. For these reasons, it is in the public interest to require the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to reduce the tolls for commercial trucks in order to encourage these vehicles to return to the New Jersey Turnpike instead of using local highways.
2. As used in this act:
"Authority" means the New Jersey Turnpike Authority created pursuant to P.L.1948, c. 454 (C.27:23-1 et seq.).
"Commercial truck" means a vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating that is determined by the commissioner on the basis of the vehicle's impact on public safety and wear and tear on local highways to warrant a reduced toll rate on the New Jersey Turnpike.
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Transportation.
"Department" means the Department of Transportation.
"Gross vehicle weight rating" means the value specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of the single or combination vehicle and, if the manufacturer has not specified a value for a towed vehicle, means the value specified for the towing vehicle plus the loaded weight of the towed unit.
3. Notwithstanding any law, rule, regulation or order to the contrary, the authority shall adopt an appropriate resolution or take such other action as may be necessary to reduce the toll rates for commercial trucks to a level determined by the commissioner to provide a sufficient incentive for commercial truck traffic to rely primarily on the New Jersey Turnpike instead of local highways including, but not limited to, Route 1, Route 206 and Route 31.
4. The department shall, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
5. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (the "authority") to reduce the toll rates charged for commercial trucks in order to encourage such trucks to return to travelling on the New Jersey Turnpike rather than using local highways.
The increased use of local highways by commercial trucks creates hazardous driving conditions for motorists and increases the wear and tear on these highways.
By requiring the authority to reduce toll rates for commercial trucks, this bill is intended to prevent hazardous driving conditions caused by the overuse of local highways by such trucks to avoid the higher toll rates on the New Jersey Turnpike and to decrease wear and tear on these highways which were not designed for the present volume of commercial trucks.
