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FREEHOLDERS BLAST GOVERNOR'S TOLL INCREASE PLAN
By Bill McLaughlin
The Ocean County Board of Freeholders Board lamented Governor Jon Corzine's plan to raise the rates on New Jersey's three toll roads, the New Jersey Turnpike, Atlantic City Expressway and Garden State Parkway.
Freeholder Director Joseph Vicari said an 800 percent toll increase would hit Ocean County commuters harder than any others.
"We have 40 miles of (Garden State Parkway) roads," Vicari said. "People who pay $10 now would pay $50 in 10 years. The price of gas, plus rising gas taxes, plus tolls would make the rise in commuter costs prohibitive."
Under the governor's plan, tolls on the Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike and Atlantic City Expressway would increase 50 percent in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022, then increase every four years to reflect inflation until 2085.
"Transportation moves people," said Freeholder John Bartlett. "What this does is squeeze out the life blood. You're killing the patient. And it takes effect in two years, when we'll have another governor."
Bartlett said the decision to chip away at the state's multi-billion dollar debt by piling on the backs of those who travel north to Newark, New York or other destinations, will come back to haunt New Jersey.
"I fear for the future of this state," Bartlett said. "People go where jobs go."
"Eighty thousand (former New Jersey residents) left last year," added Freeholder James Lacey. "The last time the tolls were raised, it took two years (for car volume) to come back."
The board agreed that any toll increase would likely put more traffic on already backed-up Route 9, the area's most highly traveled free major roadway.
The chances of seeing Route 9 widened anytime soon in most of the county are sketchy at best, said Freeholder John Kelly, but he agreed with Lacey that public transsaid. portation is the only savior for those who commute to the urban north.
Lacey reported on a meeting held to discuss progress in implementing the MOM (Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex) light rail line. Petitions and a scientific poll indicate 81 percent of Ocean, 79 percent of Monmouth and 78 percent of Middlesex residents all favor railroad commutation, said Lacey.
The rail line terminus would be in Lakehurst and provide connections with the Northeast Corridor rail lines, with the total project's anticipated cost of $900 million.
It's been estimated that 33,000-plus riders would use the rail line if completed. However, those figures are still merely estimates since such a project is not expected anytime soon, said Kelly.
"Even if we got all the approvals right now," he said, "we're still 10 years away (from completion). We need to get started right away."
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