{"id":2154,"date":"2017-09-07T14:54:07","date_gmt":"2017-09-07T18:54:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.musingsbymichael.com\/blog\/?p=2154"},"modified":"2017-09-07T14:54:07","modified_gmt":"2017-09-07T18:54:07","slug":"why-do-we-still-pay-tolls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.musingsbymichael.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/07\/why-do-we-still-pay-tolls\/","title":{"rendered":"Why do we still pay tolls?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"NJ<\/a><\/p>\n

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Why do we still pay tolls to drive<\/a> roads that should be free? When the Turnpike and Parkway were built the public was told the tolls would be taken down in a few years after the roads were paid for.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I guess the Turnpike, Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway will never be paid for; when the toll booths do come down you still will be charged to drive on these roadways. Exit 125<\/a> on the Garden State Parkway is E-ZPass only because there is no room for employee parking and a toll plaza. So if you use that exit you must have E-ZPass or you will be fined for not paying the toll.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Per Wikipedia<\/a>, \u201cThe New Jersey Turnpike Authority was created by special legislation on April 14, 1949 to regulate the New Jersey Turnpike, which opened to traffic on November 30, 1951. It issued revenue bonds to finance the road based solely on future tolls, without using tax money<\/em>.\u201d And the \u201cNew Jersey Highway Authority which used to regulate the Garden State Parkway was established in 1952 and responsible for maintaining the Garden State Parkway, which opened to traffic in 1954<\/em>.\u201d Governor Jim McGreevey merged the two plus the Atlantic City Expressway into on regulating body in 2003.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The original idea was to pay off the bonds on these toll roads and remove the toll booths. It has never happened because they are allowed to issue more bonds and thus it is a never ending cycle.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Proposals to get rid of the tolls have gone nowhere because the politicians do not want to get rid of these patronage pits. So many of the jobs are political in nature and they do it because it is a great way to pay back those who help them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Back when Whitman was in office a pension<\/a> was written up on the internet to have the tolls removed on all New Jersey toll roads, it went nowhere! A letter to the Editor of the South Jersey Times<\/a> put it succinctly why the tolls should go, \u201cTo the Editor:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The Times\u2019 March 27 editorial, \u201cTake the cashless option for N.J. Turnpike tolls,\u201d <\/a>touts the benefits of going to the full electronic option for motorists to pay for the turnpike and other toll roads. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

I propose an even more economical solution: Eliminate all tolls on the turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, and increase the state gasoline tax a few pennies to compensate. This would get rid of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and its bureaucracy and extra costs, not just the toll-takers and their labor expenses.<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Such a move would also get rid of places for out-of-work politicians and their cronies to sponge off of the public. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

After the recent scandals at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Delaware River Port Authority, can we trust these organizations \u2014 including the turnpike authority \u2014 to do anything in the public interest?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Paul E. Moore<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Branchburg<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Somerset<\/em><\/strong> County<\/em><\/strong>\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Well we all know that the gas tax has gone up to fix the roads, but the tolls are still being collected. It is well past the time to get rid of the tolls and make using these roads free!<\/span><\/p>\n

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That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike<\/span><\/p>\n

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