Thursday marks the start of public proceedings in a lawsuit between the New York and North Jersey chapters of the Automobile Association of America (AAA) and the Port Authority.
WNYC’s Transportation Nation reports that AAA wants a federal judge to block a toll hike that went into effect earlier this year, arguing that money from toll increases should not fund construction at the World Trade Center site, since it is not a transportation project.
The Star-Ledger reports that the authority is also scheduled to vote on its $7.1 billion budget for 2012, which includes $648 million for the WTC project.
But the authority has been under scrutiny in recent weeks, spurred by confusion over how much — if any — of its revenues from toll hikes are going toward the WTC construction.
Assemblyman Gary Schaer, a Democrat who represents parts of Bergen and Passaic counties, called the conflicting accounts of where toll hike money was going “unacceptable,” and sent a letter [PDF] to Gov. Chris Christie asking for an investigation into the matter.
In September, AAA asked federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to investigate the increase in tolls on the George Washington Bridge and three others controlled by the Port Authority.
Since the toll hike took effect in September, Port Authority data shows a 4 percent decrease in use of the George Washington Bridge, and a similar uptick in ridership on the PATH.
(Source: NJ Star Ledger)
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One Response
I’d like to correct a misquote in this article.
You state: “In September, AAA asked federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to investigate the increase in tolls on the George Washington Bridge and three others controlled by the Port Authority.”
Actually it’s the George Washington Bridge and FIVE others controlled by the Port Authority. Those being the Lincoln and Holland tunnels as well as the Bayonne, Goethals and Outerbridge crossings Bringing the total to 6 crossings that they’re ripping us off.