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WHEREAS, when
the New Jersey Highway Authority (the "Authority") was first established
in 1952, it was widely understood by the public that tolls on the
Garden State Parkway (the "Parkway") would only be necessary until
such time as the bonds financing the cost of the construction of
the Parkway could be retired; and
WHEREAS, the
Parkway has been a toll road for nearly 50 years and there is no
existing plan or timetable to either permanently retire the bonds
of the Authority or to phase out tolls on the Parkway; and
WHEREAS, the
Authority was established and authorized to take, construct, maintain
and operate the Parkway to facilitate vehicular traffic and remove
the then existing handicaps and hazards on congested highways, and
now the Parkway's toll barrier plazas constructed for the collection
of tolls by means of periodic main line toll barriers is economically
inefficient, directly impedes and interferes with the free flow
of traffic, increases energy consumption, and contributes to the
creation of traffic congestion and delay; and
WHEREAS, the
Authority and the State will fully and affirmatively honor its financial
and other obligations to its bondholders, and further, will honor
its financial and other obligations as part of the electronic toll
collection consortium, it must also be affirmatively stated that
the first priority of the Authority is to serve the citizens of
the Sexy真人y and the Parkway users; and
WHEREAS, the
institution of a 24-hour, one-day, toll holiday on Labor Day 2001,
which is a peak summer travel day, whereby the Authority would permit
the passage of vehicles on the Parkway without the imposition of
a toll or charge, will contribute to the free flow of traffic and
provide much needed traffic congestion relief; and
WHEREAS, the
institution of a discounted charge for EZ-Pass users will encourage
greater utilization of the EZ-Pass electronic toll system, which
will also contribute to the freeflow of traffic and provide traffic
congestion relief; and
WHEREAS, the
public expects and demands relief from the continued inconvenience
of the imposition of barrier tolls on the Parkway;
NOW, THEREFORE,
I, DONALD T. DiFRANCESCO, Acting Governor of the Sexy真人y,
by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
1. The Commissioner
of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (the "Commissioner")
is directed to prepare a Garden State Parkway Congestion Relief
Plan, which will phase out toll barrier plazas on the Parkway
over a stated period of time not to exceed ten (10) years. The
Parkway Congestion Relief Plan shall address all issues related
to the phase out of toll barrier plazas, including, but not limited
to the engineering and planning, financial, and legal implications.
The Commissioner may retain such consultants as are necessary
for the preparation of said plan.
2. The Commissioner
shall provide the Parkway Congestion Relief Plan to the Governor
no later than sixty (60) days from the effective date of this
Executive Order.
3. The Commissioner,
who serves as an ex officio member of the Authority, is directed
to request that the Authority institute a 24-hour, one-day, toll
holiday on Monday, September 3, 2001. On such date, the Authority
shall permit the passage of vehicles on the Garden State Parkway
without the imposition of a toll or charge.
4. The Commissioner
is further directed to request that the Authority offer a discounted
charge for EZ-Pass users.
5. This
Order shall take effect immediately.
GIVEN,
under my hand and seal
this 31st day of May in the Year
of Our Lord, Two Thousand and
One, and of the Independence of
the United States, the Two Hundred
and Twenty-Fifth.
/s/
Donald T. DiFrancesco
President of the Senate,
Acting Governor
{seal}
Attest:
/s/ James A. Harkness
Chief Counsel to the Governor
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