Bill Text: NJ S2670 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Concerns tolls during declared state of emergency.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-15 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee [S2670 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S2670-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JEFF VAN DREW
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
SYNOPSIS
Concerns tolls during declared state of emergency.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning tolls during a declared state of emergency and amending P.L.1961, c.134 and P.L.1991, c. 252.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.1961, c.134 (C.27:23-40) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. No toll shall be charged for the passage of any ambulance, first-aid, or emergency-aid vehicle or of any vehicular fire-fighting apparatus or police vehicle operated for the benefit of the public by the State of New Jersey, or by any county or municipal corporation, or nonprofit corporation or organization, first-aid squad, emergency squad, or fire or police department, of New Jersey through or over the facilities of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, or any part thereof, and any such vehicle or apparatus shall be entitled to pass through or over without the payment of any toll for such passage. The authority may in its discretion establish other categories of public safety related free passage with due consideration of the rights of bondholders. The authority shall not require prior approval for an emergency vehicle to qualify for toll free passage during a state of emergency within this State as declared by the Governor or the President of the United States.
(cf: P.L.2003, c.79, s.39)
2. Section 19 of P.L.1991, c.252 (C.27:25A-19) is amended to read as follows:
19. a. The authority is authorized to fix, revise, charge, and collect tolls, fares, passenger facility charges, and other charges, including reduced fare or charge programs, for the use of each project and the different parts or sections thereof. No toll shall be charged for the passage of any motorbus operated on motorbus regular route service, ambulance, first-aid or emergency-aid vehicle, vehicular fire-fighting apparatus, police vehicle, or other similar vehicle, operated for the benefit of the public by the State, or by any county or municipality or charitable or nonprofit corporation or organization, first-aid squad, emergency squad, police department, or fire company of this State. The tolls, fares, and charges shall be so fixed and adjusted as to effectuate the purposes of [this act] P.L.1991, c.252 (C.27:25A-1 et seq.) including assisting in the funding of projects and in any event to carry out and perform the terms and provisions of any contract with or for the benefit of holders of bonds or notes. The tolls, fares, and charges shall not be subject to supervision or regulation by any other commission, board, bureau, or agency of the State or subdivision of the State. The use and disposition of tolls, fares, charges, and revenues shall be subject to the provisions of any resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds or notes. The authority shall not require prior approval for an emergency vehicle to qualify for toll free passage during a state of emergency within this State as declared by the Governor or the President of the United States.
b. The authority is authorized to contract with any person, partnership, association, corporation or federal, State, or local government entity or subdivision thereof desiring the use of any part of a project, including the right-of-way adjoining a paved portion, for operation or placing thereon telephone, telegraph, electric light or power lines, gas stations, garages, stores, hotels, or restaurants, or for any other purpose, and to fix the terms, conditions, rents, and rates of charges for that use. For contracts related to an expressway project, the authority shall provide that a sufficient number of gas stations be established in the service areas along any project to permit reasonable competition by private business in the public interest. No contract shall be required, and no rent, fee, or other charge of any kind shall be imposed, for the use and occupation, other than for freight railroad purposes, of the highway portion of any project for the installation, construction, use, operation, maintenance or repair, renewal, relocation or removal of tracks, pipes, mains, conduits, cables, wires, towers, holes, or other equipment or appliances in, on, along, over, or under any such project by any public utility as defined in R.S.27:7-1 which is subject to taxation pursuant to either P.L.1940, c.4 (C.54:30A-16 et seq.) or P.L.1940, c.5 (C.54:30A-49 et seq.), or pursuant to any other law imposing a tax for the privilege of using the public streets, highways, roads, or other public places in the State.
(cf: P.L.1991, c.252, s.19)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill exempts emergency vehicles from paying tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and the Atlantic City Expressway (toll roads) during a declared state of emergency. Under current law, emergency vehicles operated by the State of New Jersey as well as any county, any municipality, any first-aid squad, any emergency squad, any fire department, and any police department in the State of New Jersey are required to obtain approval from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority or South Jersey Transportation Authority prior to accessing the toll roads. This bill eliminates the pre-approval requirement during a declared state of emergency, which has become burdensome to law enforcement, fire-fighting, rescue, and other emergency aid efforts.
This bill also adds police vehicles to the enumerated vehicles that are exempt from tolls on any toll roads, namely the Atlantic City Expressway, controlled by the South Jersey Transportation Authority. This extends the exemption afforded to all other emergency vehicles to police vehicles, which have been omitted under the current law.
