• Mr. Eugene Conti

  Secretary of Transportation

  North Carolina Department of Transportation

• Mr. Eugene Conti

  Secretary of Transportation

  North Carolina Department of Transportation

Majority Statement

• Chairman Frank R. Lautenberg

  U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
  Read statement

  Majority Statement

  Chairman Frank R. Lautenberg

  WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) delivered the following remarks today when he chaired a Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation hearing entitled, “Protecting Commuters: Ensuring Accountability and Oversight in Tolling”:  

  “Good morning.  I’d like to thank you all for joining us this morning for a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation to examine tolling practices in the United States. With budgets tight and transportation infrastructure crumbling, states are desperately seeking revenues to fund transportation projects.

  “For as long as highways have existed, tolling has been a source of funding for projects, and states are increasingly looking to tolling to support new infrastructure projects.  Tolling, if done in an open and fair manner, can have economic benefits for a region.  However, as we have seen recently, when authorities are not serving the public interest, drivers and the public pay dearly.  We have seen tolling authorities in Maine, Florida, and Pennsylvania involved in various scandals and cases of corruption.  And in my home state of New Jersey, we have reached crisis levels.

  “Don’t get me wrong:  I am not against tolling, nor am I against tolling authorities.  I am proud to be a former Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.  The Port Authority has built some of the greatest transportation projects in our country.  These projects changed the Northeast, and New Jersey would not be the vibrant state it is today if we had failed to make those investments.

  “But when I was commissioner, the toll to cross our bridges and tunnels was two dollars.  In today’s money, that would be slightly more than five dollars.  But today, Port Authority tolls are out of control.  It now costs twelve dollars to cross between New Jersey and New York.  

  “When it costs twelve dollars to drive your car across a bridge in America, something is wrong.  Worse yet, there are allegations of patronage and dysfunction at the Port Authority that leave drivers wondering what they are paying for. And the process that led to these toll hikes took place largely behind closed doors, and the public was given conflicting information about the reason for the toll increase.

  “At the very least, people deserve to know exactly what their money is paying for, and that it will be spent well.  Questions were also raised about who was involved in the decision to raise tolls, and when they approved the toll increase.  Voters can’t hold elected leaders accountable for their unpopular decisions when those leaders are hiding behind closed doors.

  “There have also been allegations of out-of-control political patronage at the Port Authority, where substantial positions with six-figure salaries were given to former political bloggers, local mayors, and others with questionable credentials.  No wonder an independent audit called the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey a “challenged and dysfunctional organization.”

  “Unfortunately, this isn’t the end of the bad news for New Jersey commuters—a recent New Jersey Comptroller investigation revealed major abuses at the Delaware River Port Authority in Southern New Jersey.  According to the State Comptroller, DRPA wasted millions of toll revenue by allowing the Authority to be used like a personal ATM for those with connections to the commissioners.  Half a million dollars of toll money went to an insurance brokerage firm that did no work for the Authority, andmillions more were directed to economic development projects that provided no transportation or economic benefits.

  “As the interest in tolling expands across the country, we must examine the practices of these authorities and ensure proper oversight.  Whether it’s the ability of commuters to get to work or the ability of freight to move on our highways,these tolls have an immense impact on our lives and should face rigorous scrutiny.

  “It is our job to ensure that existing tolls are just and reasonable, and that future tolls are imposed with proper protections in place to protect commuters.  This is why I have initiated a GAO study to examine the practices of interstate tolling authorities, and introduced the Commuter Protection Act to restore federal oversight of tolling practices.

  “I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on current tolling practices and how we can take steps to improve oversight and accountability.”

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Testimony

• Mr. Bill Baroni

  Deputy Executive Director

  Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
  Download Testimony (43.51 KB)

• Mr. Eugene Conti

  Secretary of Transportation

  North Carolina Department of Transportation
  Download Testimony (274.08 KB)

• Mr. Steve Grabell

  Chief Financial Officer

  National Freight, Inc.
  Download Testimony (84.01 KB)

• Mr. Chris Plaushin

  Vice President of Public Affairs

  American Automobile Association
  Download Testimony (62.72 KB)