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2017 GNJMA Motorcoach Professional Awards

The GNJMA Spring Association Meeting was held March 7th at the Tropicana in  Atlantic City. The agenda included a general association update, a presentation from New Jersey Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness and also the 2017 Motorcoach Professional Awards.  

More information and details will be in the Spring newsletter which will be mailed in April.  For now, we want to thank all of our sponsors and our host, Tropicana, and congratulate all recipients of the 2017 Motorcoach Professional Awards.  They are (in order of company):
  • James Wyche of A. Yankee Line
  • Stanley Zienowicz of Coach USA/Suburban Transit
  • James Fields of DeCamp Bus Lines
  • Shalonda Halsey of Greyhound Lines
  • Bryan Ansari of Klein Transportation Inc.
  • Reggie Tate of Lakeland Bus Lines
  • Tadeauz (Teddy) Kobylarz of Panorama Tours
  • Danny Gaskins of Peter Pan Bus Lines
  • Ronald Huffstickler of Sheppard Bus Service
  • Fernando Berrios of Starr Transit Co.
  • Robert (Rob) Gallmayer of Stout's Transportation
  • Notlef Felton of Werner Bus Lines
Congratulations to all award winners!
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Transportation Trust Fund Headed for Some Major Revisions  
 
On the recently passed gas tax and Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) Democratic lawmakers in the Statehouse are considering major changes to New Jersey's infrastructure spending program but are being met with resistance from their Republican colleagues. 

The complex, 21-page bill S-3075 would enact broad amendments to the law passed last year authorizing the state's Transportation Trust Fund to spend $2 billion per year on road, bridge and transit projects.   The new measure, sponsored by Senate President Stephen Sweeney, would strip a key transparency requirement, delay the creation of a panel to review the proposals and create a new system by which counties and towns could take over stalled projects. It would also allow the state to "bundle" several related projects, potentially speeding up environmental reviews and engineering work.

Introduced a week ago, the bill was quickly ushered through committee and was scheduled for a vote in the state Senate Monday, but never went on the board. Sweeney said he did not have enough support to call a vote without first sending the bill though a second reading. Such a predicament suggests fairly significant Republican opposition.  It will be up at the next voting session.  

The bill would enact a change Sweeney had discussed in February - when he said he was in talks with Gov. Chris Christie - that would empower counties to take on more transportation projects, lifting some burden from the state. This final proposal would let counties take over projects on their roads or bridges if the state fails to get the job done within three years.

Meanwhile, the bill removes in its entirety a requirement that all Transportation Trust Fund projects be listed on a state website, along with current status and cost figures for the work that are updated monthly. The website is also required to include a chart comparing planning and actual work for each project, and chronicle major actions related to each project, like regulatory approvals.
Port Authority Bus Terminal Update

As expected, the Port Authority Capital Plan was approved mid-February. The Port Authority Bus Terminal is getting a funding infusion of $3.5 billion, though many say this is not enough, and officials in New York and New Jersey  are still quarreling over the exact location and funding burdens for this project. A design competition last year revealed  cost estimates ranging between $3 billion and $15 billion. For now, the Port Authority is hiring environmental and technical consultants as part of the ongoing planning process.

As you know, the GNJMA board members attended both hearings in NYC and Jersey City, and spoke at each.  We would like to thank them for their efforts in getting our collective voice heard.  We will keep you updated as we learn more!

Upcoming Events

  • March 21st GNJMA CDL Train-the-Trainer Workshop presented by New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
  • National Association Events 
    • UMA Capitol Hill Days:  April 25-26th; for more information, click here.
    • ABA Fly-In:  May 3-4th; for more information, click here.
  • October 11-12th GNJMA Annual Association Meeting and Group Leader Appreciation Day/Marketplace at Resorts, Atlantic City.
  • October 26th GNJMA Annual Driver Safety Training at Sands, Bethlehem.
Got News?

Members:  Do you have a special story or anniversary you would like us to highlight in a newsletter?  If so, please call or email Pattie Cowley.

Sponsors:  Do you have special news or promotions to share?  If so, please call or email Pattie Cowley.

Contact:  Pattie Cowley, Executive Director | Greater New Jersey Motorcoach Association
 908-835-0935 x105 | pcowley@gnjma.com | www.gnjma.com