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New Rush Hour Sussex Cty. Bus Begins Today
Wednesday 09-03-2008 6:55am ET
Good news for all you bus riders into the city :)
Sussex County’s new evening rush-hour bus from New York City starts service today.
Bus 194 is the new 5:38 p.m. Route 23 express route to Hardyston Township, N.J. It was added because of high ridership demand and to better facilitate transfers.
A Year of Road Work on Route 80 begins Friday!
Wednesday 09-03-2008 6:47am ET
From The Daily Record:
The state Department of Transportation plans to resurface approximately 16 miles of Route 80 westbound in Warren, Morris and Sussex counties in a project that is expected to last slightly more than one year.
Starting Friday, DOT will begin to resurface Route 80 westbound from milepost 12.5 to milepost 28.2; the section of roadway runs through Hope, Frelinghuysen, Allamuchy, Mount Olive, Netcong, Roxbury and Byram.
DOT will also repair 11 bridge decks along this stretch of the roadway. The $18.7 million project is scheduled for completion in October 2009.
DOT will install variable message signs on Route 80 to inform motorists of traffic pattern changes during construction.
The following lane closures are scheduled as part of the project:
• On Route 80 westbound between mileposts 12.5 and 24, single lane closures may be necessary from Monday through Thursday from 7 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. the next day, on Fridays from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m., on Saturday from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m., and on Sunday from 8 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. the following day.
• Double-lane closures may be necessary from Monday through Thursday from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. On Saturday and Sunday, single and double-lane closures may occur from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following morning.
• On I-80 westbound between mileposts 24 and 28.5, single-lane closures may occur from Monday through Thursday from 8:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. the following day. On Friday, singlelane closures may be scheduled from 8:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. the following morning. On Saturday, single-lane closures are scheduled from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m., and on Sunday from 8 p.m. to 1 p.m. the following day.
• Double-lane closures may be necessary from Monday through Thursday from 10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m., on Friday from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., on Saturday double-lane closures may occur from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m., and on Sunday from 10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following day.
• Intermittent ramp closures with detours may be necessary from milepost 12.5 to milepost 28.2.
Poconos Road Work for this week
Wednesday 09-03-2008 6:43am ET
The following road work is scheduled for this week, barring weather delays:
• Today, Hamilton Township, Business Route 209, between four-lane Route 209 and Rimrock Drive, pothole-patching.
• Today, Smithfield Township, Longwoods Road, between Kemerton Road and Route 191.
• Today to Wednesday, Eldred Township, Lower Camp Akiba, between Saylorsburg and Kunkletown, pothole-patching.
• Today to Friday, Tunkhannock Township, Kuhenbeaker Road, between Route 115 and Long Pond Road.
• Today to Friday, Delaware Water Gap, Route 611 (Foxtown Hill Road).
• Today to Friday, Coolbaugh Township, between Routes 611 and 423, bridge repair.
• Today to Sept. 19, Hamilton Township, Mutton Hollow Road, between Rimrock and Neyharts roads, bridge repair.
• Wednesday to Thursday, Hamilton Township, Route 33 South, between four-lane Route 209 and the Saylorsburg exit, pothole-patching.
• Wednesday to Friday, Smithfield Township, Cherry Valley Road, between Glenbrook Road and Route 191.
• Thursday, Chestnuthill Township, Weir Lake Road, between Routes 209 and 115, pothole-patching.
• Friday, Hamilton Township, Pensyl Creek Road, between Business Route 209 and Neola Road, pothole-patching.
• Friday, Hamilton Township, Business Route 209, between four-lane Route 209 and Rimrock Drive, pothole-patching.
NY checking to see if Thruway gas stations are overcharging
Friday 08-29-2008 7:01am ET
From The Daily Record: A day after it was revealed that travel on the state Thruway has plummeted this summer, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said he plans to audit the Thruway's gas stations to find out if they are overcharging drivers at the pump.
DiNapoli's aides said they've received reports that Thruway gas stations, which must charge lower than the highest price in the region, may be flouting the regulations and charging more than gas stations in surrounding towns.
DiNapoli on Thursday also plans to call on the state Thruway Authority, which oversees gas stations at the service plazas, to post online the gas prices at every rest stop.
"The Thruway has already jacked up its tolls. We want to make sure that motorists aren't being shaken down at the pump too," DiNapoli said in a statement to be released Thursday and obtained Wednesday by Gannett News Service.
The probe by DiNapoli comes as the Thruway faces another major problem: high gas prices, the struggling economy and possibly higher toll prices are keeping more people off the 641-mile superhighway.
Gannett News Service reported Wednesday that nearly 2 million fewer cars took to the Thruway in June and July, creating a $25 million to $30 million shortfall for the Thruway Authority this year.
The Thruway Authority increased tolls in January and again in July, though the authority insists that hasn't been the reason for the decline in traffic. Authority officials this week said traffic started to drop before the toll increases took effect.
Authority officials said that according to the contract between the authority and the concessionaires, surveys of gas prices are done at least once a week. The comptroller's office, in fact, approved the contracts.
Thruway spokeswoman Sarah Kampf said the authority is not aware of any price gouging at the Thruway gas stations, and would look into posting the gas prices online.
The Democratic comptroller has been critical of the authority's operations and recommended in January that the authority hold off on a toll increase and do a more thorough review of its finances.
The gas-price probe will be part of an ongoing audit of the Thruway's service plaza finances, DiNapoli said. The audit will also examine the reliability of the regional gas surveys and the Thruway Authority's enforcement of the price limits, he said.
Newton road test center closing
Friday 08-29-2008 6:51am ET
From The NJ Herald:
At the Newton road testing center Wednesday, Franklin resident Mary Alonso waited anxiously to see if her daughter Kristen would pass her first driving test.
The driving center, located behind the Newton American Legion, will be closing permanently Friday, forcing Sussex County residents wanting permits and licenses to take their road tests in Randolph.
"I heard the (Newton road test) center was closing a few days ago. I'm relieved we got here before it closed," Alonso said.
Kristen took her written driver's test at the Randolph facility, and while Alonso said the two were pleased with the building's facilities and staff, it's not the center's service Sussex residents are worried about.
It's the distance.
The Randolph agency, at 160 Canfield Ave., is about 30 minutes from Newton and an hour's drive from townships in the northern part of the county.
"I think it's going to be an inconvenience for the people of Sussex County," Alonso said. "The state should be striving to find a more convenient location for people in this county."
The Newton driving test center has been located behind the American Legion for about 15 years.
New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles Commission spokesman Mike Horan said the closing is part of a 2004 initiative by the department to
regionalize driver services.
On Friday, the commission also will eliminate road testing services at locations in Cumberland, Camden and Burlington counties, as well as a location in Washington Township in Warren County. While these facilities will remain open for other services like title registration, inspections and written driver's tests, Sussex County drivers still will be able to access title and registration services at the Department of Motor Vehicle at 51 Sparta Ave., Newton, and will be able to receive vehicle inspections at the location at 90 Moran St., in Newton.
Horan said the closing of the Yates Avenue facility will save the state $15,000 annually. The center's two employees will be relocated to Washington and Randolph.
"When it comes to driver testing, whether it's a written test or road test, we look at it as a once-in-a-lifetime event, so we feel it is a smart business practice to regionalize this," Horan said.
Horan compared the road testing centers to Social Security offices, facilities people don't usually access more than a couple of times in their lifetime. Once a driving test is passed, it is usually not needed to be taken again.
"You don't see five Social Security offices per county," Horan said. "That's what we are trying to do with our driver testing, make it regional."
Horan said the Newton site administered about 120 driving tests per month, one of the least attended facilities in the state. In comparison, the Lodi facility in Bergen County sees about 2,400 drivers every month, and Randolph's site has about 920 drivers per month take the test at its facility.
Horan said Sussex County drivers aren't required to take their driving tests at Randolph, but it is the closest driving test center to the county.
The next closest driver's center -- about an hour's drive from the county -- is in Passaic County.
Boonton Streets to close for parade
Friday 08-29-2008 6:40am ET
From The Daily Record:
Some downtown streets will be closed on Saturday, as borough firefighters will be joined by 64 other fire departments from across the state for a parade down Main Street.
The parade begins at 1:30 p.m. near Grace Lord Park. It is being held in conjunction with the New Jersey State Exempt Firemen's Association, and will feature an award for the Most Outstanding Fire Department in the state.
Motorists are advised to avoid the following streets on Saturday, which will be closed from 1 to 5 p.m. for the parade. Parking will also be prohibited on these streets beginning at 12:15 p.m.:
• All of Main Street and Plane Street
• Lathrop Avenue between Washington and Kanouse streets • The 100 and 200 blocks of Boonton Avenue • The 100 blocks of Church, Cornelia and William streets • The 100 and 200 blocks of Washington Street • The 100, 200 and 300 blocks of Grant Street • The 100, 200 and 300 blocks of Old Boonton Road
New NJ Transit Bus Schedules Take Effect August 30th
Thursday 08-28-2008 5:18pm ET
NJ TRANSIT today announced new systemwide bus schedules with service adjustments on many routes to help meet high ridership demand as well as to create better transfer opportunities and operational efficiencies.
The adjustments, which NJ TRANSIT makes several times a year to match service with ridership trends, include 11 routes that will operate additional or extended trips or be re-routed in response to customer requests.
“These systemwide adjustments reflect our commitment to adapt to the ever-changing needs of our bus customers and deliver maximum service in a fiscally challenging environment,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Richard Sarles.
Seven routes serving residents of northern Hudson and eastern Bergen counties – the 22, 84, 86, 89, 156, 159 and 181 lines – will be restructured to coordinate service along corridors that the routes share. The new schedules will offer better spacing between trips and reduce instances of duplicative service, resulting in more efficient use of resources.
The changes take effect August 30.
Customers are encouraged to review timetables available aboard buses, at customer service offices or online at www.njtransit.com. Schedule information also is available by calling 973-275-5555.
BUSES EFFECTED IN OUR AREA:
Morris County 194 Newfoundland-New York: A new 5:38 p.m. Route 23 Express (X) trip from New York to Hardyston Twp. (Stockholm) will be added to the weekday schedule.
Passaic County 194 Newfoundland-New York: A new 5:38 p.m. Route 23 Express (X) trip from New York to Hardyston Twp. (Stockholm) will be added to the weekday schedule.
Sussex County
194 Newfoundland-New York: A new 5:38 p.m. Route 23 Express (X) trip from New York to Hardyston Twp. (Stockholm) will be added to the weekday schedule.
PA Cracking Down on Impaired Driving this Holiday Weekend
Thursday 08-28-2008 6:53am ET
PennDOT will partner with more than 300 municipal police departments and Pennsylvania State Police to crack down on impaired drivers this Labor Day holiday. An impaired driving arrest can cost motorists as much as $10,000.
The costs associated with an impaired driving arrest can vary greatly depending on several factors, including blood-alcohol content, location of arrest, and number of offenses. The effect on a driver's wallet starts the moment they are stopped by police.
Traffic fine: $300 - $10,000 depending on blood alcohol content and number of offenses
Towing vehicle: $50 flat fee plus mileage
Impound: $75 - $175 per day
Legal fees: $2,000 - $8,000 or more
Alcohol evaluation: $35 - $100
Accelerated rehabilitative disposition (ARD): $100 - $1,800
Education and treatment: $100 - $1,000 or more
License restoration: $25 non-commercial, $75 commercial
Insurance premium: increase of about $1,000 a year or cancellation of policy
Apart from the financial aspects of a DUI arrest, there may also be social ramifications. Court appearances, community service requirements or jail time lead to lost time and lost wages - possibly job loss. A DUI conviction may also hurt job applicants who have to check the box indicating a criminal record. Finally, a driver's family could be embarrassed by the arrest.
The 2007 Labor Day period was the deadliest holiday for alcohol-related crashes on Pennsylvania highways with 175 crashes and 11 fatalities. An additional 287 alcohol-related crashes and 16 fatalities occurred during the weekends before and after the holiday.
PennDOT has budgeted nearly $4 million for alcohol-related enforcement this year. The funding covers 50 task forces, consisting of approximately 500 departments.
Tips For Driving in Fog
Thursday 08-28-2008 6:48am ET
Fall weather patterns often produce foggy mornings resulting in dangerous driving conditions. With seasonal changes coming, motorists should take care and heed these suggestions:
Use headlights any time you encounter adverse weather conditions, including fog, to improve visibility and make your vehicle more visible to others.
Use low beam headlights. High beam settings create glare and reduce visibility. State law requires headlights to be on when wipers are in use.
Reduce speed.
Increase following distances.
Pull off the road as soon as you can do so safely if dense fog impedes your vision; put your hazard lights on to help other motorists see your vehicle.
If the fog is so dense you cannot see, wait for the fog to lift before starting or continuing your trip.
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© 2008