A day after public hearings on a proposed toll and PATH fare hike, Gov. Chris Christie said he had not decided on the proposal but told reporters "there were more people who spoke in favor of the toll hike than against it." The Port Authority has been criticized for scheduling the eight hearings all on the same day, during...
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Cars come down the ramp and pass the tolls to enter the Lincoln Tunnel going toward Manhattan in this file photo.A day after public hearings on a proposed toll and PATH fare hike, Gov. Chris Christie said he had not decided on the proposal but told reporters "there were more people who spoke in favor of the toll hike than against it."
The Port Authority has been criticized for scheduling the eight hearings all on the same day, during the morning or evening rush hour, at remote or unfamiliar agency facilities. Critics say the hearings were part of an effort to discourage input by commuters, who by definition are fighting traffic or elbowing their way onto trains during those times.
By far the biggest contingent at the hearings was not made up of commuters at all. Dozens of members of the Laborers International Union of North America turned out at each hearing in orange T-shirts reading "Port Authority = jobs," a reference to 167,000 positions the agency says are dependent on capital projects the hikes would finance. Some union members acknowledged working to maximize attendance.
The governor’s reference to those in favor outnumbering those against outraged the head of New Jersey’s Sierra Club chapter.
"The Port Authority, in one of the most outright displays of arrogance that we have seen in a long time has deliberately misled the public in their efforts to stack the hearings," said Jeff Tittel, executive director of the chapter. "The governor failed to mention all the people in favor had a vested interest."
Neither the Port Authority nor the governor’s office responded to requests for comment on the stacking charge.
The proposal is to raise tolls by $4 for E-ZPass users and $7 for cash payers as soon as next month, bringing peak tolls to $12 and $15, respectively. Additional increases of $2 and $4 would take effect in 2014. PATH riders face a $1 hike each way, to $2.75, with monthly passes rising to $89 from $54. A vote by Port Authority commissioners is scheduled for Friday morning.
Christie and Cuomo can both veto the vote, and Christie reiterated the two will decide jointly on the proposal. He also said the governors would not be manipulated by the Port Authority bureaucracy.
"Governor Cuomo and I are speaking every other day for the last two weeks, talking about these issues, sharing information, comparing notes to make sure that they’re not playing us off each other and making sure they understand, you know, who the two guys in charge are," Christie said. "It’s me and Governor Cuomo."
Previous coverage:
• Union laborers, commuters battle over proposed Hudson River toll hikes, PATH fare increases
• N.J. commuters speak out against proposed bridge, tunnel toll increases and PATH fare hikes
• Port Authority defends huge toll hike, calling it 'absolutely necessary'
• Gov. Chris Christie won't rule out toll hikes on Port Authority bridges and tunnels
• Port Authority plans $4 toll hike next month on bridges and tunnels
• Proposal to hike Port Authority fares, tolls gets mostly chilly reception
