[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 143 (Wednesday, October 5, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 5, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE NEW YORK-NEW JERSEY METROPOLITAN 
                                  AREA

                                 ______


                            HON. BOB FRANKS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 5, 1994

  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on October 3, I sponsored a 
conference on the future of transportation in the New York-New Jersey 
Metropolitan Area in 2020. This conference took place at the historic 
Central Railroad of New Jersey terminal at Liberty State Park in Jersey 
City, NJ. I hosted this conference with two of my colleagues from the 
House Public Works and Transportation Committee, Ms. Molinari and Mr. 
Menendez, and New Jersey's junior senator, Frank Lautenberg.
  During this conference, my colleagues and I heard testimony from Stan 
Brezenoff, executive director, Port Authority of New Jersey; John Egan, 
commissioner, New York Department of Transportation; Sharon Landers, 
deputy Commissioner, New Jersey department of transportation; Lillian 
Liburdi, director of the port department, Port Authority of New York 
and New Jersey; David Plavin, director of aviation, Port Authority of 
New York and New Jersey, Shirley DeLibero, executive director, NJ 
Transit; Peter E. Stangl, chairman and CEO, Metropolitan Transit 
Authority; Richard Kelly, interstate transportation department 
director, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Arthur Imperatore, 
Jr., vice president of NY Waterway; and Richard DuHaime, chairman of 
the North Jersey Transportation Planning Board.
  Mr. Speaker, our transportation infrastructure constitutes the veins 
and the arteries through which our economic lifeblood flows. In an 
increasingly competitive global economy, those regions having a second-
rate transportation infrastructure will have a second-rate economy.
  Nationwide, it is estimated that traffic congestion on our highways, 
bridges, and tunnels costs our economy $300 billion each year in lost 
productivity. The shipment of goods are delayed, schedules are 
disrupted, and otherwise productive time is wasted. In our area, there 
is little or no additional capacity during peak hours on our highways, 
bridges, or tunnels. They are simply incapable of absorbing any 
significant future economic growth.
  Furthermore, congestion right here in our region is so bad that 
commuters to New York City waste 50 million hours each year in 
congested traffic. With traffic congestion worsening each year, viable 
alternatives must be offered to the motoring public. And under the 
strict guidelines of the Clean Air Act, the old solution of simply 
increasing highway capacity may no longer be an option.
  For our seaports like Port Newark and Port Elizabeth, the future is 
now. Our ports annually contribute over $20 billion to our region's 
economy, and handle over 38 million tons of cargo a year. 
Unfortunately, our ports are currently risking the loss of trade with 
foreign countries largely because of the bureaucratic bungling in 
Washington over the issuance of dredging permits.

  With new markets opening up all over the world, our ports must serve 
as the gateway for a surge in American exports. And for the 180,000 
people who depend on the ports for their living, the decisions we make 
now will directly affect whether Port Newark and Port Elizabeth are 
bustling and vibrant or static and silent.
  For our airports, among the busiest in the Nation, the challenges are 
great. During the last decade, our airports--Kennedy, LaGuardia, and 
Newark--have grown at an incredible rate. Newark Airport's 
international traffic alone increased by almost 200 percent since 1988, 
with growth expected to continue into the 21st century. Unfortunately, 
aircraft delays, aircraft noise, and the traffic getting to the airport 
have also grown at substantial rates. Looking at the next 25 years, one 
can only speculate on the health of our airports. Perhaps 
teleconferencing, or the advent of high-speed rail will decrease the 
pressures on our airports. Whatever the future may hold, our airports 
are an important link in our transportation web, and their vitality is 
crucial to our economic well-being.
  Mass transportation will also face unique challenges in the next 
quarter century. We are already witnessing the comeback of light rail 
systems and ferries that were prevalent earlier this century. Back 
then, people used light rail and ferries as their primary means of 
transportation because cars were simply too expensive. I think it's 
safe to predict people will again embrace these time-honored modes of 
transportation not for want of a car, but because of environmental 
regulations and intolerable highway congestion.
  I organized this conference with my colleagues in order to hear the 
thoughts and ideas of the people whose job it is to make sure the most 
complex transportation infrastructure in the world works for the people 
it was designed to serve. The New York City subway system, the Brooklyn 
Bridge, and the New Jersey Turnpike are but a few of the transportation 
marvels that have historically been the envy of the world. The stewards 
of our transportation infrastructure of yesteryear had the foresight 
and determination to build these magnificent structures; we must be 
equally bold today or risk losing our economic competitiveness.
  Mr. Speaker, I was pleased that officials from both sides of the 
Hudson River could come together to discuss transportation problems 
common to our States. Hopefully, our discussion will help forge a 
closer partnership between New York and New Jersey as we seek to solve 
our common transportation challenges.

                          ____________________