Greetings,

Parsons Brinkerhoff was selected as the Consultants for the $1.1 million contract to do a study of the Bergen Arches on how best to use the $28 million of federal TIP $ that have already been allocated for the BA. They beat out Schundler's/ JC consultants URS Griner Woodward Clyde who have all the JC contracts incl. Journal Square Redevelopment, Van Vorst Park renovations, the new Municipal Court/ Justice Center, Schundler's Golden Door Charter School etc... Obviously they're BIG contributors to Schundler.. Needless to say the Schundler gang is upset...

Parsons Brinkerhoff heads up the consortium that is building & will run the HBLRT... The sub handling the Public Outreach is Howard Stein Hudson from NYC and should be contacting us shortly. Not wanting to toot our horn but I'd say HART's vocal opposition, attendance at the NJTPA BA meeting, letter writing and written commentary (spring 1999), which is on our web site, was very effective. We were particularly vocal against Cheryl Allen Munley, former Asst. Director in Engineering & Schundler BA's roadway spokesperson, and her receiving any sub-consulting contract with this study. She's out..!

The study contract will be awarded by June 1st and Parsons Brinkerhoff has until June 30, 2001 to complete. Of course, HART must be diligent and vocal during the public outreach..... We don't want a highway...

FYI. Schundler's choice for consultants always include: URS who do all the City's Construction Mgmt, DMR who're tight w Nick Fargo (former JC CFO who got a $65k+ buy-out while Councilman Gaughan simultaneously arranged another $100k job for him) is the architectural firm and EAI does the Environmental studies for the city.... always the same players.....political contributors..

Peter Weiss's 2/29/2000 JJ article was erroneous and old news. The $4.95 million study that he referenced as a BA highway is the NJ Turnpike Secaucus Interchange roadway study which HART-- Rick James, Steve Lanset & I wrote a HART response against last summer. As a result NJTPA agreed not to do that study until the outcome of the BA study is completed, which won't be until summer 2001. It makes no sense to build another road to dump more traffic onto Tonnelle Circle if the BA is not converted into a highway, which we're fighting. Keep in mind that there are no new tunnel enlargements planned for the Holland Tunnel so the additional cars would just sit and spew more toxins until our air... There's also no way to segregate Holland Tunnel from Waterfront Traffic...

The negative news is the Turnpike Authority, with the blessing from Mayor Elwell of Secaucus, has begun awarding contracts for the NJTpke Interchange in Secaucus. No federal funds are being used but several transportation groups are requesting that this $200 million interchange, which is being financed through a huge bond offering paid by an upcoming 20% Turnpike rate increase, be investigated and reviewed. A major interchange dumping more cars onto local roads could be the excuse for a Road Connector to Tonnele Circle in JC, which then predisposes the BA as a highway.

Bobby J is the new Chairperson for the NJTPA, which is the group empowered to review all major transportation projects for Northern NJ.

Following is a Letter to the Editor that Steve Lanset just wrote on this issue. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to write to the JJournal AND the JC & Hoboken Reporters and expose this issue.

To: The JC Reporter & JJ

A few weeks ago, Mayor Elwell and Allied Junction developer McCann celebrated a Turnpike Authority contract award for design work on a new Turnpike interchange in Secaucus.

What are the economic and social justifications for this project? Has anybody thought about the potential impact of the interchange on the local quality of life and environment? Were public transportation alternatives seriously considered? Would the primary beneficiary of said interchange be McCann's $1 billion office-hotel-retail complex atop NJ Transit's Secaucus Transfer Station? Wouldn't this interchange, with planned Connector to Tonnele Circle, feed yet more traffic and air pollution into Secaucus and downtown Jersey City? Was the public adequately involved in the review and decision-making processes? Are public funds being allocated for best results? Why are Elwell and McCann in such a hurry to push this project along?

My organization, the Hudson Alliance for Rational Transportation (www.hartwheels.org), and other citizens' groups believe that we need a more rigorous examination of the proposed interchange project. It appears to be a costly white elephant in the making.