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Online News Now - November 17, 2015


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SECOND ROUND OF HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING ANNOUNCED
Governor Christie announced a second round of higher education construction funding, making $180 million available to build, repair and update critically needed academic facilities for our State's colleges and universities. Institutions are invited to compete for the funding by submitting grant applications that can be found here. 

The money being made available, as the second round of funding from the 2012 bond act, will be awarded to projects that meet State priorities and help students prepare for high-demand fields. Rochelle Hendricks, Secretary of Higher Education and her staff will be collaborating with the NJ Educational Facilities Authority, the Treasurer's office, and the Schools Development Authority to deliver this new funding for critically needed projects.

Hendricks said "I am pleased that the State is renewing its commitment to higher education, to ensure that students will enjoy new and improved facilities for years to come. Our goal is provide our world-class students and faculty with facilities and laboratories that they deserve!"

RONNIE HAKIM APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF THE MTA 
MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast announced the appointment of Veronique "Ronnie" Hakim as the eighth permanent president of the agency, which moves more than 8 million daily customers on subways, buses, the Staten Island Railway and paratransit service.

Hakim will begin serving as President effective December 28. 

Hakim is a career transportation professional who returns to the MTA after an earlier 23-year career at the agency. For the past year and a half she has served as the Executive Director of NJ TRANSIT, which operates 12 commuter rail lines, three light rail lines, 261 bus routes and Access Link paratransit service across the state of New Jersey. She previously served nearly four years as Executive Director of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

PLANNED CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY IN NEW JERSEY REMAINS AT $39 BILLION 
The volume of public and private construction over the next two years will remain constant around $39 billion.  That was the result of the 31st annual Construction Forecast Seminar by the New Jersey Alliance for Action.

Thirty government agencies and private sector businesses and organizations reported on anticipated construction activities for 2016 and 2017.  Their total of $39.4 billion fell just short of the record $39.8 billion set at the seminar held last year.         

Alliance President Philip K. Beachem noted that utilities construction again was a leader at $7.2 billion and that New Jersey's pharmaceutical and medical technology companies showed renewed strength with a two-year total project plans of $3 billion.  Public and private colleges and universities also reported strong construction and renovation projects, as did the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey with $2.8 billion on the public side. 

To view the complete chart click here.

ALLIANCE RECEIVES BREAKDOWN ON PORT AUTHORITY CAPITAL PLANS
The Alliance for Action received a project-by-project breakdown of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey ten-year, $27.6 billion capital plan from the official who will play a key role in implementation.  Several hundred Alliance members and supporters turned out for the presentation by Jim Starace, the Authority's new Chief Engineer.
                
Starace, said many of the planned projects present "tremendous challenges" in continuing services to the public while construction is underway.

BUILDING A SOCIAL MEDIA ARMY
The New Jersey Alliance for Action launched a unique program linking modern technology and the power of social media for public education on how vital transportation is to the economy and the quality of their own lives.
                
Alliance President Philip K. Beachem stressed to a capacity audience at the Alliance's annual State Transportation Conference that "Communication methods have changed."
                
The innovative Alliance effort, Beachem said, will offer a modern resource to help generate broad-based public support for funding to keep the state's vital transportation system efficient, safe and able to meet always expanding needs.  The State Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) will run out of dollars for projects next summer, he reminded the three hundred attendees.
               
Over the past year, as the deadline nears, the Alliance has arranged for photographs by county and legislative district to demonstrate worst examples of deteriorating infrastructure --- roads, bridges and traffic congestion.
               
The value of social media, Beachem declared, is that they also can be used by recipients of the photos to share their concerns by sharing them on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
                
The system is in place, Beachem asserted, and now is the time to use it.  He urged those who want to be participants to reach out to the Alliance. Click here to view the photo database. 

MROZ REPORTS ON UPDATE OF NEW JERSEY ENERGY MASTER PLAN
An update of New Jersey's Energy Master Plan adopted in 2011 will be completed in the "very near future" was the report given to several hundred Alliance for Action members and supporters by Richard Mroz, President of the State Board of Public Utilities.
                
Mroz, who is chairman of the committee working on the update, said the 2011 Plan contained five key goals and thirty-one recommendations, some of which already have led to improvements.
               
As a result, he added, the decision was made to update, not rewrite, the overall Plan.
                
Mroz told the group hosted by the Alliance that one key part of the update will be a new section on resiliency --- a decision boosted by the recent storms that devastated New Jersey.

PSE&G REACHES $905 MILLION AGREEMENT TO REPLACE AGING GAS PIPES 
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G), New Jersey's largest utility, today announced a $905 million settlement in principle with the staff of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel to expedite the replacement of aging gas pipes.  The agreement detailing this three-year program will be submitted to the BPU for formal approval.

In a filing with the BPU announced on March 2, PSE&G sought approval to invest $1.6 billion during five years to accelerate the replacement of 800 miles of cast iron and unprotected steel gas mains, and 55,000 unprotected steel service lines to homes and business. The settlement will enable the utility to replace up to 510 miles of gas mains and 38,000 service lines over the three-year period. 

"In addition to ensuring the continued safety and reliability of our gas system, the Gas System Modernization Program will enable us to create 500 direct, sustained jobs over the three-year period -- providing an economic boost for New Jersey," said Ralph LaRossa, PSE&G President.

PSEG TO CONSTRUCT $600 MILLION PLANT IN WOODBRIDGE 
Public Service Electric & Gas (PSEG) will build a $600 million power plant in Sewaren to supply electricity to about 500,000 New Jersey homes. 

The plant will be constructed at PSEG Power's existing Sewaren Generating Station site.  It will replace four Sewaren Units which will be retired after almost 70 years of providing energy to the region. 

The 540-megawatt plant will use combined-cycle technology, producing electricity and capturing waste from the gas turbine to increase efficiency and output, according to PSEG spokesman Michael Jennings. He reported the project will generate about 350 union jobs during the two year construction beginning in early 2016 and employ up to 28 full-time workers after it becomes operational . 

ROUTE 66 TO BE WIDENED WITH $12 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS
The State of New Jersey will receive $12 million in federal funding to widen a section of Route 66 through Neptune Township that has caused traffic problems for years.  Rep. Chris Smith, (R-4th Dist.), said the road has remained only one lane in each direction despite rapid development in the area. 

The 1.2-mile section to be widened runs east of the Garden State Parkway from Jumping Brook Road to Browne/Wayside Road just west of Route 18 in Monmouth County.  Built in the 1940's, Route 66 had been widened in all but that section over the years as retail shopping centers and other development occurred.  Smith said the crash rate of Route 66 us three times the state average for that type of road. 

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE 
  • Jeremy A. Spector was named Executive Director and Secretary by the Members of the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority.
  • Peter Zipf, PE, has joined HDR as Northeast Regional Transportation Business Director.
  • Public Service Electric & Gas' president and chief operating officer, Ralph LaRossa, has been elected chairman of the board of directors of the American Gas Association for 2016.
  • Governor Chris Christie named Princeton native Ford M. Scudder as New Jersey State Treasurer.