ALLIANCE MEMBERS WELCOME NEW PSE&G PRESIDENT
Ralph LaRossa, the newly named President and COO of Public Service Electric & Gas will be the featured speaker at the Alliance for Action office (Raritan Plaza II, Raritan Center, Edison) this Friday, Janaury 5, 2007.

This is a good chance for Alliance for Action members to meet Mr. LaRossa and hear him speak about future plans for the company. Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. followed by the program at 10:00 a.m.
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FRANK SPENCER NAMED VICE PRESIDENT –EASTERN DISTRICT OF THE UNITED BROTHERHOOD OF CARPENTERS & JOINERS
Frank Spencer has been promoted to the position of Vice President-Eastern District, United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners. He formerly had been Executive Secretary/Treasurer of the New Jersey Regional Council of Carpenters. The New Jersey Regional Council of Carpenters has elected Thomas Canto to succeed Spencer as Executive Secretary/Treasurer.
Other new officers effective January 1, 2007 are:
-Robert Boyce, President/ Southern Area Manager
-John Ballantyne, First Vice President/Northern Area Manager
-Michael D’Agostino, Second Vice President/Specialty Crafts Manager

NEW REPLACEMENT BRIDGE PROPOSED FOR ROUTE 36 BRIDGE
The First Coast Guard District in New York has received an application from the New Jersey State Department of Transportation to replace the Route 36 Bridge between Highlands and Sea Bright. The project would replace the existing Route 36 movable highway bridge with a new fixed bridge.

The proposed bridge would eliminate the requirement for the bridge to open for the passage of marine vessels and would improve safety of the crossing. The existing bridge has been deemed structurally deficient and functionally obsolete.

New approach ramps would be provided on the Sea Bright side and two new pedestrian bridges would be constructed --- one over both Route 36 and Ocean Avenue and the other over Ocean Avenue leading to Gateway National Park. The lead federal agency is the Federal Highway Administration.

Interested parties are requested to express their views in writing to the office of the Commander, First Coast Guard District, Battery Park Building, One South Street, New York, NY 10004-1466, through January 25, 2007.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PROCESS SET FOR PORTAL BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS
NJ Transit, Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration are joining in the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for a New Jersey bridge project. The project would enhance the capacity and improve operation of the Portal Bridge, a two-track moveable bridge along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor crossing the Hackensack River.

The environmental impact process includes a scoping document, which describes the purpose and need of the project, the range of anticipated impacts to be analyzed and methodologies to be employed.

A scoping meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 17, 2007, at the Newark Public Library from 4 to 8 p.m. The public is invited to register to speak. Following the meeting, interested parties will be invited to formally submit comments in writing by January 31, 2007, to Portal Bridge Enhancement Project, c/o Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, 517 West 35th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001, attention Christie Marcella.

PERTH AMBOY AWARDS $13.2 MILLION ROUTE 440 CONNECTOR CONTRACT
Perth Amboy has awarded a $13.2 million contract to build a connector road between High Street and Route 440 to Cruz Enterprises of Holmdel. The connector road will provide a new access point to the city’s waterfront and redevelopment area.

The project is expected to begin in February 2007 and take 18 months to complete. The city has been awarded more than $22 million in Federal Highway Administration funds and state grants for the project through the New Jersey State Transportation Department.

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD EXTENDED FOR HIGHLANDS MASTER PLAN
The New Jersey Highlands Council has extended the official period for receiving comments on its draft Regional Master Plan until March 2, 2007. The Plan was released on November 30, 2006, for public comment.

Comments are welcomed via email, mail or by speaking at one of the following scheduled public hearings:
-Tuesday, January 9, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown.
-Wednesday, January 10, at 4 p.m., Ramapo College, Mahwah.
-Thursday, January 11, 4 p.m., Warren County Technical School, Washington.
-Wednesday, January 17, 4 p.m., Voorhees High School, Glen Gardner.
-Thursday, January 18, 4 p.m., Sussex County Technical School, Sparta.
-Wednesday, January 24, 10 a.m., New Jersey State Museum, Trenton.
An additional hearing will be scheduled in Somerset County.

PORT AUTHORITY APPROVES 10-YEAR CAPITAL PLAN OF $26.1 BILLION
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has approved a 10-year capital plan of $26.1 billion. The first in the Authority’s history, the plan for 2007 to 2016 represents the agency’s effort to return to its core mission of major transportation projects to stimulate the entire bi-state region to grow.

The plan includes significant investments to rebuild the World Trade Center site and memorial, build the Trans-Hudson Express Rail Tunnel, enhance security, address aviation capacity and upgrade the seaport’s ability to handle increases in international cargo.

The Authority also formally adopted its operating and capital budget of $5.7 billion for 2007. It holds the line on operating expenses and administrative costs.

ALLIANCE ACTIVITIES
NEW SOUTH JERSEY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO SPEAK AT ALLIANCE MEET THE PLAYERS SESSION
The focus of the Alliance for Action’s “Meet the Players” series will be on Southern New Jersey on Friday, January 26, when the speaker will be Bart R. Mueller, new Executive Director of the South Jersey Transportation Authority.

The session will be at the Alliance’s office Raritan Plaza II, Raritan Center, Fieldcrest Avenue, Edison. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. and the program at 10:30 a.m.

The South Jersey Transportation Authority is initiating one of the most ambitious capital construction programs in its history. Mueller will report and answer questions on the expansion of Atlantic City Airport, the future of the Atlantic City Expressway and other key capital projects.
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