TOLLROADSnews: Fitch holds NJ Turnpike bonds at 'A' (http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/5619)
QuoteState heavily dependent on regular Turnpike 'dividend' payment
The state's heavy dependence on the Turnpike's annual dividends"could be viewed as a risk" says Fitch, but bond debt is legally 'senior' or ahead of the annual 'transfers' of profit to the state.
Fitch warn that increased reliance on the Turnpike profits by the state is one among several items that could cause a downgrade in its rating. Others are increased leverage beyond currently anticipated 1.5x caused by greater than announced debt issuance of $4.4b.
Post Merge: November 28, 2011, 09:10:01 PM
TOLLROADSnews: Drop in toll traffic & revenue in northeast features in business news - focus on NJ Turnpike (http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/5628)
Is it necessary to post all these links to tollroadsnews? If I wanted to subscribe I'd do so: http://www.tollroadsnews.com/subscribe
It's on the verge of spam, but I have to recuse myself from judging it as such officially.
Quote from: Steve on November 28, 2011, 09:10:26 PM
It's on the verge of spam, but I have to recuse myself from judging it as such officially.
Spammers are (presumably) attempting to make some money off of their spam.
I am not am employee of TOLLROADSNews, nor do I have an ownership position in same.
Not necessarily - a huge majority of spammers I have come across on various websites do it either to troll or for no discernible reason at all.
Whither your fascination with it then, CP? I always felt that you had to be involved with it to post so many links, seeing as how it's not a legitimate news source (at best, half compilation of other sources and half biased blog) and references to it are not to be found anywhere else on the Web.
Quote from: Steve on November 30, 2011, 06:13:06 PM
Whither your fascination with it then, CP? I always felt that you had to be involved with it to post so many links, seeing as how it's not a legitimate news source (at best, half compilation of other sources and half biased blog) and references to it are not to be found anywhere else on the Web.
I have known Peter Samuel, the owner/publisher for many years (at one time he ran a for-pay newsletter, which morphed to the site there today), and I have
independently found his reports to be accurate (generally when it comes to toll highways and toll crossings in Maryland and Virginia, and some other parts of the world). I also found it revealing (in a good way) that the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission blocked his site from all computers on the PTC internal network (I do not know if it is currently blocked).
He does much of his journalistic work from home in Frederick, Maryland.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on December 02, 2011, 04:16:52 PM
Quote from: Steve on November 30, 2011, 06:13:06 PM
Whither your fascination with it then, CP? I always felt that you had to be involved with it to post so many links, seeing as how it's not a legitimate news source (at best, half compilation of other sources and half biased blog) and references to it are not to be found anywhere else on the Web.
I have known Peter Samuel, the owner/publisher for many years (at one time he ran a for-pay newsletter, which morphed to the site there today), and I have independently found his reports to be accurate (generally when it comes to toll highways and toll crossings in Maryland and Virginia, and some other parts of the world). I also found it revealing (in a good way) that the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission blocked his site from all computers on the PTC internal network (I do not know if it is currently blocked).
He does much of his journalistic work from home in Frederick, Maryland.
Ditto, I have met Peter and have communicated with by e-mail many times, and I find him to be an excellent and accurate source of journalistic work on highways and transportation.
His background is as an investigative journalist for several major newspapers for 25 years. When the last paper went out of business, he took his skills and knowledge and launched TOLLROADS News.
I have found that TollRoadsNews is not too bad for getting an idea of what is happening behind the scenes in the toll-road sector. However, Peter Samuel's advocacy of the user-pays principle (which in his eyes means tolls only, not the motor fuel tax or other methods of charging in relation to usage) is so ham-fisted it is difficult to see insertion of TollRoadsNews links in posts as anything but advocacy for the construction of more toll roads.
He has had his share of flubs and missed shots, too--I remember an article years ago describing MdTA as "secretive" at a time when it was pretty much the only toll road agency which posted construction plans sets on the Web.
Quote from: J N Winkler on December 02, 2011, 06:26:27 PM
I have found that TollRoadsNews is not too bad for getting an idea of what is happening behind the scenes in the toll-road sector. However, Peter Samuel's advocacy of the user-pays principle (which in his eyes means tolls only, not the motor fuel tax or other methods of charging in relation to usage) is so ham-fisted it is difficult to see insertion of TollRoadsNews links in posts as anything but advocacy for the construction of more toll roads.
He has had his share of flubs and missed shots, too--I remember an article years ago describing MdTA as "secretive" at a time when it was pretty much the only toll road agency which posted construction plans sets on the Web.
I read his articles as well as his posts on a couple forums. He does not appear opposed to motor fuels taxes, but he does believe that much of the new freeway, bridge and tunnel construction should be leveraged with tolls. I at least party agree with that.
He seemed positive in his ICC (MD-200) articles about the fact that it was toll-assisted financed, i.e. with both toll revenue bonds and motor fuels taxes.
Quote from: J N Winkler on December 02, 2011, 06:26:27 PM
He has had his share of flubs and missed shots, too--I remember an article years ago describing MdTA as "secretive" at a time when it was pretty much the only toll road agency which posted construction plans sets on the Web.
He also gladly makes corrections if he determines that he has made an error in his reporting (and emphasizes that he's making a correction).
Sorry about the bump, but I just came across a doozy of an example of him talking out his ass: http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/5225 Sure, he made corrections.
Quote from: NE2 on December 31, 2011, 06:38:53 PM
Sorry about the bump, but I just came across a doozy of an example of him talking out his ass: http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/5225 Sure, he made corrections.
I've argued with him about the 'freeway' term in other forums ... I agree with the current FHWA definition. Nobody is perfect!
I've found the site useful as well for getting an idea of what is happening.
If I need to know more, I'll do a search on the subject.
I realize he has an ax to grind and take his writing with the appropriate grains of salt.