New Jersey Turnpike

[02 Park Ave]

I know someone who waited months to get a muffler for a G8.

[SidS1045]

While NJSP themselves may not be able to do anything about such...

OTOH, one phone call from NJSP's procurement person to GM's fleet sales person, along the lines of "Want our repeat business?  Fix this!" might get them off their butts.  If it doesn't, then start pointing fingers...and find another vendor...

[jeffandnicole]

While NJSP themselves may not be able to do anything about such...

OTOH, one phone call from NJSP's procurement person to GM's fleet sales person, along the lines of "Want our repeat business?  Fix this!" might get them off their butts.  If it doesn't, then start pointing fingers...and find another vendor...

That's not how the bidding process works.

[PHLBOS]

While NJSP themselves may not be able to do anything about such...

OTOH, one phone call from NJSP's procurement person to GM's fleet sales person, along the lines of "Want our repeat business?  Fix this!" might get them off their butts.  If it doesn't, then start pointing fingers...and find another vendor...

Unlike GM's decision to kill off its original B-bodied Caprice nearly 2 decades ago (that move p#ssed off a lot of law enforcement agencies including NJSP); GM in the U.S. can't control the decisions made by an affiliated Australian Auto Company (Holden) to liquidate cease vehicle production.  The Caprice PPV's and SS' fates are completely at the mercy of Holden. 

What GM (not necessarily its fleet division, mind you) can be blamed for in the whole Holden debacle was not offering the Statesman-based Caprice to both retail and fleet markets from the get-go and/or assembling/building it closer to home for its intended markets.  Many, likely, knew the issues/problems behind the offering of a remotely-built model to an exclusively fleet market from Day One.

Nonetheless, whoever awards the bids for NJSP patrol vehicles will likely (should IMHO) take Holden/Caprice PPV's future into account in future bidding cycles.  Will NJSP stay w/GM and opt for the Tahoe PPV next time around or instead go with the Dodge Charger, Ford's Police Interceptor (Taurus) or Utility Interceptor (Explorer)?  Stay tuned.

[YankeesFan]

why are they discontinuing the Caprice PPV? i see alot more NJSP Tahoes...Ford needs to bring back the CVPI

[SidS1045]

While NJSP themselves may not be able to do anything about such...

OTOH, one phone call from NJSP's procurement person to GM's fleet sales person, along the lines of "Want our repeat business?  Fix this!" might get them off their butts.  If it doesn't, then start pointing fingers...and find another vendor...

That's not how the bidding process works.

It is exactly how it works, if NJSP says so.  There are ways of crafting specifications that can effectively exclude certain providers, without specifically excluding them.

[SidS1045]

GM in the U.S. can't control the decisions made by an Australian Auto Company (Holden) to liquidate.

I thought they were both divisions of GM corporate?

[qguy]

While NJSP themselves may not be able to do anything about such...

OTOH, one phone call from NJSP's procurement person to GM's fleet sales person, along the lines of "Want our repeat business?  Fix this!" might get them off their butts.  If it doesn't, then start pointing fingers...and find another vendor...

That's not how the bidding process works.

It is exactly how it works, if NJSP says so.  There are ways of crafting specifications that can effectively exclude certain providers, without specifically excluding them.

When I worked for PennDOT we had the ability to designate contractors and vendors as permanently or temporarily not qualified based on past poor performance. It had to be thoroughly justified and documented, but in essence (in sid's words), it is exactly how it works.

[PHLBOS]

why are they discontinuing the Caprice PPV?

Holden, the Australian company that manufactures the Caprice PPV, will be no longer be manufacturing vehicles after 2017.

From Holden's website
Bold emphasis added in below-quote:

In December 2013, Holden announced it would transition to a national sales company and full-line importer in Australia and New Zealand by the end of 2017. Holden will discontinue vehicle and engine manufacturing and significantly reduce its engineering operations in Australia by the end of 2017.

Ford needs to bring back the CVPI.

You're preaching to the choir with that statement.

I thought they were both divisions of GM corporate?

Today Holden is one of only seven fully-integrated global General Motors operations that designs, builds and sells vehicles for Australia and the world.

The key word there is global.  The decisions made regarding Holden's vehicle-producing future were due to the marketing conditions (& sales) in Australia.  Keeping the division alive for the sole purpose of selling a police-only car and a limited-production sports sedan for a market located on the opposite side of the globe is not economically wise nor viable.

That's not how the bidding process works.

It is exactly how it works, if NJSP says so.  There are ways of crafting specifications that can effectively exclude certain providers, without specifically excluding them.

Quite true.  When Ford halted production of its Panther-platformed cars (including the CVPI, aka P71), CHP wasted no time at all modifying their specs (beefing up minimum payload requirements) so that the only eligible police-packaged vehicles that met that criteria for bidding were SUVs (Tahoe PPV, Utility Interceptor (Explorer)).  Such made a clear point (to vehicle manufacturers) that CHP was not going to be forced into smaller vehicles.

All NJSP and other agencies have to do to blacklist the Caprice PPV from future bidding is state in their specs that the vehicles chosen for their fleets have to be produced/manufactured in North America.

Here's a pic. of one of those NJSP ghost squad Caprices:

[jeffandnicole]

While NJSP themselves may not be able to do anything about such...

OTOH, one phone call from NJSP's procurement person to GM's fleet sales person, along the lines of "Want our repeat business?  Fix this!" might get them off their butts.  If it doesn't, then start pointing fingers...and find another vendor...

That's not how the bidding process works.

It is exactly how it works, if NJSP says so.  There are ways of crafting specifications that can effectively exclude certain providers, without specifically excluding them.

When I worked for PennDOT we had the ability to designate contractors and vendors as permanently or temporarily not qualified based on past poor performance. It had to be thoroughly justified and documented, but in essence (in sid's words), it is exactly how it works.

But there's a difference between past performance, as in they were supposed to deliver in 180 days and they failed to deliver in that time frame, compared to delivering exactly what was called for in the specs but a manufacturer decided to discontinue the product 2 or 3 years after the bids were announced.

[SteveG1988]

Has anyone noticed that on the four lane section the I-95 shields are pasted right ontop of Older smaller ones?

[PHLBOS]

Has anyone noticed that on the four lane section the I-95 shields are pasted right ontop of Older smaller ones?

On I-295 (at least north of I-76/NJ 42), most of the shields on the BGS' appear to have been either replaced or have had new decals placed over existing sign-mounted shields.  As a whole, the numerals are smaller and the red-and-blue shield limits aren't completely in-sync with the shields edges (uneven white borders).

[D-Dey65]

Such reminds me a bit of this particular Dustin comic strip from last February. 

Just one more reason I'm glad I don't use a GPS.

[storm2k]

The structural steel started going up on the new building at the Grover Cleveland Service Area. I'll bet construction will move quickly now.

[SignBridge]

Well it's about time. it's only been two and a half years........

[Mergingtraffic]

I haven't been on the Tpke in a few months, any older button copy signs come down over the past two or three months?

[cpzilliacus]

NJ.com: Pay a toll today? You likely gave money to 1 of the 2 most lucrative toll agencies in America

A national organization has named the New Jersey Turnpike Authority as the top money making toll agency in the country, just edging out the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

And the Turnpike Authority could be on track to do it again, after more traffic and cheap gas helped erase toll revenue losses from the nasty winter of 2015 and increased earnings for the first five months of 2015 beyond a consultant's predictions.

[Alps]

NJ.com: Pay a toll today? You likely gave money to 1 of the 2 most lucrative toll agencies in America

A national organization has named the New Jersey Turnpike Authority as the top money making toll agency in the country, just edging out the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

And the Turnpike Authority could be on track to do it again, after more traffic and cheap gas helped erase toll revenue losses from the nasty winter of 2015 and increased earnings for the first five months of 2015 beyond a consultant's predictions.

At least the Turnpike Authority uses its entire revenue on highway projects and reinvests in maintaining a safe and efficient transportation network.

[SignBridge]

Yes, we definitely get our moneys-worth on the NJ Turnpike. Not so with the Port Authority.

[cpzilliacus]

At least the Turnpike Authority uses its entire revenue on highway projects and reinvests in maintaining a safe and efficient transportation network.

Not exactly.

I believe the NJTA is required to make a "contribution" in most years to NJDOT.  According to the Turnpike's audited 2014 financial statements (here (in .pdf), about $354,001,000 was transferred (diverted) to the State of New Jersey during fiscal year 2014).

Is this as bad or as crippling as Pennsylvania's Act 44 and follow-on Act 89, which requires massive Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission payments to PennDOT to subsidize transit and other non-highway spending on that state.  IMO, no.

[storm2k]

At least the Turnpike Authority uses its entire revenue on highway projects and reinvests in maintaining a safe and efficient transportation network.

Not exactly.

I believe the NJTA is required to make a "contribution" in most years to NJDOT.  According to the Turnpike's audited 2014 financial statements (here (in .pdf), about $354,001,000 was transferred (diverted) to the State of New Jersey during fiscal year 2014).

Is this as bad or as crippling as Pennsylvania's Act 44 and follow-on Act 89, which requires massive Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission payments to PennDOT to subsidize transit and other non-highway spending on that state.  IMO, no.

I don't believe that the payments the NJTA has to pay cripples the Authority in the way the PTC is getting nailed to the wall by Act 44/89, but it does hurt bottom lines. I think that some of Corzine's plans to reorg everything in '06 or '07 would have made things worse.

[jeffandnicole]

At least the Turnpike Authority uses its entire revenue on highway projects and reinvests in maintaining a safe and efficient transportation network.

Not exactly.

I believe the NJTA is required to make a "contribution" in most years to NJDOT.  According to the Turnpike's audited 2014 financial statements (here (in .pdf), about $354,001,000 was transferred (diverted) to the State of New Jersey during fiscal year 2014).

Is this as bad or as crippling as Pennsylvania's Act 44 and follow-on Act 89, which requires massive Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission payments to PennDOT to subsidize transit and other non-highway spending on that state.  IMO, no.

I don't believe that the payments the NJTA has to pay cripples the Authority in the way the PTC is getting nailed to the wall by Act 44/89, but it does hurt bottom lines. I think that some of Corzine's plans to reorg everything in '06 or '07 would have made things worse.

Where you noticeably see it is on routine maintenance, such as repaving the roadway.  The asphalt is a bit more rutted and cracked in some areas.  In the past, they would never have such long intervals between paving projects.

[Alps]

At least the Turnpike Authority uses its entire revenue on highway projects and reinvests in maintaining a safe and efficient transportation network.

Not exactly.

I believe the NJTA is required to make a "contribution" in most years to NJDOT.  According to the Turnpike's audited 2014 financial statements (here (in .pdf), about $354,001,000 was transferred (diverted) to the State of New Jersey during fiscal year 2014).

Is this as bad or as crippling as Pennsylvania's Act 44 and follow-on Act 89, which requires massive Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission payments to PennDOT to subsidize transit and other non-highway spending on that state.  IMO, no.

Keep in mind the purpose of this subsidy (as one would) is for improvements on roads connecting to or paralleling the Turnpike. It's in NJTA's interest to maximize the traffic coming to their roadway, and some of that work won't be within their jurisdiction.

[storm2k]

Looks like the MUTCD sign replacement project on the Turnpike has started to pick up steam. A bunch of signs along the Western Spur have been repalced with MUTCD signage recently. One thing I am noticing is that the older Exit Point signs (not sure the correct TA name for them, the ones right at the exit that are overhead and say Exit XX with a Turnpike arrow) are not being removed. Not sure if they're going to come down later and gore point exit signs will be installed or what.

Also of note is that at 16W, "Sports Complex" is now on a brown background to set it apart, much like the supplemental signage that was installed in the recent past has been.

[roadman65]

Is the new signage at 16W have the pull through signs still "NEXT EXIT X MILES" or does it use the I-95 and Turnpike (shield) NORTH and the George Washington Bridge on it?

As far as the brown, I guess the NJTA is considering all non city locations to be like many consider historic places to be like.  Even Six Flags has always been brown and so is the State Aquarium using brown backround signs.  I simply think for myself that it makes the sports plex to stand out even more, so whatever the reason is, its not a bad thing.