Latest news with #PerthAmboy
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NJ Transit starts key phase of new Raritan River rail bridge
PERTH AMBOY — The second phase of a massive three-phase project to rebuild NJ Transit's Raritan River Bridge began on a sweltering Tuesday, June 24. "So many of the coastal towns, of which I live in one, are going to be impacted positively by this," Gov. Phil Murphy, a Red Bank resident, said at a groundbreaking ceremony for the project. "We have to remember, this is a bridge that was built when William Howard Taft was in office. "To say that it's overdue to get this sucker into the 21st century is, I think, probably the understatement of the year," he said. This swing bridge is a key crossing, as it connects 17 of the 20 stations exclusively on the North Jersey Coast Line before it meets up with the Northeast Corridor on the way to New York Penn bridge was originally built in 1908 and is two years older than the notorious Portal Bridge, which is being replaced through a $2.3 billion project currently underway in Kearny. About 11,500 commuters use the North Jersey Coast Line on any given weekday, and some 2 million tons of Conrail freight also traverses this route annually. The bridge was shut down for 18 days after Superstorm Sandy in 2012 when it suffered substantial damage from flooding and debris, requiring the deck to be realigned. "That's why when the governor and the Legislature and the [Transportation Department] chairman all got together and said, 'What is the most important project after Portal?' this was the one that was identified," said Kris Kolluri, president and CEO of NJ Transit. Skanska Koch Inc., of Carteret, was awarded a $444.3 million contract in December 2024 to do the second phase of construction on this project, which includes building the lift portion of the bridge and the flanking spans, as well as installing the communications, signal and overhead catenary wire. Skanska — also the lead contractor on the Portal Bridge replacement project — was one of three contractors whose bids were reviewed for the Raritan River Bridge project's second phase, which is expected to be finished around October 2029. George Harms Construction Co. Inc., of Farmingdale, was the contractor on the first phase of the project, which began in May 2020 and wrapped up last year. When that project got started, it was estimated to cost about $248 million. Hardesty & Hanover and Gannett Fleming are the joint venture behind the design of the bridge. AECOM/Mott MacDonald is the joint venture construction management consultant, which was approved for a contract of nearly $34 million in October 2019. The replacement bridge will include a lift feature, instead of swinging open to marine traffic as it does now. It will be 10 feet wider than the current bridge and will be elevated higher than the current one so its profile will be above the 100-year floodplain. Trains will be able to go up to 60 miles per hour on this bridge; currently, they slow to 30 miles per hour. NJ Transit secured a $446 million federal grant for the program, through the Federal Transit Administration's Emergency Relief Program for resilience projects in response to Superstorm Sandy. NJ Transit also said last year that it transferred about $240 million from the canceled Transitgrid power project and put it toward the Raritan River Bridge program, but a question about how that money fits in with the project's financing was not yet answered by an agency spokesman. The third portion of the program will demolish the old bridge. So far, the price tag for the first two phases is more than $692.3 million, well over the entire three-phase original estimate of $595 million. "The biggest variable in this project is cost of steel," Kolluri said. The superstructure will be made of steel, and the concrete piers will also be reinforced with steel. "The cost estimate was developed pre-pandemic and the contracts were awarded post-pandemic, and through the interim period, the cost of steel went up by a substantial amount," he added. This article originally appeared on NJ Transit starts key phase of Raritan River rail bridge
New York Post
14-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Trump's ‘promising start,' a GOP win on Medicaid reform and other commentary
Mideast journal: Trump's 'Promising Start' President Trump 'would have made a good sheikh,' quips Daniel McCarthy at The Spectator. 'He doesn't drink, he loves developing flashy properties to show off his power and wealth, and he's brutally realistic about the role of oil (and other commodities) in world politics.' In Riyadh, 'he declared 'a land of peace, safety, harmony, opportunity, innovation, and achievement' ' in the Middle East. It's a 'rosy' vision, but not 'ideological': New Middle East leaders, like Prince Mohammad bin Salman, prioritize 'commerce, not chaos' (as Trump put it). The prez sees that view aligning 'with his approach to the Abraham Accords.' It will take all of Trump's skill and luck 'to make peace in the Middle East,' but 'he's made a promising start.' From the right: A GOP Win on Medicaid Reform 'The recently released House Energy and Commerce Committee draft proposals' for Medicaid reform 'avoid the classic Republican mistake' of 'appearing to care more about saving money than saving lives,' cheers Henry Olsen at the Washington Examiner. 'The classic GOP method' for reforming entitlements has always been 'politically unpopular' because Republicans don't make clear 'who will bear the brunt of the reduced spending.' The House plan makes 'targeted changes that are politically defensible,' including requiring working-age, able-bodied Medicaid recipients without dependents 'to work, go to school, or engage in community service for at least 80 hours a month.' This is a far more popular approach, as Americans 'want the government to be generous to those who need it, but to cut off those who don't.' Libertarian: 'Eminent Domain' Gone Wild in NJ Honey Meerzon's parents are Jews from the Soviet Union; Luis Romero's parents fled communist Cuba. The two fear their New Jersey city is about to take their businesses from them via 'the all-too-American process of eminent domain,' fumes Reason's Christian Britschgi. Perth Amboy deemed their buildings 'blighted' — based on an incorrect and flimsy report, they credibly say — allowing it to confiscate their properties. State law gives municipalities powers that create 'a lot of incentive to see blight that isn't there,' and Perth Amboy is moving ahead with a redevelopment project nearby. 'The reason [my parents] left Cuba' is that there 'they just come to your home, say 'we want this property. You have to get out,' ' says Romero. 'Here it's done legally.' Advertisement Campus watch: Free Speech Double Standard 'Our country's most esteemed institutions of higher learning — the Ivy League schools — should have figured out how to ensure free speech rights on campus long ago,' laments USA Today's Ingrid Jacques. But 'Brown University student Alex Shieh learned that the hard way' as school administrators didn't care for the DOGE-like emails the student journalist sent 'asking them basic questions about what their jobs entail.' They 'launched a weekslong review into his reporting,' and began disciplinary hearings for Shieh and others at the student paper. Meanwhile, students at Columbia and Harvard get away with 'violent anti-Israel protests' and harassment. 'The twisted view of free speech at these Ivy League schools can't be ignored.' Trade desk: Just Say No to Chinese Cars One goal of President Trump's trade policy is that 'not only Japanese but Chinese automakers should build cars here,' observes City Journal's Jordan McGillis. No: 'On purely national security grounds, Chinese cars and auto-tech need to stay off American roads.' Why? 'The operation of virtually all new cars, whether electric or internal combustion, is inextricable from computing elements' — and these 'have at least some Chinese-authored code embedded within them.' That 'underscores the need for more transparency.' China is 'fond of shashoujian— 'assassin's mace' weapons' — like, say, malicious code allowing cars to be 'suddenly bricked like old smartphones' or have their navigation systems 'scrambled.' 'China's auto industry is not just a competitor in global markets; it is a vector of national security vulnerability.' — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board
Politico
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Politico
The line is dead. The fight? Probably not
Presented by Good Friday morning! This is how the line ends. Not with a bang but a whimper. Gov. Murphy yesterday formally ended a long era in New Jersey politics when he signed the ballot design bill that mandates office blocks on ballots. The county line was effectively dead already thanks to successful federal lawsuits against it by Sen. Andy Kim and progressive groups and candidates. But yesterday's bill signing made it official, even if the bill falls short of what its progressive opponents want. But for all the major implications of the governor's signature, he made no statement on signing it. Instead, his office issued a press release noting 10 bills signed by the governor, with this one sandwiched between legislation allowing Perth Amboy to spend unused state funds for a pedestrian bridge and a resolution establishing a 'Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week' in May. Critics have threatened to sue over this, so the litigation may not be over. In fact, the litigation on the original case isn't over. Camden County Democrats, along with clerks from Union and Bergen counties, still haven't settled. Those threatening lawsuits aren't happy that the bill still allows candidates to bracket. They don't like late changes made by the Senate that allow clerks to put number/letter markers next to candidate names, and no longer having voters choose Democratic and Republican state committee members. Read more from Ry Rivard. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Alex Ambrose, Steven Gardner, Wendy Sturgeon, Justin Rivera, Daniel Weinberg. Saturday for Josh Gottheimer, Erik Peterson, Diane Allen, Zach Fink, Matt McHale, John Francis Roman. Sunday for Joe Danielsen. WHERE'S MURPHY? No public schedule QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'Yesterday it came to my attention that medical providers, laboratories and hospitals are being forced to provide the questionnaire below to NEWBORN patients … This law mandates collection of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity data with no age threshold — hence newborn babies receiving the survey.' — A Facebook post by Sen. Holly Schepisi, about hospital forms that asked gender identity and sexual orientation information for newborns. (Inspira, which initially used the form Schepisi posted, got a waiver to discontinue it, according to the senator. Patients are not required to fill out the forms). TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@ WHAT TRENTON MADE WELL, THE SUPREME COURT IS WILLING TO OVERTURN AT LEAST ONE WARSHAW CAMDEN DECISION — 'Secret legal fight over N.J. clergy abuse probe revealed,' by NJ Advance Media's Ted Sherman: 'A secret legal battle over whether the state could investigate allegations of sexual abuse by members of the clergy within the Catholic Church finally came in the open Thursday after the New Jersey Supreme Court ordered the release of hundreds of pages of court filings detailing the behind-the-scenes fight. At the same time, the high court scheduled a hearing next month to hear arguments as to whether a grand jury investigation of those abuse complaints can proceed … What nobody knew until the unexpected release last month of a once-sealed transcript involving a lower court hearing on the case was that legal challenges to the state's plan had been playing out all the while, unseen by the public. It turns out that one New Jersey diocese had sought to prevent any investigation — and keep a grand jury from presenting its findings to a court. What happened on Thursday is that the confidential court records revolving around those challenges were ordered released by the Supreme Court, after some redactions by the Attorney General's office …. 'Camden, in its objection, challenged the grand jury's authority as its lawyers argued that no state law allowed it to present a case and this would violate the state and federal constitutions' guarantee of a separation of church and state. The state, according to the transcript, argued that the church and its clergy had a 'direct and intimate relationship with New Jersey citizens,' and that its leaders were endowed with the public trust. But Superior Court Judge Peter E. Warshaw Jr., sitting in Mercer County, agreed with Camden's challenge, saying a grand jury presentment should refer to public affairs and conditions, not a religious organization.' THIS IS FINES — 'New Jersey eyes decriminalizing underage gambling and using fines for compulsive betting treatment,' by The Press of Atlantic City's Wayne Parry: 'New Jersey is rethinking how it deals with underage gambling, moving toward making such activity a civil offense rather than a crime, with fines going to fund programs for compulsive gamblers. A package of bills moving through the state Legislature aims to change the emphasis from punishment to rehabilitation, while providing additional money for badly needed treatment programs. 'Sixty to 80% of high school students report having gambled for money within the past year,' said Assemblywoman Claire Swift, R-Atlantic, a sponsor of one of the bills. The New Jersey Attorney General's Office said at least 39 people ages 18 to 20 were charged with underage gambling between 2017 and 2021. The statistics do not include those younger than 18. One of the bills would decriminalize gambling by someone under the age of 21; current law classifies the crime as a disorderly persons offense.' RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMASWAMY — 'Ramaswamy to speak at state GOP summit,' by New Jersey Globe's Zach Blackburn: 'New Jersey Republicans will host Vivek Ramaswamy at the state party's leadership summit later this month, according to an email sent to Republicans. Ramaswamy, who recently launched a bid to be Ohio's governor, will speak at the NJGOP Victory Welcome Reception in Atlantic City on March 21 … The GOP summit will include a series of Candidate Spotlight events with Republicans running for governor in the Garden State. Invitees included former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, state Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield), former state Sen. Ed Durr, and former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac. Former radio host Bill Spadea rejected the invitation to the summit.' — 'N.J. lawmakers pass ballot redesign aimed at curbing political bosses, but not everyone's happy' — Sayegh: 'Mikie Sherrill can make NJ housing more affordable. She should be governor' — 'Legislators, advocates renew fight to cap soaring hospital costs' — 'NJ Transit trains stuck in Hudson tunnel cause 2-hour delay, highlight need for Gateway' — 'George Washington Bridge gets a major tuneup' TRUMP ERA HEALTH CARE CHAINSAW MASSACRE — 'Hundreds from NJ disability community rally in Trenton against GOP Medicaid cuts,' by The Record's Gene Myers: 'Every morning, Kevin Nunez begins his day with the help of a personal aide — an assistant funded by Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program that could be in line for deep cuts. Nunez, whose cerebral palsy necessitates a wheelchair, said the program allows him to live independently. Without support provided by Medicaid, the Willingsboro man said, he wouldn't be able to get out of bed, dress or prepare for his day. The author and activist was among hundreds of New Jerseyans who rallied in Trenton on Thursday against $880 billion in spending cuts endorsed by House Republicans in their federal budget proposal. The boisterous crowd filled a plaza outside the Statehouse chanting 'No Medicaid cuts!' and 'Let us live!' Buses and vans with wheelchair lifts lined the streets.' SAVE THIS ARTICLE — 'Medicaid vital to new Republicans in working class, Van Drew says' WHOA, NELLIE — House Democrats add Latino-heavy districts to most vulnerable list for 2026, by POLITICO's Nicholas Wu: House Democrats are making it official: Latino voters have shifted their battleground map. Their campaign arm is unveiling its list of top battleground incumbents to defend in 2026, giving the first insight into how the party views the midterm elections — with notable new additions to reflect a shift toward President Donald Trump in some majority-Latino congressional districts. The 26-member 'frontline' list provided first to POLITICO otherwise largely matches the list of districts where Democrats played defense last cycle … Another once-safe district, the North Jersey seat held by Rep. Nellie Pou, was deep-blue territory for years before Trump won it this past cycle. Although there are warning signs that could signal a broader shift among Latino voters away from Democrats, the party still seemed confident about its potential to capture the majority next year. STEPPING UP TO THE PLAT — 'N.J. attorney general sues President Trump over teacher training cuts,' by New Jersey Monitor's Nikita Biryukov: 'New Jersey and a coalition of other states on Thursday sued the federal government, arguing President Donald Trump's attempt to cut $600 million in congressionally approved teacher training grants violates federal law that governs the process U.S. agencies use to create regulations. The challenge by Attorney General Matt Platkin and attorneys general in states like California, Massachusetts, and five others argues Trump's attempt to terminate that funding outstripped executive authority and must be barred. 'Congress authorized this spending,' Platkin told the New Jersey Monitor.' — 'Rowan University makes changes in response to Trump administration's DEI policies' — 'How much did Elon Musk spend to help Tom Kean Jr. get reelected?' — 'From undocumented to unstoppable: Meet the woman who helps N.J.'s migrants' — 'In NJ, Trump economic ally pushes idea of raising SALT deduction to $20K or higher' LOCAL UNION COUNTY — 'Contractor claims 'act of retaliation' by N.J. county after it sued to win bid on big project,' by NJ Advance Media's Ted Sherman: 'They call it an act of retaliation. Three years after successfully challenging Union County over charges that officials violated state public bidding laws in the awarding of a multi-million-dollar contract to build a new government complex, the company that finally won the bid is now accusing the county of exacting revenge. In a new lawsuit filed in federal court last week, Dobco — a Wayne-based construction and development company — charged that the county and the Union County Improvement Authority, which is overseeing the project, engaged in a campaign of retaliatory acts. It said the action came in the wake of a contentious legal battle that forced officials to bid the project out after it had been awarded to another firm chosen by the county. Those alleged acts included refusing to provide Dobco with necessary design plans, delaying the resolution of any disputes involving the construction, withholding payments, disrupting relationships with others tied to the project, and 'spreading false information' about Dobco. … The improvement authority, in its own statement, denied Dobco's charges and called the litigation a 'frivolous' lawsuit.' CAMDEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS ON FIRE — 'Two-story tall scrapyard fire was made worse by employees, first responders say,' by NJ Advance Media's Steven Rodas: 'The recent massive scrapyard fire in Camden, which sent plumes of smoke spewing as far as 15 miles away and caused over 100 people to evacuate, was exacerbated by employees on the scene, according to the local fire department … When the fire department arrived on the scene at 1400 South Front Street in February, flames were seen coming from a large pile of recycled scrap metal at the rear of the property and quickly spread, according to an incident report obtained by NJ Advance Media on Thursday. 'Battalion-1 special called multiple companies due to heavy fire spread caused by EMR employees moving burning material to the surrounding pile and onto an industrial conveyer belt leading to a building,' Ezequiel Tirado, Camden Fire Department battalion chief, wrote in the incident report. 'Their actions caused the entire pile (measuring roughly 300'x250' about 2-stories tall), the conveyor belt, along with the four-story building to be fully engulfed in flames,' he wrote. 'The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th alarms were struck.'' AMERICON DREAM — 'American Dream is fully open, judge rules, as towns seek $13M in mall payments,' by The Record's Daniel Munoz: 'A Bergen County judge has ruled that American Dream was fully open for business when it opened its doors to the public in 2019, rejecting an argument that would have freed the mall from paying millions of dollars in fees to surrounding towns. In a decision issued Friday, state Superior Court Judge William Soukas ruled in favor of East Rutherford, one of the municipalities that say the megamall at the Meadowlands Sports Complex owes a combined $13 million in payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOTs, to surrounding communities. 'It's only baby steps for us,' East Rutherford Mayor Jeffrey Lahullier said in an interview, noting Soukas' determination was just one step in a continuing legal battle … Triple Five, the Canadian development firm that runs American Dream, had argued that it never reached 100% occupancy and so was not completely open.' — 'Chaneyfield Jenkins will run for McIver's council seat' — 'Candidates challenging Hackensack mayor, council want early voting. Can it happen?' — 'Ex-[Mount Laurel] cop admits hacking into social media accounts of nearly 20 women, distributing naked pics, officials say' — 'Police officer pulls unconscious driver from burning vehicle after crash in Bridgewater, NJ' — 'Will Toms River allow church to open homeless shelter? Officials will soon have to decide' — 'Angry parents and students oppose Paterson's new plan for middle schools' — 'Mother arrested by ICE at family's Jersey Kebab restaurant will face an immigration judge on Tuesday' EVERYTHING ELSE SETON HALL SCANDAL — 'Seton Hall failed to disclose key report to lawyers in Catholic abuse lawsuit', by POLITICO's Dustin Racioppi: Seton Hall University has ignored calls by New Jersey's governor, three state lawmakers and a member of Congress to release a report critical of its new president's failure to report allegations in a major sexual abuse scandal more than five years ago. Now it could be a judge who forces the storied Catholic university's hand. Avion Benjamin, a state Superior Court judge in Essex County, New Jersey, spent the last seven months overseeing the litigation of 450 claims of sexual abuse within the Archdiocese of Newark and at Seton Hall. Her predecessor in the case, which began in 2019, long ago ordered both institutions to disclose a mountain of evidence to lawyers for the alleged victims. Yet even Benjamin said she was stunned to learn from reporting in POLITICO about the existence of the report, which includes accusations that Monsignor Joseph Reilly, now Seton Hall's president, failed to properly report abuse claims. Seton Hall and the archdiocese disclosed other materials related to abuse, but not the report. 'This report is from 2019. They had to find out about it in 2025 in POLITICO,' she said of the alleged victims' attorneys, according to a transcript of a hearing held on Feb. 12. 'I mean, that just sounds crazy to me.' WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW A FIGHT AT A PIANO RECITAL? — 'Sportsmanship pledge at NJ high school sports no longer worth paper it's written on,' by the Asbury Park Press' Stephen Edelson: 'The scene inside a largely empty courtroom Wednesday was far removed from statewide drama and chaotic scenes surrounding St. John Vianney wrestler Anthony Knox Jr. But it's all related, and Wall Township Municipal Court Judge Roger McLaughlin made that clear. It was last Oct. 18, after the Wall High School football team defeated Howell 24-10 that authorities said Kelly Davis, mother of a Wall player, went on the field and confronted a 17-year-old Howell player. The next day she was charged with disorderly conduct and harassment. McLaughlin dismissed the charges against Davis. The Howell football player did not want to testify, just wanting it all to go away. Don't we all. Davis faces no consequences. Knox will apparently not face any right away, either. Which ensures the chaos in New Jersey high school sports will continue.' — 'Gov. Murphy admin applauds NJCU's decision to partner with Kean University' — ''Anora' director says movie theaters are in trouble. How these NJ cinemas have hung on'
