NEW JERSEY OPEN PUBLIC RECORDS ACT REQUEST

NJ Transportation Planning Authority – Toll Infrastructure Planning, Gantry Deployment, Ownership Disclosures, and Resident Cost Impacts

Dear OPRA Custodian,
New Jersey Department of Transportation (New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority),

Please accept this electronic request for public records pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq., and the common-law right of access.

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-6(f), this email constitutes a valid OPRA request. No agency-specific form or software platform is required.

This request is made:
• for public-interest and informational purposes only,
• not for any commercial use, and
• not to interfere with any pending legal proceeding.

STATEMENT OF PUBLIC INTEREST

NJDOT’s transportation planning authority makes decisions that shape how New Jersey residents travel, the infrastructure deployed on public roadways, and the long-term costs borne by ordinary motorists.

Recent expansions of gantry-based, camera-enabled toll infrastructure and automated tolling systems raise significant public-interest questions concerning:
• planning justification versus resident burden,
• long-term capital and debt assumptions,
• coordination with toll authorities and private vendors, and
• whether residents traveling for daily life—rather than profit—are bearing disproportionate costs.

Residents are entitled to transparency regarding why these systems are planned, who benefits, and what alternatives were considered.

RECORDS CUSTODIAN & CONTROL

This request is directed to NJDOT’s Transportation Planning Authority as custodian of records relating to statewide transportation planning, capital planning coordination, and infrastructure policy.

If responsive records are created, received, relied upon, or controlled by NJDOT, they are subject to OPRA regardless of whether another agency or contractor physically maintains them.

If you are not the proper custodian for any portion, please forward this request and identify the appropriate custodian.

TIMEFRAME

January 1, 2020 to present, unless otherwise stated.

SCOPE OF REQUEST

All government records created, received, relied upon, or maintained in connection with:
• statewide transportation planning,
• toll-road infrastructure planning,
• gantry, camera, or plate-reader deployment,
• coordination with NJTA or E-ZPass operators,
• planning assumptions affecting tolls, fees, or resident costs.

RECORDS REQUESTED

I. STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLANS & CAPITAL PROGRAMS
1. Statewide Transportation Improvement Programs (STIP), Long-Range Transportation Plans, Capital Program documents, corridor studies, and planning memoranda addressing:
• toll facilities,
• automated tolling systems,
• gantry or camera infrastructure.
2. Records identifying planning goals and performance metrics used to justify such infrastructure.

II. PLANNING JUSTIFICATIONS FOR GANTRY & CAMERA DEPLOYMENT
1. Planning studies, feasibility analyses, cost-benefit analyses, or consultant reports relied upon to justify:
• expansion of gantry-based toll infrastructure,
• camera or plate-reader systems,
• increased automation of toll collection.
2. Records analyzing:
• projected impacts on residents,
• cost-burden considerations,
• equity or access impacts,
• alternatives considered to reduce resident financial burden.

III. INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT COORDINATION
1. Records identifying gantry, camera, or toll-related infrastructure projects planned or coordinated by NJDOT, including:
• project identifiers,
• locations,
• coordination with NJTA,
• stated planning purpose.
2. Planning-stage cost estimates and funding assumptions for such projects.

IV. VENDOR & OWNERSHIP DISCLOSURES REVIEWED DURING PLANNING
1. Ownership disclosures, certifications, or representations reviewed or relied upon by NJDOT during planning or coordination with toll authorities concerning vendors involved in:
• toll systems,
• gantry or camera infrastructure,
• data processing or analytics.
2. Records identifying:
• parent companies or affiliates,
• jurisdictions of incorporation,
• ownership changes considered during planning.

V. FUNDING, DEBT & REVENUE ASSUMPTIONS
1. Planning-level records reflecting:
• assumptions regarding toll revenue growth,
• linkage between capital planning and toll or fee increases,
• coordination with bond or debt-financed projects.
2. Records discussing how planning decisions affect toll rates, fees, or enforcement intensity borne by residents.

VI. INTER-AGENCY & EXECUTIVE COORDINATION
1. Communications between NJDOT Transportation Planning and:
• New Jersey Turnpike Authority,
• Office of the Governor,
• Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs),
regarding toll infrastructure planning or modernization initiatives.

VII. OVERSIGHT, REVIEWS & EVALUATIONS
1. Any internal or external reviews, audits, or evaluations assessing:
• planning assumptions,
• projected public benefit versus resident cost,
• risks associated with expanded automated toll infrastructure.

NON-EXISTENCE CERTIFICATION

If any category of records requested does not exist, please provide a written statement confirming:
• that no such records were created or maintained, and
• the reason for their absence.

FORMAT, REDACTION & EXEMPTIONS
• Provide records in native electronic format where available (PDF, XLSX, CSV).
• Redact only information specifically exempt under OPRA.
• Do not withhold entire records where partial disclosure is possible.
• For any denial or redaction, provide a written exemption index identifying:
• the record,
• the statutory exemption,
• the specific basis for nondisclosure.

FEES

This request is made in the public interest.

Please advise in advance of any fees.
I do not consent to fees exceeding $25 without prior written approval.

RESPONSE & DELIVERY

OPRA requires a response within seven (7) business days.

Please confirm receipt and provide records by email attachment.
If you are not the proper custodian, please forward this request and identify the appropriate custodian.

Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Faith Frontier (Devon Tyler Barber)
12/18/2025

Subject: OPRA Request – Custodian Clarification Acknowledged

Ms. Young,

Thank you for confirming receipt of my OPRA request and for clarifying that the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority does not operate or maintain toll roadways or related infrastructure records.

I understand your position that the records sought are maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. I will direct a corresponding OPRA request to NJTA accordingly.

Thank you for the clarification.

Respectfully,
D.T. Barber