New York-New Jersey Transportation Agency

The New York-New Jersey Transportation Agency was a short-lived bi-state agency formed by an interstate compact between the states of New York and New Jersey in 1959. Created to address an "impending emergency" in the region's commuter rail system, the agency was tasked with studying the problem, developing an interim plan to preserve and improve existing transit services, and preparing a long-range plan for a more permanent solution.

The agency was composed of two members, one appointed by the governor of each state, and was granted powers to negotiate with railroads, municipalities, and other entities. The Compact explicitly terminated the agency's predecessor, the New York-New Jersey Metropolitan Rapid Transit Commission. The agency's existence was set to be temporary, with a mandated expiration date of June 30, 1961, by which time it was hoped a more comprehensive solution would be approved by the state legislatures.

History

Background and legislative approval

By the late 1950s, the commuter transit systems in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area were facing a severe crisis, with private railroad companies experiencing financial decay and threatening service cuts. The problem was seen as too large for either state to solve alone, creating the need for a bi-state approach.

In New Jersey, early efforts to address the issue included the proposed creation of a state-level Division of Railroad Transportation, a stop-gap agency intended to keep services running while a long-term solution was developed. This measure passed the New Jersey State Senate 18–0 on January 26, 1959. Senate President Wesley L. Lance pledged that the state would provide adequate financial help to ensure the continuance of commuter service.

Simultaneously, both states worked toward a bi-state compact. Legislation to create the New York-New Jersey Transportation Agency was approved by the New York Legislature and signed by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. New Jersey followed suit, with the Assembly adopting the measures in late April 1959. After a brief debate, the New Jersey Senate gave its final approval on May 4, 1959, with a vote of 18 to 0. Governor Robert B. Meyner signed the bills into law within an hour of their passage, finalizing the two-year effort to reach an agreement between the states.

The compact required the consent of the U.S. Congress to become effective. Congress granted this consent through Public Law 86-302, which was approved on September 21, 1959.

The compact and agency structure

The interstate compact was formally titled the "New York-New Jersey Transportation Agency Compact." Its stated purpose was to provide a method for the "common handling and disposition by a single agency" of developing both interim and long-range plans for mass transit.

Legislative declaration

Article 1 of the compact found that efficient public mass transit was "essential to the commerce, defense, and general welfare of the two states." It cited the "decay of existing mass transit systems," particularly those crossing the Hudson River, as creating an "impending emergency requiring prompt action." The compact declared the policy of the two states was to create a bi-state agency to handle phases of planning that neither state could deal with effectively on its own.

Structure and governance

The agency was an interstate body, both corporate and politic, governed by two members.

• Composition: One member was designated by the governor of each state. Each member had to be a state official whose duties included dealing with transportation problems.
• Resolutions: The agency acted by resolution, which had to be concurred in by both members.
• Gubernatorial Veto: The governor of each state held the power to veto any resolution passed by the agency within ten days of its receipt.

Territorial jurisdiction

The agency's functional territory was defined as the area encompassed by the legal boundaries of New York State and the following ten counties in New Jersey:

• Bergen
• Essex
• Hudson
• Mercer
• Middlesex
• Monmouth
• Morris
• Passaic
• Somerset
• Union

The compact also specified a focus on areas "from or to which a substantial number of persons commute regularly between the states of New York and New Jersey."

Powers and duties

The agency's primary mandate was planning and negotiation, not direct operation of transit services. Its core duties were divided into preparing an interim plan and a long-range plan.

Interim plan

The agency's immediate task was to study transit conditions and negotiate with railroads, bus companies, and public authorities to prepare an interim plan. The goal of this plan was the "preservation, coordination, consolidation, integration and improvement of essential transit facilities and services." This plan, along with any conditional operating agreements, would be submitted to the governors and legislatures of both states for approval by concurrent legislation. Upon approval, the agreements would become binding.

Long-range plan

The agency was also tasked with preparing a long-range plan for a "more permanent arrangement" for the region's transit system. This plan was to include:

• Proposals for preserving, coordinating, and improving transit facilities.
• Methods for financing its implementation, although it could not provide for financing through property taxes.
• Proposals for modifying or amending the compact itself to implement the plan.
• Provisions for civil defense and evacuation procedures.

Like the interim plan, the long-range plan required approval by concurrent legislation in both states. Congress also reserved the right to review and consent to any long-range plan before it could become effective.

Funding and duration

The compact did not grant the agency the power to tax or to borrow money without subsequent approval by concurrent legislation. It had no power to pledge the credit of either state. For its initial operating expenses, the compact stipulated that each state would appropriate $25,000.

The agency was explicitly created as a temporary body. Article 4.6 of the compact stated that the agency would "continue in existence until June thirtieth, nineteen hundred sixty-one," though its existence could be extended by concurrent legislation.

Dissolution and legacy

The New York-New Jersey Transportation Agency was a transitional body. As part of its creation, the compact formally terminated the existence of its predecessor, the New York-New Jersey Metropolitan Rapid Transit Commission, which had been established in 1954.

The agency ceased to exist on its planned termination date of June 30, 1961. It was soon succeeded by the Tri-State Transportation Committee, formed by the governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut in August 1961. This body evolved into the Tri-State Transportation Commission in 1965, and was renamed the Tri-State Regional Planning Commission in 1971. After the withdrawal of its member states, the commission was replaced in June 1982 by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) and its counterpart agencies in New Jersey and Connecticut.

The commuter crisis, however, continued to deepen throughout the 1960s. The failure to find a permanent solution during the agency's tenure led to more direct state intervention. In 1965, New York State, under Governor Rockefeller, created the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Authority (MCTA) to purchase and operate the bankrupt Long Island Rail Road. This was a precursor to the creation of the modern Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in 1968, a far more powerful public authority that consolidated control over New York City's subways, buses, and commuter rail lines. The Transportation Agency of 1959 thus represents an early, incremental step in the multi-decade evolution of public oversight and control of mass transportation in the New York metropolitan area.

See also

• Metropolitan Transportation Authority
• Metropolitan Regional Council
• Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
• Interstate compact
• History of transportation in New York City