New Jersey toll road users, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and two competing companies are awaiting a decision from a New Jersey court that could determine the future of the state’s lucrative E-ZPass contract.
At stake is the $1.7 billion contract to oversee the E-ZPass program that affects toll roads touching practically every corner of the Garden State.
The winner of the contract will oversee everything from the bills issued and ensuring the overhead cameras are correctly tolling motorists to customer service and other administrative services, such as securing driver data…
Transparency and how agencies use taxpayer money
The contract includes the turnpike, the Garden State Parkway and tolling roads overseen by the Delaware River and Bay Authority, the South Jersey Turnpike Authority, the Burlington County Bridge Commission and the Cape May County Bridge Commission.
Although the arguments and discussion in a Trenton courtroom Oct. 1 were specific to the E-ZPass contract, the concerns about transparency and strong procurement processes are germane to how agencies conduct the state’s business with billions of taxpayer dollars.
Marc Pfeiffer, associate director of Rutgers University’s Center for Urban Policy Research, said the Turnpike Authority has to manage the balancing act of being transparent while not giving so much away that it is opened up to relentless litigation and bid protests that can delay projects to repair aging bridges and highways and advance complicated technology services, such as E-ZPass.
“What this comes down to is trying to find a balance between good practice, efficiency, transparency and getting the work done,” Pfeiffer said. “Because we live in such a litigious environment, that’s really hard.”
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While transparency and following protocols is important, Pfeiffer emphasized that the staff at agencies and authorities also has to be trusted. Evaluating professional services contracts, such as E-ZPass, requires a level of discretion.
“It’s not black and white,” Pfeiffer said. “Is there a public interest in seeing those details? Yes, there may be.
“But at the same time,” he said, “it gives the opponent, the person challenging the evaluation, the ability to say, ‘Well, this isn’t right. Why did we get a low grade?'”