East Brunswick Commuter Parking Advisory Committee February 2009

The Commuter
LIFE AT THE NEW TCC PARKING FACILITY
It has been several months since the new TCC parking facility first welcomed commuters from East
Brunswick and surrounding towns. The new facility has finally allowed hundreds of people, many of whom
were on the waiting list for years, to obtain long awaited parking permits. Many of the commuters are pleased
that their cars are now sheltered from the elements.

Life at the facility, which is well lit but lacking sophisticated security measures, can be challenging for
both commuters and employees of Coach, the bus company with exclusive rights to provide commuter bus
service to the facility.

One issue faced in the early stages was a plumbing blockage that caused flooding at the facility. Another
major stumbling block was a technology failure that put the sale of tickets out of commission -- without a
back-up plan in place. Commuters were left stranded, scratching their heads as how to buy tickets and board
their buses.

Many commuters who park on the first floor of the facility do not bother taking the elevators because the floor
indicators do not inform you what floor the elevator is on. When you are running for late a bus, you are not
going to gamble on the proximity of the next elevator.

The men's room leaves something to be desired because the designer did not take men's privacy into
consideration. Heating of the waiting areas has also been inadequate, leading to a number of complaints.
The architect and engineers of the facility did not provide enough space in the ceiling of the waiting facility,
hence the HVAC ductwork is exposed. Not a very attractive or professional option.

The most important issues that must be resolved at the new facility relate to the access areas to and from
the facility. The approaching roads to and from the entrances and exits have left commuter safety on the
back burner. All the roads to and from the facility are too narrow and lack proper traffic lanes; and signage is
nowhere to be found. The approaches to and from the facility have become a free for all. Unfortunately,
commuters that use NJ Transit buses, which are not allowed to have their buses pick up at the new facility,
get caught in the middle of the traffic free for all. Coach, which pays $540,000 per year for the privilege, has
exclusive rights to the facility and NJ Transit does not want to make a contribution for gate access. This puts
the 68 commuters out on the street waiting for their buses. Although a new request for bids on a new bus
contract are currently being developed, this is expected to not change. Overhead street lighting problems
have also compounded commuter safety issues for 68 commuters walking to their buses.

Another issue of controversy at the new facility is the extreme difficulty Coach drivers seem to have leaving
the facility. Although both the Parking Utility and Coach management insist the problem is driver error, the
CPAC believes that the turning radius was poorly designed because most drivers have to make extra
maneuvers just to exit the facility. These maneuvers have ruined the new landscaping, and created an
unsightly appearance at the facility. Although drivers have had numerous opportunities to get used to the
turn, the design continues to challenge them.

The Kiss and Ride has not been exempt from problems as there are only six parking spaces, one quarter of
what is actually needed. Unfortunately, many inconsiderate people continue to stop illegally while waiting
to pick up commuters from the Kiss and Ride. This prevents those cars in the waiting parking spaces from
exiting the Kiss and Ride when they want to leave and prevents other from pulling into the Kiss and Ride.
Because of the poor and limited design of the Kiss and Ride, Township enforcement is necessary, and,
hopefully, eventually forthcoming.

Commuters have not been happy being restricted to exiting the new facility on Old Bridge Turnpike. The red
light there is too long and vehicles at the entrance cannot enter and exit at the same time because the
entrance/exit is too narrow and traffic entering Route 18 is too slow.
It appears that the construction of the facility was done with limitations, and in haste, and many problems will
be waiting a long time for solutions, especially in light of the litigation recently commenced between East
Brunswick and Toll Brothers, the owner of the entire Golden Triangle site.

Overall the new TCC facility has been a modest success, but with many design and safety flaws that need
to be addressed.

Ron Parisi
Odds and Ends
TCC Retail Facility: From the May 2006 Commuter “Also included for the first time in either facility will be an
18 x 30 feet area that will be available for use as a small commuter oriented retail establishment that could
sell newspapers, snacks, pastries, beverages as well as serve as drop off and pickup for services such as
shoe repair, oil changes by valet services, flowers, milk and other commuter conveniences. The Parking
Utility will earn additional rent by leasing out this space.” The Parking Utility now says this space at the TCC
is no longer available but the CPAC has been unable to get an explanation of where the promised space
disappeared to and why.

CPAC Meetings: The next meeting of the CPAC will be at 8 PM on March 12, 2009 in the Municipal Building
Conference Room. All commuters are invited to attend, along with the management of the Parking Utility and
Coach. Meetings for the remainder of 2009 are: April 1; May 14; June 11; July 9; August 13; September 10;
October 8; November 12; and December 10. We suggest that you check our online calendar at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EBCommuter/cal to see if there has been a schedule change before you
attend a meeting so you will not be disappointed if it has been rescheduled.

NJ Transit 68: As noted above, NJ Transit 68 commuters will continue to board buses outside the TCC
proper. Even more problematic is the fact that if and when further development takes place in the remainder
of the Golden Triangle complex, 68 commuters are not guaranteed a place pick up the bus other than on Old
Bridge Turnpike. The CPAC understands that NJ Transit was originally invited into the TCC facility in an
effort to attract commuters and their parking fees to the facility. An estimated approximately 250 68
commuters now have been told that the bus will not be permitted into this new facility without NJ Transit
paying for access to it. This policy change was not communicate to commuters until well after the plans for
the new TCC were under way. These commuters pay the same parking fees as do all other commuters that
park at the TCC. If you are an affected commuter and would like this issue addressed, it is incumbent upon
you to make your voice heard by attending a CPAC or Council meeting, or calling or writing the Mayor or
Council or through a similar effort.

Neilson Daily Parking: 200 additional daily parking spots were added on a temporary basis at Neilson
Plaza effective Jan. 15, 2009. Daily parking spots should always be available now. Please let us know by
sending us an e-mail if you are unable to get a daily parking spot because the facility is full. The CPAC is
making a special effort to monitor this issue.

Crosstown Survey: The CPAC developed a survey for Crosstown commuters to better understand their
needs. You can find a copy of the results of this survey at
http://www.scribd.com/doc/12902022/Crosstown-Survey-Results.

QTE Expansion: As a result of the stimulus package signed by President Obama, the IRS monthly pre-tax
limit for mass transit under the Qualified Transportation Expense (QTE) plan has increased to $230 per
month. Please contact your benefits department or QTE provider to find out how you can take advantage of
this tax savings. For commuters not yet taking advantage of this program, you now have more reason to do
so.

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The Commuter February 2009