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Your Member Monthly News & Updates
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Welcome Aboard!
The GNJMA directors unanimously voted to appoint Brad Decker
to represent the Allied Destination Members on the Board.
Brad, a Bethlehem native, started at the Sands Casino in a customer service role in 2009, but moved quickly to his current role as
Manager of Motorcoach Marketing. Brad lives in Bethlehem with his wife Colleen and their two children Dominic and Alina, ages 4 and 2, respectively. He has grown an affinity for the motorcoach and tourism industry, and looks forward to bringing his time and talent to the leadership of our Association.
Congrats, Brad!
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GNJMA Electronic Logging Devices Webinar
She's baaaaack! Danielle Smith of
FMCSA will share a comprehensive presentation to our
Members on Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) on
May 16th
at
11:00AM.
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| Danielle sharing an update at our Spring Association Meeting. |
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- The webinar will run approximately one hour.
- There will be time for Q&A.
- Registration deadline is May 1st.
We will send out a link to join the webinar to all registered participants once the registration closes.
Space is limited for 50 companies, so act fast!
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Surveys were sent out to all registered participants in regards to the Spring Association Meeting. Please take some time to fill out the very brief survey.
We value your feedback and will share the results with those who participate. Here is the link below.
Thank you in advance! Deadline is May 1st.
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Martz Trailways Receives Safety Award from Trailways
Fellow Member Martz Group was the recipient of the
2017 Fleet Service Safety Award in the "More Than 2 Million Miles Traveled" Scheduled Route Division at the Trailways Bus Fleet Safety Awards.
The awards, sponsored by GNJMA Platinum sponsor Motorcoach Industries (MCI), were held on February 27, 2018 at the Hilton Sandestin Resort in Miramar Beach, Florida.
The awards require member companies to provide safety records quarterly to the Trailways corporate office and be accident-free for the year.
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Bus Association of New York (BANY) Hosts New
York City Bus Operator Meeting
BANY sponsored a meeting in New York City on March 22nd on topics of bus operations - safety, traffic, parking, layovers, and congestion. Our GNJM
A
Executive Director Pattie Cowley was in attendance along with 40 motorcoach operators, other industry professionals and NYC officials.
The purpose of the meeting was to promote buses as integral a
nd positive members of the NYC community, discuss ideas that the industry faces coming in to the destination, and create an open dialogue with the community on possible changes and solutions.
Bob Crescenzo of Lancer Insurance presented "Safety Programs and Vision Zero Initiatives" which focused on safe bus operations in the city including risk management, pedestrian and motorist situations. You can access the full presentation here. The presentation was followed by a
panel discussion featuring the New York Police Department, NYC Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Transit Authority, American Bus Association, and United Motorcoach Association. The meeting was a great success and opened the door for further discussions regarding New York City bus transportation!
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Prevost Sponsors Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC) to Advance Core Value of Safety
GNJMA Platinum sponsor Prevost has announced its recent sponsorship of the BISC. Prevost heralds its safety mission as a core value and guiding principle. As part of the Volvo Group, the Volvo 9700 motorcoach continues to set the highest safety standards possible. "We have always put safety first, as do the members of BISC," says Michael Power, Vice President of Marketing for Prevost. "It is in our DNA to plan and design vehicles that lead the industry in safety and protection. Our hope for our sponsorship of BISC is to help instill all bus and coach operators with a similarly robust safety philosophy." Read the full Prevost press release here.
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Do You Have News?
If you have news you'd like to share about your company or one of your employees, please
email us a note. We'd love to share your news with the rest of the Association!
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Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Offers Guidance on Homeland Bus Security
The TSA plans to update its vehicle ramming attack guidance in May. In the meantime, the following programs are being offered at no cost on the TSA website:
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Motorcoach Industry Commended for Recent
Safety Performance by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Officer
Jack Van Steenburg, Assistant Administrator and Chief Safety Officer of the FMCSA, commended the motorcoach industry during UMA's State Association Summit at Motorcoach Expo 2018. Steenberg explained that although the Administration has seen an upward trend in fatal crashes involving cars and trucks, fatal crashes involving motorcoaches have decreased. "I really commend you for your efforts," said Steenburg.
He also compared out-of-services rates for the motorcoach industry versus the trucking industry:
Out-Of Service Rates |
Motorcoach Industry
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Trucking Industry
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Driver
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1.9% |
5.1% |
Vehicle
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7.8% |
21.2% |
"You are doing something right," said Steenburg. "Keep it up."
Read the full article in Bus & Motorcoach News
here
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American Bus Association (ABA) Partners with Busing On The Lookout (BOTL) To Combat Human Trafficking
The ABA announced its partnership with Truckers Against Trafficking's program BOTL to combat human trafficking. BOTL's mission is to educate and equip all members of the busing industry with the information necess
ary to enable
them to fight human trafficking as part of their everyday jobs. "Recognizing that through their sheer numbers, extensive travels, and the nature of their jobs, members of the bus industry could provide an extra set of eyes and ears for law enforcement in recovering victims and arresting traffickers, we are seeking to get everyone in the bus industry trained on what to look for and how to report it effectively," explained program director for BOTL Annie Sovcik. Find more information or get involved
here
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New Jersey Governor Proposes His First State Budget To A Joint Session of the Legislature
Governor Phil Murphy proposed his first state budget to a joint session of the Legislature this afternoon. The $37.4 billion budget contains a surplus of $743 million. Notable portions of the budget include the following:
- The proposed budget calls for about $1.6 billion in new tax revenue. The budget proposes increasing taxes on households earning more than $1 million a year from 8.97 percent to 10.75 percent. This change, estimated to bring in $765 million, would be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2018.
- It proposes raising the state sales tax from 6.625 percent to 7 percent, reversing the cut made when the gas tax was increased during the Christie Administration. This is expected to generate about $581 million. The budget anticipates $60 million in sales tax revenue from legalizing recreational marijuana and $20 million from expanding the existing medical marijuana program.
- The Governor proposes closing what is known as a "carried interest loophole," a provision that allows wealthy money managers to characterize some of their earnings as lower-taxed capital gains, rather than ordinary income to raise an additional $100 million in revenue.
- The proposed budget makes several technical changes to the corporate business tax code, including a combined reporting requirement, to raise an additional $110 million.
- Funding for NJ Transit nearly triples to $241 million.
- He once again called for an increase in the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour, including an increase to $11.00 per hour in 2019 and for a comprehensive state sick leave policy.
Find the full budget here.
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Upcoming Events!
June 6th
Mid-Year Board of Director's Teleconference
Annual Golf Outing -
Atlantic City Country Club
Meet & Mingle -
Arturo's
Board of Director's Meeting
Fall Annual Association Member Meeting
Group Leader Marketplace
Mini-Marketplace
November 7th
- Tropicana Casino
2018 Driver's Safety Meeting
March 11-12th, 2019
- Sands Casino Resort, Bethlehem
Sponsor Appreciation Dinner
Spring Association Meeting & Motorcoach Professional Awards
Mini-Marketplace
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Museum of Bus Transportation
2018 Spring Fling
The Mus
eum of Bus Transportation
in Hershey is holding its 2018 Spring Fling on June 2nd. The event will run from 8:00AM to 4:00PM.
The mu
seum is loca
ted at the Antique Automobile Museum Campus. Admission is f
ree to museum members; there will be a $7.00 fee for non-members.
Please join the event and support our Platinum Sponsor Prevost's
representative David Schmidt, who is also the museum's Board of Director's Chairman.
For more information, please visit their
website. Please contact Becky Tollens at (585) 737-4046 or by email at
events@busmuseum.org with any questions.
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Download our logo above to display proudly on your website.
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Contact: Pattie Cowley, Executive Director | Greater New Jersey Motorcoach Association
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