Tri-State Transportation Campaign on toll hikes

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign applauds Governor Corzine’s effort to address New Jersey’s state debt and provide long-term funding for the state’s transportation system.

However, as state legislators consider the Governor’s proposal, the Campaign urges them to examine his priorities for transportation funding. Specifically, Governor Corzine has proposed to use significant portions of the projected toll revenues for expanding the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, as well as the Atlantic City Expressway.

The highway expansion projects are a leap backwards for a state that has become nationally recognized for its smart growth policies. According to New Jersey Turnpike Authority documents, portions of the newly widened Parkway will be filled with traffic within years of the project’s completion, while the Turnpike widening project itself will induce huge increases in traffic.

State legislators must also take a hard look at the Governor’s proposal to create a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) to collect toll revenues and manage and maintain the toll roads. While the Governor has promised that this PBC will be subject to strict performance measures and government standards, the Campaign worries that under this structure the public will be cut out of the decision-making process and the state will be left with limited oversight authority.

EDITOR'S NOTE: On Thursday, the Sierra Club of New Jersey, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign and the New Jersey Environmental Federation announced that they were opposed to Gov. Jon Corzine’s increasing highway tolls to fund future transportation projects, which includes using the fare increase funds to help reduce the state’s debt.