This subsidy is borne entirely at the local level, by New Jersey counties and municipalities. Localities spend $1.2 billion a year providing roads and motorist services, but collect only $200 million directly from drivers; the difference of $1 billion is paid largely through property taxes.

Crossroads is a 45-page report, researched and written by Komanoff Energy Associates, a Manhattan-based economic consulting firm. An earlier KEA study for the Tri-State Campaign found that 65 cents of every dollar spent by government on highways in New York is derived from user-fees; the remaining 35 cents, from taxpayers. The New York report, Subsidies for Traffic was published in March 1994.

Early news coverage of the report's findings centered in the Star-Ledger. It covered presentation of the general thrust of the report by Rutgers Environmental Law Clinic's Bill Sullivan at Monday's North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority debate on transportation subsidies. A fuller article covering the report's findings and perspective in detail followed Wednesday. Janine Bauer, Campaign director, is quoted saying the report's results "demonstrate that the only way to protect local property taxpayers from subsidizing traffic is to make car and truck user-fees pay more of the costs of building and maintaining highways." Both articles contained comments from the National Motorists Association's Stephen Carrellas, who said the report was "another self-serving attempt by the Tri-State Campaign to justify more money for mass transit by attacking the automobile user."

The report will be mailed to Campaign members, affiliates and foundation supporters shortly.