| Issue 180 | July 10, 1998 |
| The Whitman Administration has rejected the
concept of including program and spending prescriptions in its reauthorization
of New Jersey's Transportation Trust fund (which Governor Whitman says
requires an increase in the state gas tax). The Tri-State Transportation
Campaign says such controls are necessary to stop NJDOT from continuing
to reflexively construct highway capacity in both urban and rural
parts of the state.
But interestingly, the NJ Dept. of Transportation has already developed a spending plan for future Trust Fund resources. It promises to continue to promote, and possibly accelerate, sprawl development. A "NJ First" spending chart distributed by NJDOT shows that transit's share does grow, to just over a one-third share. Absolute highway spending and spending on highway expansion projects both climb as well. If the Tri-State Transportation Campaign's program proposals were adopted, NJ's transportation spending would look like the table directly above. Transit would enjoy the same increase, but the critical area of state highway spending would be oriented far more toward roadway maintenance, local aid and pedestrian, bicycle and rail freight projects. Legislators, local elected officials and community leaders should decide which vision best promises better communities, open space and a way out of gridlock. |
Current Spending Allocation
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4-Cent Gas Tax Chart - NJDOT Increase
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4-CENT Gas Tax Increase - TSTC/Fix it First
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