Before the Assembly Transportation Committee reviewed three Transportation Trust Fund renewal bills last Thursday, Chair Alex DeCroce (R-Morris) told those gathered to testify that Assembly and Senate leaders were crafting a compromise bill for a Committee vote for today. Later, Assembly Speaker Jack Collins and Senate President Donald DiFrancesco announced their agreement on the funding structure and other key components of the bill, including a provision touted as one that would "restrict the DOT's ability to contribute to sprawl." But after reviewing the measure in depth, the state environmental coalition cried foul.

On its face, the new bill language would require all new state highways to be authorized by the legislature, adding a new requirement. However, a clause exempts projects authorized by a section of existing law (Title 27, chapter 6) first drafted in 1927, providing a loop-hole for a list of more than 50 new highway projects, including Route 55 to the Cape May Court House and the Route 15 Freeway extension in Sussex County, both through rural areas of the state. This escape hatch, plus the fact that the "requirement" would not apply to extensions or bypasses of existing state highways, led outraged environmental advocates to call the so-called anti-sprawl measure a pure piece of deception. At this writing, we understand the Legislature is rethinking its options on this provision.

The Transportation Committee hearing was the first stop for the 200 people wearing day-glo "anti-sprawl" and "fix-it-first" stickers who descended on the State House for the first, semi-annual New Jersey Environmental Lobby Day. Participating organizations, including the NJ chapter of the Sierra Club and the Audubon Society, the American Littoral Society, NJ PIRG Citizens Lobby, and the NJ Environmental Federation, have set winning amendments in the Transportation Trust Fund renewal bill as a top priority.

At the hearing, Janine Bauer, of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, testified that DOT will never meet its stated goals unless the specific 'fix-it-first' benchmarks in the Assemblyman Doria's bill are incorporated into the final version (MTR #272). Explained Marie Curtis of the NJ Environmental Lobby, "too often, special projects like the Atlantic City tunnel have gotten funding at the expense of maintaining the roads and bridges used by many." (see next article). The Doria provision would direct the DOT to work to repair half the state's aging roads and bridges over the next 5 years.

Environmentalists also requested that the final bill direct NJTransit to reduce the "ultra-fine" (less than 2.5 microns) particulate emissions from its transit buses and that the task force the bill would create study how to cap 'vehicle trips', not 'traffic', at 1999 peak rush hour levels. Added highway lanes may smooth traffic flow, but also encourage more vehicle trips. Over the longer term, congestion levels and delays then increase.

In the announcement of the Republican agreement, Senate President DiFrancesco said the new bill would "put the 'trust' back in Trust Fund." But its lack of spending directives for transportation agencies do not inspire trust among transportation reformers. DiFrancesco told the Trenton Times that he opposed more specific language because the DOT should be able to set its own priorities, despite the fact that the bridge and road repair goals favored by reformers were taken straight from DOT priority setting documents.