The Tri-State Campaign will testify against the bill, arguing the new bonding would bail the NJ Department of Transportation out of its commitment to spend more existing state funds on bridge repair. The bill states that substantial additional emergency funds must be made available because the cost of meeting statewide bridge repair needs “greatly exceed the monies that can be provided from regular State appropriations, the Transportation Trust Fund, the federal government, and local governments.”

But DOT plans to reduce annual spending of Trust Fund money on bridge repair by half in FY 2002-2004 and federal earmarks are also reduced by tens of million (MTR #316).

Even if approved by legislators this session, the 2001 Bridge Bond is likely to meet voter suspicion and opposition from environmental and transportation reform groups in November.  With the 1999 bridge bond and the 2000 transportation trust fund renewal, voters have already approved over $3 billion in state debt — in addition to $500 million in additional gas and sales taxes — to fund Department of Transportation programs through 2004.  Repairing at least half of the over 800 structurally deficient bridges state-wide is an enacted central spending goal for these funds, but in reality less than 1/10 (roughly $350 million) is programmed for that purpose.  Editorial boards have begun to respond to the problem, using terms like “voters duped,” “a betrayal of voters’ trust” and “an issue of trust.”