The New Jersey Dept. of Transportation has released its proposed capital program for fiscal 2003, and, as in 2002 and 2001, the plan does not comply with the fix-it-first mandate or the 1000-lane mile bicycle path goal of the Transportation Trust Fund law enacted in 2000.NJ DOT proposes to spend just 4% 2003’s Trust Fund dollars on bridge preservation ($21 million).

In 2000, the Legislature required DOT to reduce the backlog of deficient bridges and road pavement by half in five years, and to construct an additional 1,000 bicycle ways.

But in its December, 2000 Capital Investment Strategy, the DOT used terms like “out of reach” and “well off pace” to describe its efforts to reduce the backlog of structurally deficient bridge projects. Subsequent capital programs showed that DOT has abandoned the goal of attaining a state of good repair altogether.

In 2003, only three bridge projects totaling $4.23 million (Walt Whitman, Harry’s Brook/Route 27 and Rt.13/Inland Waterway) are slated for repair or replacement in the Trust Fund spending plan.The rest of the monies for bridge preservation are “line items” for emergency repairs, orphan bridges over railroads, emergent projects and emergency inspections.Some of these attest to the lousy state of New Jersey’s infrastructure: “This program will provide for the removal of loose concrete from the underdeck ...for the safety of the public.This is a continuous problem and action shall be taken to remove loose concrete....this is an ongoing effort”

Rail freight is held to the paltry level of $10 million assigned in several successive annual capital programs. Locally-initiated bicycle and pedestrian grants also receive short shrift.Some Trust Fund monies for these areas are being replaced by federal air quality (CMAQ) funds, freed up from the failed tailpipe inspection program that has absorbed New Jersey’s entire CMAQ allocations for the past several years. This means that even less Trust Fund money will be used to reduce truck trips and make NJ more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly.

General aid to localities gets a bit more money ($168 million), as does road preservation, at 13% of the Trust Fund pot ($78 million), although only $15 million of road preservation money is allocated to northern NJ, where most of the lane miles are, and $11 million will be spent to correct storm water problems at the Saddle River and Rt. 17.Congestion management projects (some add lane capacity) and “strategic mobility” projects comprise 15% of Trust Fund spending, including the widening of Rt. 31 north of Flemington ($11 million).Capital program support and delivery (essentially, spending on DOT personnel and consultants) hauls down a whopping 26% of the Trust Fund, despite the efforts by the Legislature to limit this category. 

Advocates for transportation reform, including the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, are appealing to the Governor, Legislature and new transportation commissioner to come up with a plan that devotes more serious attention to infrastructure maintenance and alternatives to cars and trucks. 

Campaign Presses for NJ Compliance with "Fix-it-First" Law (May 14, 2001)

NJDOT: Above the Law? 
(March 5, 2001)

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