newjerseynewsroom.com

$2.3 billion would go to state DOT, $1.2 billion to NJ Transit

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Gov. Chris Christie Thursday proposed spending $3.5 billion in highway and mass transit improvements in fiscal year 2011-12, an allocation that would represent the first year of a five-year Transportation Capital Plan.

The governor sees the plan as helping to put New Jersey on the path toward fiscal health by prioritizing projects, decreasing borrowing and increasing pay-as-you-go cash funding.

The plan outlines spending priorities totaling $2.3 billion for the state Department of Transportation and nearly $1.2 billion for NJ Transit.

“Renewing New Jersey isn’t just a slogan, it’s the product of cohesive policies that attract businesses, create new jobs and control taxes,” Christie said. “The significant investments in our roads, our bridges and our public transportation system contained in this capital program help us move toward our shared goal of rebuilding and renewing the great state of New Jersey.”

“This capital program balances the reality of limited resources with the twin imperatives of promoting public safety and maintaining our assets in a state of good repair,” Transportation Commissioner James Simpson added. “Every investment to improve a road or bridge or railroad today helps us avoid far more costly repairs tomorrow.”

“Governor Christie’s support for our capital program will allow NJ Transit to serve nearly one million daily trips safely and reliably while modernizing our equipment and technology to enhance the customer experience,” NJ Transit Director James Weinstein said.

The program relies primarily on federal and state sources for funding.

Under the plan, state support from the Transportation Trust Fund and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey would amount to $1.6 billion, of which $978 million would be directed to the DOT and $622 million to NJ Transit.

Federal support amounts to $1.66 billion, of which $1.17 billion would go to the DOT and $497 million to NJ Transit.

The plan calls for an increase in money for rehabilitating or replacing bridges and roads by 25 percent, to $1.13 billion, or $229 million more than the current year.

Spending on state and local bridges would reach nearly $850 million, up from $714 million in the current year. The plan calls for $600 million for state-owned bridges and provides another $50 million for bridge deck rehabilitation or replacement projects.

Roadway repaving and reconstruction projects would be funded at $284 million, up from the $191 million allotted in the current year.

State aid and federal aid for local transportation projects would remain at $420 million. State aid would amount to $200 million.

A total of $341 million would go for infrastructure improvements, traffic management systems and incident response initiatives. Among the projects being advanced in the plan is the Interstate 295/42/76 Direct Connect project in Camden County.

DOT projects covering maritime, freight, rail and bicycle and sidewalk improvements would receive $162 million.

A total of $88 million would be directed toward DOT safety programs under the department’s Safety First Initiative, including improvements in high-hazard corridors and Safe Routes to School projects.

Pedestrian safety design and construction funds would be doubled to $4 million.

NJ Transit’s $1.164 billion capital program would addresses mass transit needs by funding so-called state-of-good-repair projects, preventive maintenance, local programs and debt service.

The proposed program continues funding for the replacement of almost 1,400 transit-style buses.

Money would also go for track replacement projects, railroad signal system upgrades, overhead power line and electrical substation upgrades, security improvements and rail station and bus terminal improvements.

The plan has been submitted to legislators for their review and is being shared with the state’s three metropolitan planning organizations.

The entire Proposed Fiscal Year 2012 Capital Program is available on the DOT’s website and is organized by project, county and route.