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Transportation chief details 2011-12 road and transit improvement effort

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

New Jersey motorists and their fellow travelers from out of state left over 500 tons — that tons — of litter on state-controlled roadways in 2010.

The Department of Transportation, as part of its “Clean Up NJ" initiative, also removed 51,000 square yards of graffiti.

And Transportation Commissioner James S. Simpson told the Assembly Budget Committee Thursday that as soon as the department is finished cleaning up from another one of the five toughest winters in the last 80 years, it will return to the litter and graffiti cleanup campaign.

"We dealt with incredibly difficult storms, with over 130 inches of total snow accumulation these past two winters,” Simpson told legislators. “We responded to 37 winter storm events, which lasted a total of 51 days. We have filled thousands of potholes, and I expect the amount we spend on pothole repairs will meet or exceed the $1.9 million we spent last year.”

Simpson detailed the DOT’s planned $3.5 billion 2011-12 capital improvements plan, which includes $1.6 billion in federal aid and $1.6 billion in state funds and includes $300 million to be provided by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and the Turnpike Authority.

Simpson said the DOT plans to use $2.34 billion of the $3.5 billion and NJ Transit will use the remaining $1.164 billion.

The commissioner said $1.8 billion in Port Authority money will be spent over the next five years for the repair of the Pulaski Skyway, the Route 7 Wittpenn Bridge, the Route 139 Viaduct, and the Route 1&9 Truck Extension, also known as New Road in Hudson County.

“For local systems, we have programmed $420 million in (state) Transportation Trust Fund and federal funds,” Simpson said. “These funds provide assistance to counties and towns for their transportation infrastructure needs.”

The commissioner said $88 million has been set aside to improve pedestrian safety, $780 million is allotted for repair of state-run bridges, a 19 percent increase from last year, and $308 million for paving repairs, a 27 percent increase from last year.

Funding for traffic congestion relief is down by $100 million to $342 million. “We are seeking to address congestion through low-cost, quick fix strategies,” Simpson said. “Simple projects, such as maximizing technology to coordinate traffic signal operations can yield significant time-saving, along with reduced pollution, congestion, and fuel consumption.”

Simpson told Assemblyman Lou Greenwald (D-Camden), the Budget Committee chairman, that the DOT that a $1 billion effort to improve what the DOT considers its largest congestion relief project — the Routes 295, 42 and 76 connection in Camden County — will begin in the 2011-12 year.

“The governor’s plan for renewing the Transportation Trust Fund for another five years is a key component of our plans for New Jersey,” Simpson said. “It provides for $8.0 billion over the five years, and does not increase taxes. It ends our over-reliance on debt to finance projects, and increases 'Pay As You Go' from 10 percent to 37 percent over the five years. The plan relies on cash from the (state) general fund, New Jersey Turnpike Authority funding, bonding,and funding from the Port Authority. It provides $1.6 billion each year for the five years – and ensures that we can leverage all the federal dollars available to New Jersey.”

Simpson also detailed his efforts to reduce DOT spending. He said the DOT’s emergency highway service is being reduced by $6 million in federal aid and the money will be used for pavement repairs. He said the DOT expects to save $250,000 in fuel costs per year, reduced its fleet of cars by 25 and reduced the number of employees with vehicle privileges by 125.

Simpson said 66 full-time positions were eliminated at the Turnpike Authority in 2010-11 and 65 more will be abolished in 2011-12.

“We completed ahead of schedule and on budget one of the largest pavement rehabilitation jobs in our history – an $85 million project for 11 miles of I-295 in Burlington County,” Simpson said. “In December, we opened up the new $134 million Route 36 Highlands Bridge in Monmouth County. This bridge provides improved access to an immensely popular shore recreational area and will reduce traffic congestion.

“On another regionally important project, the I-78 and Garden State Parkway Interchange, we recently opened up an important ramp connection,” Simpson said. “Now motorists have a ramp for their usage connecting the GSP Southbound to I-78 Eastbound. An estimated 6,500 motorists a day benefit from this new connection. Work continues on the overall job, with completion to occur this July – six months ahead of schedule.”