Bill Text: NJ SCR34 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges United States Congress and President to provide federal infrastructure funds for extension of Route 55.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-14 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee [SCR34 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-SCR34-Introduced.html
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 34
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator MICHAEL L. TESTA, JR.
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
SYNOPSIS
Urges United States Congress and President to provide federal infrastructure funds for extension of Route 55.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
A Concurrent Resolution urging United States Congress and President to provide federal infrastructure funds for the extension of Route 55.
Whereas, The State of New Jersey is in urgent need of improvements to its highway system, which are vital to the continued economic prosperity of the State and the entire Northeast region; and
Whereas, In the 2017 Annual Highway Report issued by the Reason Foundation, New Jersey's highway system ranked 50th in the nation in overall highway performance; and
Whereas, Highway conditions and traffic congestion have deteriorated over the years as certain State highways have not been modernized to keep pace with the growth in traffic; and
Whereas, Notably, Route 55, which extends from State Highway Route 42 in Deptford, Gloucester County, to an intersection with Route 47 in Maurice River Township, Cumberland County has not seen any upgrades in many years; and
Whereas, The extension of Route 55, which was initially planned to extend from Gloucester County into Cape May County, was halted in 1975 and the final stretch of Route 55, connecting the road to the Garden State Parkway, was never built due to rising construction costs and significant environmental obstacles; and
Whereas, Route 55 is one of the primary routes to reach the New Jersey shore and experiences severe congestion in the summer months resulting in an exasperating experience for motorists, tourists, and local residents alike and also giving rise to significant safety concerns; and
Whereas, In rural Cumberland County, the four lanes of Route 55 narrow to a single lane before merging with Route 47, a local road not suitable for the heavy tourist and commuter traffic the highway handles; and
Whereas, New Jersey's coastal communities rely on a bustling tourism industry, which generates over $44 billion in economic activity annually and supports over 800,000 jobs in the State; and
Whereas, In order to facilitate the flow of traffic to and from the Jersey Shore and to relieve congestion on Route 47, as well as to enhance opportunities for economic development in Cumberland and Cape May counties, it is in the public interest for Route 55 to be extended to the Garden State Parkway; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. The United States Congress and the President are urged to adhere to their commitment to the motorists and industries that rely on a seamless operation of highways by approving federal infrastructure funds for the extension of Route 55 to the Garden State Parkway.
2. Copies of this resolution, filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and each member of the United States Congress elected from this State.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the United States Congress and the President to approve federal infrastructure funds for the extension of Route 55.
Highway conditions and traffic congestion have deteriorated over the years as certain State highways have not been modernized to keep pace with the growth in traffic. Notably, Route 55, which extends from State Highway Route 42 in Deptford, Gloucester County, to an intersection with Route 47 in Maurice River Township, Cumberland County has not seen any upgrades in many years. The extension of Route 55, which was initially planned to extend from Gloucester County into Cape May County, was halted in 1975 and the final stretch of Route 55, connecting the road to the Garden State Parkway, was never built due to rising construction costs and significant environmental obstacles.
Route 55 is one of the primary routes to reach the New Jersey shore and experiences severe congestion in the summer months resulting in an exasperating experience for motorists, tourists, and local residents alike and also giving rise to significant safety concerns. In order to facilitate the flow of traffic to and from the Jersey Shore and to relieve congestion on Route 47, as well as to enhance opportunities for economic development in Cumberland and Cape May counties, it is in the public interest for Route 55 to be extended to the Garden State Parkway.
