Bill Text: NJ SR111 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges United States Congress to dedicate additional federal funds for highway maintenance and infrastructure improvements in New Jersey.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2015-05-18 - Filed with Secretary of State [SR111 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-SR111-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES W. HOLZAPFEL
District 10 (Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Urges United States Congress to dedicate additional federal funds for highway maintenance and infrastructure improvements in New Jersey.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate Resolution respectfully urging the United States Congress to dedicate additional federal funds for highway maintenance and infrastructure improvements in New Jersey.
Whereas, The New Jersey Department of Transportation estimates that motorists travel more than 200 million miles per day on the approximately 39,000 miles of public roadways in the State; and
Whereas, According to TRIP, a national non-profit transportation research group, 66 percent of New Jersey's roads are in poor or mediocre condition, and 36 percent of New Jersey's bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete; and
Whereas, Roads and bridges in poor condition cost motorists in the State an estimated $3.6 billion per year in vehicle repairs and operating costs and $121 billion a year in fuel costs and time lost in traffic; and
Whereas, TRIP estimates that roadway conditions are a significant factor in one-third of the approximately 600 annual traffic-related deaths in the State; and
Whereas, In the latest Annual Highway Report issued by the Reason Foundation, New Jersey's highway system ranked 46th in the nation in overall highway performance, 34th in deficient bridges, 45th in urban interstate highway congestion, and 48th in urban interstate pavement in poor condition; and
Whereas, In recent years, the State spent eight times the national per mile average on the maintenance of roads and bridges in New Jersey, and although New Jersey already invests more per mile of highway than any other state, its roads and bridges continue to rank among the worst in the country making additional federal investment in the State's roads and bridges crucial to the safety and convenience of those who use them; and
Whereas, New Jersey is a key corridor state located between two major metropolitan areas, and the benefits derived from a well-maintained transportation infrastructure not only support commerce and economic activity between those metropolitan areas but also provide significant benefits to the region and the nation as a whole making it imperative that adequate funding be provided by the federal government to support the State's transportation infrastructure; and
Whereas, New Jersey's location in relation to the Port of New York and New Jersey, which handles over 3.3 million containers per year and provides much needed goods and inventory to businesses throughout the region and the nation, demonstrates a critical need for adequate transportation infrastructure; and
Whereas, In addition to benefiting New Jerseyans, additional federal investment in the State's roads and bridges will make it safer and more reliable to transport goods through the State, extending the impact of such investment to the entire country; and
Whereas, It has been documented that for every dollar New Jersey sends in taxes to the federal government, the State receives only 61 cents in return; and
Whereas, This disparity needs to be diminished and adequate funding provided to New Jersey to support the maintenance of the State's highways and improvements to the State's transportation infrastructure; and
Whereas, In a struggling economy, investing in improvements to the transportation infrastructure creates much needed jobs in the construction and engineering industries and in every industry that relies on both intrastate and interstate commerce; and
Whereas, It is altogether fitting and proper and in the best interests of the citizens of this State and the nation for this House to respectfully urge the United States Congress to invest additional dollars in maintaining highways and improving the transportation infrastructure in this State; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House respectfully urges the United States Congress to invest additional federal dollars in maintaining the highways and improving the transportation infrastructure in this State.
2. Copes of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and every member of Congress elected from this State.
STATEMENT
This resolution respectfully urges the United States Congress to invest additional federal dollars in maintaining the highways and improving the transportation infrastructure in this State. New Jersey serves as a critical intermodal and transit conduit for the eastern seaboard and therefore has a major influence and impact upon the national economy.
According to a report compiled by TRIP, a national non-profit transportation research group, 66 percent of New Jersey's roads are in poor or mediocre condition, and 36 percent of New Jersey's bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Roads and bridges in poor condition cost motorists in the State billions of dollars annually and contribute to a third of all traffic-related deaths in the State.
New Jersey's highway system is ranked 46th in the nation in overall highway performance and efficiency in the latest Annual Highway Report issued by the Reason Foundation. Given that New Jersey already invests more per mile of highway than any other state and the roads and bridges still rank among the worst in the country, additional federal investment in the State's roads and bridges is crucial to the safety and convenience of all Americans who travel in New Jersey.
It has been documented that for every dollar New Jersey sends in taxes to the federal government, the State receives only 61 cents in return. This disparity needs to be diminished and adequate funding provided to New Jersey to support the maintenance of the State's highways and improvements to the State's transportation infrastructure.
New Jersey is a key corridor state located between two major metropolitan areas, and the benefits derived from a well-maintained transportation infrastructure not only support commerce and economic activity between those metropolitan areas but also provide significant benefits to the region and the nation as a whole, making it imperative that adequate funding be provided by the federal government to support the State's transportation infrastructure.
